Cioccolateria (SAID)

Trendy and modern take on an old chocolate factory
Popular plate: Pop into the adjoining chocolate deli to pick up some sweet treats to take home.

Word to the wise: The entrance is quite hidden just off the busy Via Tiburtina in a quiet courtyard.
This 1920s chocolate factory has been in the De Mauro family for nearly a century, but aside from the original machinery scattered around and chocolate moulds hung decoratively on the walls, as of 2011 they have given it a very modern update. Their small menu is often radical: pasta with chocolate and pear sauce, anyone? Although most of it is contemporary, seasonal Italian fare─chocolate-free.

The shabby chic interiors are warm and charming, romantic by night, full of leather armchairs, rough wood tables and the aroma of cocoa. Despite its San Lorenzo address, a distinctly student neighbourhood, this is upscale dining, which gets quite a line on weekends.