I’ve been back and forth to Italy several times over the past few months to visit my husband, Don Diamont, who has been competing on Italy’s version of Dancing With the Stars – Ballando con le Stelle. Italy is a popular destination of choice for many travelers, and most voyages begin or end in the city of Rome. There are certainly many breathtaking and historical attractions to take in, ranging from the Coliseum to the Vatican Museums and everything in between. When the sun sets and the city cools down, there are many excellent dining options for those hungry after a busy day of sightseeing. Here are several fine dining options you will love in the city of Rome.
La Pergola
Image via La Pergola
The first and only three star Michelin in Rome, La Pergola often tops the “best” lists for not just Rome, but for all of Italy. Located in the 5-star Rome Cavalieri Hotel, La Pergola offers magnificent views of the eternal city. The restaurant boasts of a wine cellar with 53,000 bottles, and Marco Reitano has received multiple sommelier wine awards. The restaurant has a museum quality setting, with rare tapestries and beautiful sculptures on display. The gourmet menu, of course, is the draw. The Michelin guide raves that “Our highest award is given for the superlative cooking of chefs at the peak of their profession. The ingredients are exemplary, the cooking is elevated to an art form and their dishes are often destined to become classics.”
Il Pagliaccio
Image via Il Pagliaccio
Located in the center of the city near the Tiber River, Il Pagliaccio is a 2 star Michelin restaurant that serves modern Italian cuisine. The inventive chef artfully serves dishes based on Italian classics. Bring your appetite and consider the “Parallels Tasting Menu”. The restaurant describes it this way: “Join us in a journey through the kitchen and the dining room, through gastronomic culture and hospitality, through ingredients, techniques and sensations ranging from East to West, following parallel lines, symmetries, affinities.” This ten course meal is priced at €170 per person (excluding drinks).
Trattoria Monti
In Italy, a trattoria is a dining establishment that offers a limited menu of home style prepared meals. The chefs use fresh, locally sourced ingredients to create much loved Italian menu items. Trattoria Monti, located near Piazza Vittoria, has maintained its authentic atmosphere even after being at the top of most Rome eating guides for years. Patrons will enjoy handmade egg-based pastas, small game birds, and rabbit dishes.The Michelin guide states that “As a result of renovation work completed a few years ago, this trattoria is resolutely contemporary in style with wooden chairs, copper piping and low-hanging lamps. Specialities include dishes from Lazio and the Marches, the owner’s birthplace.”
Marco Martini
Image via Marco Martini
Emerging Italian chef Marco Martini was recently awarded one Michelin star for his eponymous restaurant. Located near the Colosseum in The Corner, a boutique hotel, Chef Martini offers his interpretation of traditional Roman dishes. The dishes are described as haute cuisine based on the chef’s memories of meals enjoyed growing up. Chef Martini describes his menu as “a proposal that respects seasonal products, rooted in the tradition of Roman cuisine, reinterpreted with a modern twist. The meeting point between the West and learned techniques and flavours of the Far East.”
Do you have a favorite “go to” restaurant when you visit Rome? When you are in town, be sure to stay at the Hotel de Russie!
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