The story
Santin Cucina Contadina brings a deeply personal vision to Rome’s trattoria scene. As Franchino Er Criminale notes, it’s run by two cousins who grew up like brothers in Borghesiana, channeling their grandmother Santina’s recipes. The food here walks a compelling line: simple, homespun hits like the ragù and the roast beef with cicoria deliver the warmth of a nonna’s kitchen, while more refined dishes hint at ambition beyond the traditional. Portions are generous, and though prices are a bit high, they feel fair for the quality on display.
Standout plates include the Fettuccine Santin al Ragù, Pollo alla Diavola, and the Torta Rustica della Nonna Santina—each earning the creator’s emphatic thumbs-up. The Lingua in Umido and Arrosto di Manzo with seasonal vegetables round out a menu that balances nostalgia with craft. This is a neighborhood favorite with counter seating and takeout, and it’s earned its 4.8-star reputation honestly.
Synthesised by AI from every creator’s review. First reviewed 2025.
Most-loved dishes
AI summary of what 6 dish mentions say about the food
Reviewers rave about the soulful, rustic cooking at Santin Cucina Contadina, with the braised beef tongue, Lingua in umido, earning singular praise as a tender, deeply flavorful standout. The overall vibe is one of humble, heartfelt Italian home cooking that feels both authentic and warmly indulgent.
“This tongue in umido has a beautiful fondino at the bottom. It's like a spezzatino, a stracotto — really tender and flavorful. I only tasted it with the pan brioche, but it's excellent.”
What creators say
1 creator has covered Santin Cucina Contadina. Most active: Franchino Er Criminale
A new trattoria in Rome run by two cousins who grew up like brothers in Borghesiana, bringing their grandmother Santina's recipes to life. The food is excellent, especially the simple dishes like ragù and roast beef with cicoria, but there's a duality between traditional home cooking and more refined dishes. Portions are generous, prices are a bit high but fair for the quality.
Dishes mentioned
Lingua in Umido
This tongue in umido has a beautiful fondino at the bottom. It's like a spezzatino, a stracotto — really tender and flavorful. I only tasted it with the pan brioche, but it's excellent.
Torta Rustica della Nonna Santina
This rustic pie is incredibly crunchy — a crunchiness I've never encountered before. The pastry is so good I would have preferred it without any filling. Inside there are greens and spinach sautéed in butter, well seasoned, well salted, perfectly cooked. It's like an erbazzone on steroids. A huge portion too.
Fettuccine Santin al Ragù
The pasta is tagliatella-style, but the ragù reminds me of the one from the Piedmontese tarìni. The meat is good, well cooked, precise — just like grandma's. I think there's a bit of butter inside, or a drop of milk, because the color is a reddish-orange, not a deep red, and I feel a velvety caress of something fattier on the palate. Very, very good. I had to scrape the plate with bread.
Pollo alla Diavola
This is a free-range chicken thigh grilled with fennel in milk. The meat is excellent, well cooked, with a beautiful Maillard reaction — perfect browning. The fennel is all chopped into little pieces, delicious. It's a huge plate, exceptional. The cicoria ripassata on the side is perfect — just the right garlic and chili.
Arrosto di Manzo con Selezione di Verdure
This roast beef is fantastic. The meat looks like bark — it has a perfect Maillard reaction, a beautiful color. The cicoria ripassata on the side is one of the top three best cicoria I've ever eaten. The quality is top-notch.
