Where to find the 5 best supplis in Rome

Nowadays suppli al telefono – so called because the melted cheese forms what looks like a telephone cable joining the two halves when the suppli is broken in two - are a standard item on the menu of every rotisserie and pizzeria in Rome and usually enjoyed as a starter.

APPIO LATINO

1. Sisini – La casa del Supplì

Sisini is an institution for anyone who spends any time in the Appio Latino district – an overflowing pizzeria/rotisserie serving a constant stream of pizzas by the slice, calzoni and first and second courses for those on the go. And the suppli - soft and aromatic with a light, non-greasy coating - is the house speciality. The rice comes in plenty of ragu with a real mozzarella heart. Make sure it's come straight out of the fryer though. There's another branch – known to Romans as “Venanzio” – in Trastevere, in Via San Francesco a Ripa 137.

Sisini, Piazza Re di Roma 20, Rome. Tel. 06 7049 1409

CIPRO

2. Pizzarium

Next to the Cipro metro station is this small pizzeria which serves by the slice, run by Gabriele Bonci – pizza chef, gourmet and maker of one of the finest pizzas anywhere in Rome. There's also a constant supply of supplis being produced and nearly always a long queue at the counter waiting for the next batch to be brought out. Possibly our only gripe is the excessive amount of Parmesan cheese in the ragu.

Pizzarium, Via della Meloria 43, Rome. Tel. 06 3974 5416

CINECITTÀ

3. Sforno

Just a stone's throw from Cinecittà, this pizzeria owned by Stefano Callegari – nicknamed Er Sindaco (The Mayor) – is famous up and down the country because its Neapolitan pizza has been reviewed by every guidebook and magazine imaginable. But Sforno should get the credit it deserves for its supplis as well as the pizza. You can order a classic suppli with ragu if you want but this is possibly the best place in Rome to go for gourmet varieties. Make sure you try their Frascati e porchetta (white wine and roast pork) suppli and their alla gricia (cheese and bacon) suppli. They might cost a bit more but you won't regret a cent of it.

Sforno, Via Statilio Ottato 110, Rome. Tel. 06 7154 6118

MONTEVERDE

4. Gatta Mangiona

In the heart of Monteverde is this restaurant serving gourmet supplis. Besides their light, tasty, sweet-smelling traditional supplis with ragu and mozzarella, you can also find a number of more refined variants. Supplis with baby plum tomato sauce, supplis with gorgonzola cream and herrings and – last but not least – supplis with saffron and wild asparagus. This place is highly recommended if you want to try something a bit different, just be prepared to spend a bit more.

La Gatta Mangiona, Via Ozanam 21, Rome. Tel. 06 534 6702

HISTORIC CENTRE

5. Supplizio

Slap bang in the middle of the historic centre in Via dei Banchi Vecchi is this street food heaven owned by Arcangelo Dandini and Lorenzo D’Ettore. Traditional dishes from Rome and beyond rule here but the supplis – Dandini's favourite food as a kid – are the real stars of the show. Served in a welcoming, rustic dining room with masonry walls, 1930s lamps and terracotta flooring, they come in bianco (white) and rosso (red) versions. You can also order smoked potato croquettes or fried custard with pecorino cheese, sugar and cinnamon (both €2 a pop), as well as various gourmet supplis, such as butter and anchovies, carbonara or cheese and pepper. All served in what looks like a cardboard egg box.

Supplizio, Via dei Banchi Vecchi 143, Rome. Tel. 06 8987 1920