The Guardian - Life & Style • Feb. 5, 2026, 6:15 a.m.

Marbled flesh and fat are key to this rich, succulent and dense ragu, boosted with powerful notes of bay, sage and rosemary It’s 10.30am and steam carrying the smell of onions, beans, cabbage and braised meat escapes from the kitchen in the corner of box 37 on Testaccio market. In the small kitchen is Leonardo Cioni, a tall chef from San Giovanni Valdarno, midway between Florence and Arezzo, who, for the past three-and-a-half years, has run box 37 as Sicché Roba Toscana , which roughly translates as “therefore Tuscan stuff”.

The escaping steam is effective advertising, leading eyes to the blackboard above the counter to discover exactly what is going on in the back. Always on the menu is lampredotto .

The fourth stomach of the cow and the most tender, delicate tripe, lampredotto looks like a damp dishcloth crossed with a heavily ruffled shirt.

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