Rome

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Restaurants and bars

With their strong culinary traditions and almost religious dedication to the ritual of the morning coffee in the bar sotto casa (downstairs), Romans long resisted modernisation, for the simple reason that they didn‘t see how it could possibly improve their lot. When the extremes of trendiness arrived, they were a flash in the pan. What Rome now does best is good quality and warm surroundings… but at prices which, since the arrival of the euro, now outstrip many other European capitals.

Eating
The ‘traditional’ Roman osteria – with its checked tablecloths, sawdust-strewn floors, mamma in the kitchen and jugs of wine frothing straight out of the barrel – seemed for quite a while to be succumbing to the steel-and-glass anonymity of the international dining experience. But Romans have ever been ones to favour flavour over flashiness, quality over quirks. However cool a place looks, in the end, it’s what’s on its plates that counts. That said, glam in Rome doesn’t necessarily mean sham: on the contrary, the city now has many establishments to please foodie fashion victims.

Moreover, the style invasion had the admirable knock-on effect of de-romanticising the trat. If mamma is still in the kitchen, it’s usually because she’s truly a great cook; gone, even in many of the most humble eateries, are the ‘traditional’ astringent olive oil and paintstripper vino della casa.

 

The other positive note is the increasing variety of the Roman dining scene. Whereas before the choice was between posh restaurants, humble trattorias, or no-frills pizzerias, today there are wine bars, salad bars, gastropubs, designer restaurants and deli-diners. The traditional categories have broadened: posh restaurants are going minimalist; new trattorias are creative rather than humble; and the unchanging pizzeria has been shaken up by the advent of gourmet emporia like Dar Poeta. Only the ethnic and international scene still leaves much to be desired.

 

Eating in Rome used to be a bargain. Euro-fuelled price opportunism and inflation in general have put paid to this, though the bill will still compare favourably with a similar dining experience in London.

 

The ritual
The standard meal running order is: antipasto (hors-d’oeuvre), primo (usually pasta, occasionally soup), secondo (meat or fish) with an optional contorno (vegetables or salad, served separately) and dolce (dessert). It’s perfectly normal, however, to order any combination of the above, such as pasta followed by a simple contorno. Fixed-price meals are a rarity, though top-flight establishments occasionally offer a menu degustazione (taster menu). Places offering a menu turistico should usually be avoided.

 

The wine list
Most top-of-the-range restaurants have respectable wine lists, but the more humble trattorias and osterias have a limited selection. House wine is often uninspiring, but there are sometimes exceptions. More establishments are now offering a selection of wine by the glass (al bicchiere or alla mescita).

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