The Matriciano Journal
Stories, guides and recipes from our Roman kitchen in Lisbon
Seafood Pasta in Lisbon: Clams, Bottarga and Sea Bass, the Italian Way
Spaghetti with clams and bottarga, trofie with sea bass, risotto with langoustines — the Italian seafood line on a Roman menu, and what to drink with it.
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Cacio e Pepe in Lisbon: Two Ingredients, Exact Technique
Pecorino Romano, black pepper and pasta water — no cream, no butter. What Roman cacio e pepe is, why it is hard to get right, and how to recognise a good one.
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Trattoria in Lisbon: What the Word Means, and What to Look For
Trattoria, ristorante, osteria, pizzeria — what separates them in Italy, why in Lisbon the word often means pizza, and four checks before you book.
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Cacio e Pepe em Lisboa: Dois Ingredientes, Técnica Exata
Cheese, pepper and pasta water — no cream, no butter. What Roman cacio e pepe is, how to recognise a good one, and how it is served on Rua de São Bento. Article in Portuguese.
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Restaurante Italiano entre o Rato e a Estrela: Como Chegar à Rua de São Bento
About 600 m from Rato metro, tram 28 at Calçada da Estrela, five bus lines a minute from the door: getting to Rua de São Bento 107. Article in Portuguese.
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Italian Wine in Lisbon: What to Drink With Roman Pasta
126 wines from 14 Italian regions plus Champagne, 26 by the glass — and what to open beside amatriciana, carbonara and cacio e pepe.
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Trattoria em Lisboa: O Que a Palavra Significa
Trattoria, ristorante, osteria, pizzeria — what separates them in Italy, and what to look for in Lisbon. Article in Portuguese.
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Restaurante Italiano em Lisboa Onde os Locais Vão
The street, the clientele, what the Portuguese press said and to whom — and three things you can check yourself. Article in Portuguese.
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Where to Eat Near São Bento, Lisbon: How the Street Works
Buses, metro and parking, the two service windows, and two Roman kitchens a few doors apart — pasta at 107, pizza at 99.
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Dinner for Two in Lisbon: How to Order a Roman Meal
The shape of the courses, the welcome glass, which pasta to take one each of, the vegetarian route, and how long a table for two really takes.
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Eating Outside in Lisbon Year-Round: Why the Cover Matters
Season by season: which of the three areas works in which month, why lunch and dinner fail for different reasons, and the two words to use when you book.
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Pasta-Led or Pizza-Led: Choosing an Italian Restaurant in Lisbon
Lisbon's Italian restaurants split into pizza-led and pasta-led houses, and the two are not substitutes. Decide that first, then run the five-minute check.
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A Romantic Italian Dinner in Lisbon: What the Room Is Actually Like
Fifty seats, close-set tables, dinner from 19:30 and a sommelier's wine list — the room described without the adjectives.
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Eating Outside in Lisbon: What an Esplanade Actually Gets You
Covered or uncovered, sun or shade, lunch or dinner: how Lisbon esplanades work and what twenty covered seats offer.
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Restaurantes Italianos em Lisboa: Cantinas de Pizza e Cozinha Regional
How the Portuguese press has divided Lisbon's Italian scene since 2015, and three questions — region, named producers, dated verdict — that shorten the list.
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Massa Artesanal em Lisboa: O Que É Feito à Mão no Il Matriciano
What is made by hand every morning — tonnarelli, ravioli, fettuccine — and three questions that verify handmade pasta in any restaurant.
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Almoço de Trabalho Perto de São Bento e da Assembleia da República
A working lunch on Rua de São Bento: hours, timing, discretion, group tables and booking. Monday to Saturday, 12:30–15:00, opposite the Assembleia.
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How to Find Real Italian Food in Lisbon
Four checks that separate regional Italian cooking from the country-level label: named region, traceable producers, carbonara without cream, an independent verdict.
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Lunch With Colleagues Near São Bento
A working lunch for a group near São Bento: hours, timing inside the 12:30–15:00 window, seating, and what to order at Il Matriciano.
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Eating Italian in Lisbon Away From the Tourist Trail
Four tests that separate a neighbourhood restaurant from a tourist trap: who reviews it, location, local press, longevity — applied to Il Matriciano.
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Italian Lunch Near the Portuguese Parliament: Il Matriciano on Rua de São Bento
Roman-Italian lunch directly opposite the Assembleia da República. Lunch Mon–Sat 12:30–15:00, around fifty indoor seats plus a covered esplanade. Pasta from Pastificio Verrigni and La Pasta di Aldo.
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Roman Carbonara in Lisbon: Four Ingredients, No Compromise
Guanciale, egg yolk, Pecorino Romano DOP, black pepper — no cream. What authentic Roman carbonara is, what it is not, and how Il Matriciano makes it in Lisbon.
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Why Real Carbonara Doesn't Have Cream
Roman carbonara is an emulsion of egg yolk and Pecorino Romano DOP, not a cream sauce. Why cream changes the dish, why guanciale ≠ pancetta, why Pecorino ≠ Parmesan — and how Il Matriciano holds to the rule.
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Fresh Pasta in Lisbon: Hand-Made and from Named Italian Producers
Roman pasta in Lisbon: fresh hand-made shapes plus dry pasta from Pastificio Verrigni (Abruzzo) and La Pasta di Aldo (Marche), both Gambero Rosso International. Why it's rare in Lisbon — and what to order at Il Matriciano.
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The Roman Pasta Tradition: Carbonara, Amatriciana, Cacio e Pepe, Gricia
Rome's four classic pastas explained — one family built from guanciale, Pecorino Romano and black pepper — and which three are on Il Matriciano's Lisbon menu.
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From Teramo to Lisbon: The Abruzzo Pantry Behind Il Matriciano
The named Italian producers behind the pasta — Verrigni (Roseto degli Abruzzi, Teramo) and La Pasta di Aldo, plus Sano di Amatrice, Fulvi and Tenuta San Guido.
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Pasta Matriciana: The Dish That Named the Restaurant
Il Matriciano is named after pasta all'Amatriciana, from the town of Amatrice in Lazio — a culinary-tradition link, served as Tonnarelli all'Amatriciana.
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We save you a table
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