Sometimes, when you live in Rome, all you want is a simple Sunday lunch in a peaceful spot – not too fancy, just relaxing. When that’s the mood, La Selvotta is a great pick.
A shady place under the trees to escape the chaos and heat of the city.
Basically, what locals call a gita fuori porta—a little getaway just outside town.
La Selvotta is in Ariccia, in the Castelli Romani area – those hills just above Rome that have been a summer retreat for Roman nobility for centuries.
A rustic open-air eatery set in a grove of plane trees, with wooden tables and simple cooking. Local families flock here when the weather is nice.
In summer, they also open for dinner.
The menu features local classics: mixed cured meats and cheese, buffalo mozzarella, Ariccia’s famous porchetta—a cardiologist’s nightmare, but absolutely worth it.
This is the tipical display of the typical trattoria in the castelli romani: la fraschetta.
Generous portions, rich and savoury, just the right amount of oil, with a subtle smoky note.
Also excellent: the beans with pork rind, which happened to be the daily special when I visited. A popular dish—you might find it often.
They also serve grilled meats, but honestly, most people don’t even make it to the second course after the starters and pasta.
Don’t miss the classic tiramisù to finish.
Don’t expect fine wines, though. Like any proper fraschetta (the traditional rustic taverns of Castelli Romani), they serve the local red house wine—nothing fancy, but it gets the job done.
Service is casual, like everything else here. Not ideal for the picky types—especially if you’re the kind to freak out if a little plane tree fluff lands in your glass.
But if you love the countryside, a no-frills atmosphere, and a hearty meal just outside Rome, La Selvotta won’t disappoint.
La Selvotta
Via Selvotta, 43
00072 Ariccia RM
📞 Phone: +39 06 932 4521
