Authentic Roman Cuisine in the Heart of Lisbon
Rua de São Bento 107 · Lisboa
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A Roman soul in the heart of Lisbon
Alessandro Laganà and Stefania Carpoca, a trained sommelier, opened Il Matriciano in 2015 at Rua de São Bento 107, directly opposite the Assembleia da República, with a narrow conviction: Roman pasta, done right, with nothing substituted. The name comes from Pasta Matriciana — the dish the rest of the world calls Amatriciana — and it tells you where the kitchen's loyalties lie.
The menu lists more than a dozen pasta dishes — Tonnarelli all'Amatriciana, Tonnarelli cacio e pepe, Mezze maniche carbonara — alongside burrata ravioli, fettuccine with porcini and trofie with seabass that change with the season. Pasta comes from Pastificio Verrigni (Roseto degli Abruzzi) and La Pasta di Aldo (Monte San Giusto, Marche) — both recognised by Gambero Rosso International — with fresh shapes made in-house each morning. Guanciale from the Sano delicatessen in Amatrice, Pecorino Romano DOP from the Fulvi dairy in Lazio (recognised by Gambero Rosso), and Olio Sassicaia from Tenuta San Guido. More on our fresh pasta.
In a city where most Italian restaurants lead with pizza, Il Matriciano — with chef Maurizio Traina (Bergamo) in the kitchen — leads with pasta, served in an intimate dining room of around fifty seats, a covered esplanade with twenty more, and ten uncovered seats outside. In 2021, the restaurant won Little Big Italy on NOVE (Season 4, Episode 4, "Lisbona," 11 October 2021), beating Bella Ciao and La Bottega di Giò by a single point on chef Francesco Panella's voto di italianità — a score for authentic Italian identity abroad.
What Guests Say
More than 1,500 reviews across Google and TripAdvisor
4,5/5
4,2/5
“An exceptional experience from start to finish! Without a doubt, the best Italian restaurant in Lisbon. The food was authentic and full of flavor, the atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the service was outstanding. Highly recommended for anyone looking to enjoy true Italian cuisine in the heart of the city!”
“Pasta is among the best we have ever had. Try their signature dish and cacio e pepe, then go back the next day and try more. You will not be disappointed!”
“Ok, it’s an Italian restaurant in Lisbon. Why eat Italian? Because this is a super little restaurant — with a little bit of style — very near the parliament — service delicious food. The restaurant is cosy but with character and style — much like the food. […] The food we had over 2 visits was simple but delicious. The pasta and risotto rice absolutely masterfully cooked. Flavours deep and luxurious. We found this place for convenience but we were desperate to go back.”
“My boyfriend and I decided to have dinner at this restaurant during our holiday in Lisbon. We ordered bruschetta, pasta alla carbonara, pasta with clams and bottarga and finally a nice dessert (strawberry leaves). The best pasta with clams I have ever eaten (better than some places in Italy I would add), perfect cooking, delicious sauce (I even cleaned the plate with baked potatoes so good!). The waiters talented, polite and precise, impeccable service, I felt at home in Italy. Excellent accoglienza. Atmosfera Italian crazy and romantic, place suitable especially for couples. Not to mention the dessert … melted in the mouth, of infinite goodness .. all the creams together with millefeuille created a mix of fantastic flavors. What about… it was a very pleasant surprise for us, among other things if I remember correctly this restaurant participated in a well-known TV show (little big italy) with Francesco Panella and won the first place as best Italian restaurant in Lisbon! Confirm, first place well deserved!! Everything perfect shame is far from my home in Italy but for sure I will recommend it to those who want to visit Lisbon!! PERFECT FOOD AND STAFF, nothing more to say!”
Ratings as shown on Google and Tripadvisor, 21 September 2026. Reviews are quoted as written by the guest; where a review was left in another language, the translation is marked.
Our Main Ingredients, Directly from Italy
Sourced directly from Italy, with no shortcuts
Every dish at Il Matriciano begins with named Italian producers — pasta from Pastificio Verrigni (Abruzzo) and La Pasta di Aldo (Marche), guanciale from the Sano delicatessen in Amatrice, Pecorino Romano DOP from the Fulvi dairy in Lazio, and Olio Sassicaia from Tenuta San Guido. These are not generic imports. They are the specific ingredients that make Roman pasta what it is.
Pecorino Romano DOP Fulvi
DOP-protected sheep's milk cheese from the Fulvi dairy in Lazio, recognised by Gambero Rosso. Grated into the cacio e pepe, folded into the carbonara, finished over the Amatriciana.
Guanciale di Amatrice
Cured pork cheek from the Sano delicatessen in Amatrice — the Lazio town where Amatriciana was born. Not pancetta, not bacon. The fat that defines Roman cooking.
Italian Pasta
Fresh shapes — tonnarelli, ravioli — made by hand each morning. Dry pasta from Pastificio Verrigni (Roseto degli Abruzzi, founded 1898) and La Pasta di Aldo (Monte San Giusto, Marche), both recognised by Gambero Rosso International.
Olio Sassicaia
Extra virgin olive oil from Tenuta San Guido — the same Tuscan estate that produces Sassicaia wine.
Five named producers. The specific ingredients that make Roman pasta what it is.
Find Us
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Address
Rua de São Bento 107
1200-816 Lisboa
Portugal
Hours
Monday — Saturday
12:30 – 15:00
19:30 – 23:00
Closed on Sunday
Reservations
+351 213 952 639
ilmatriciano.info@gmail.com
Reservations recommended
Getting Here
Metro: Rato (Yellow Line) ~600 m on foot; Cais do Sodré (Green Line) nearby.
Tram: Eléctrico 28 stops at Calçada da Estrela near the restaurant.
Bus: Routes 706, 714, 727, 728 and 773 stop at "Assembleia República," 1 minute on foot.
Parking
Street: available on Rua de São Bento and adjacent streets.
Covered: Telpark São Bento – C.N.N. at Rua de São Bento 209–215 — 280 spaces, open 24h. From €2.10 first hour, €18.90 daily maximum. Pre-booking via the Telpark app.
Dietary requirements, dress code, group bookings — see our FAQ.