OK guys this is the deal - there are restaurants that serve good food I am sure, all over Rome, then there are places that you find on trip advisor and have to go with a gut feeling as you have too many to choose from - this restaurant was literally a stone's throw from our hotel on the Via Aurelia Antica and literally took us 3 minutes to drive too - that is what swayed us and obviously after having read the reviews, i had to give this place a go. Giancarlone is a great ambassador for Roman food and the simple dishes that we are told about but never really get to taste in their genuine state, that is unless you go to Giancarlone - We were in a party of 4 - i am celiac and so could not take advantage of the pizza evening, that is on a thrusday night he does a pizza non stop menue for 12 euros including a drink and a bruschetta then as much pizza as you can eat - he also does this with pasta on another evening and charges around 14 euros - so you know what you pay and what to expect to eat as his menue is simple and delicious too. he bought to the table a foccaccia with parma ham - it looked divine and my fellow diners guaranteed me it was a good version - i tasted the ham and it was perfect - melted slightly as the foccaccia was freshly baked so it gave a divine smokey flavour to the bread underneath - I then had a plate of repassed chicory - this is a vegetable sauteed in oil with just enough chili to give it a kick - my husband had a matriciana - typical roman pasta dish made with tomatoes, bacon and of course, pecorino romano - roman hard goats cheese, my son a plate of cacio and pepe spagetti - pecorino and pepper dressed spagetti and finally our friend who is of the holy order ate a plate of spagetti alla carbonara - i drooled, they ate and then they despaired at their empty plates - this food was simple but cooked to perfection and served by a great combination of waiters and Giancarlo who constantly came to check we were ok - we then all had artichokes roman