Although the pandemic-induced obstacle course for restaurateurs seemingly never ends, the enthusiasm to embark on new adventures has not been lost with it. Rome is buzzing, and there are several new addresses opening their doors for the first time in this first quarter of the year.
Rome's new spring openings for 2022 shine a spotlight on chefs with Michelin-star experience, young talent and tried and tested formats.
For those who haven't tried them yet, these are the new restaurants that will brighten the spring of 2022.
New openings in Rome: Spring 2022
Pulejo
Chef Davide Puleio's solo project, set to open on 31 March, is one of the capital's most anticipated openings this spring. Roman-born Puleio boasts international experience, ranging from Noma in Copenhagen to L'Alchimia in Milan, and has chosen the Prati district, in via dei Gracchi, for his return home, where his elegant new restaurant promises a warm welcome.
Dishes are easy to understand (but of course use a lot of technique in the kitchen), such as the pepper tartare, a vegetarian version of raw minced meat; Risotto Mi-Ro (Milan-Rome, like the cocktail), with saffron and oxtail, a dish that has accompanied him since the days of L’Alchimia; tomato ravioli with marrow cream and mixed salad with mustard oil, which takes up the concept of tortellini with cream.
Pulejo, Via dei Gracchi, 31
53 Untitled
Two women and one destiny: to entertain by eating and drinking well. This is the ethos of 53 Untitled, the new 'tapas concept', one step away from Piazza Navona.
Cecilia Moro, a thirty-year-old Roman chef, - trained between Italy and France and with experience ranging from Pascucci at the Porticciolo in Fiumicino, to Alciati in Piedmont - had her epiphany for the new concept during a trip to Valencia: Rome needed a tapas bar where Roman cuisine could be revisited with grace, fusion combinations and with solid foundations in tradition.
Meeting Mariangela Castellana during the pandemic made her dream come true. Passionate about wine, sommelier Castellana gives an extra something to the dining room by recommending the right pairing. With the exception of first courses, almost all of the menu can be ordered in a tapas version. Alternatively, you can rely on Moro's recommendations. Among the dishes not to be missed: the agnolotti del plin al fazzoletto stuffed with amatriciana sauce, Chinese ravioli with coda alla vaccinara, and artichoke alla giudia revisited.
53 Untitled, Via del Monte della Farina, 53
Goody 1976
For the Romans this name is not new and comes from a history related to music. Goody in via Flaminia is still the right address for those looking for vinyl - once it was also a recording studio, although today there is a kitchen in the same space. "Record sales have mostly moved online, so we didn't need all this space for the exhibition," explains owner Claudio Donato, former partner of Goa and Madeleine. The musical part has therefore been reduced, leaving room for an address that was needed in this rather unguarded quadrant from a gastronomic point of view, one step away from Piazza del Popolo.
The result is an American diner, open for breakfast with excellent croissants by pastry chef Giorgia Roscioli, and with quick savoury options for lunch, from sandwiches with pastrami and hot dogs, to homemade pasta and salads, passing to grilled dishes for main courses.
Leave a little space for Roscioli's traditional Italian desserts, including tiramisu and large glasses of custard, or a delicious grandmother's cake with crispy toasted pine nuts.
Goody 1976 Bar Deli Restaurant, Via Flaminia, 23
Dogma
Gabriele Di Lecce and Alessandra Serramondi are in their twenties and already married to a restaurant, having opened Dogma in February 2022 in the San Giovanni district in Rome. Di Lecce has formidable experience garnered between the kitchen of Lele Usai in Fiumicino, and that of Anthony Genovese at Pagliaccio, as well as a stint in the three-star Alléno Paris. “The common thread of all my dishes is the passage over the grill, but also the great attention to raw materials and their transformation,” says Di Lecce.
Di Lecce offers seafood cuisine, but also lots of vegetables with particular attention paid to bread and desserts, which are all homemade, with selected flours and ground in a small homemade mill.
Some more creative recipes hark back to the '80s, such as spaghetti alla chitarra and fish soup (with a retro taste, but a modern technique), or the grilled fish of the day served Flemish style. The tasting menu is an economical 40 euros.
Dogma, Piazza Zama, 34
Don Pasquale
We are one step away from the Trevi Fountain, in what for nine years was the residence of Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. As well as admirers of home decor: here nothing is left to chance and the furniture is a game of eclecticism. Even from a gastronomic point of view, you can have fun with an eclectic proposal, in an all-day dining restaurant that is almost a club, cocktail room included.
The restaurant is entrusted to Domenico Boschi, who has Amatrician origins in his DNA and enjoys playing with the evergreens of the Roman world, such as cod and artichoke, which meet in two dishes: a prelude of artichoke alla romana, creamed cod and egg roe, and a second act based on fried cod and artichokes.
Don Pasquale, Via delle Muratte, 78
Quartino
Marco and Giacomo Wu started with a Italy-China import-export business. First it was more import, then since they started shipping wine from Italy to the People's Republic they began to specialise in the sector, opening a wine shop in the middle of Piazza Vittorio.
A few months ago they had a lightbulb moment: why not set up tables and add food to encourage the people to drink wine at the table? And so, Quartino was born.
The winery boasts a selection of 2000 high-quality labels, for which the price can be seen directly on the bottle necks. Wine is served at the table and the food pairing follows the same logic of the wine proposal: products of the highest quality, with few manipulations and the aim of proposing an honest cuisine, which ably complements the wines.
Quartino, P.za Vittorio Emanuele II, 103
Cioccolateria Velt
At under 25 years old, chocolatier Livia Tommasino, who has inaugurated a delicious boutique with a laboratory in the Marconi area, is driving foodies in the capital crazy. Let's start with the name, Velt, which is the acronym of her parents' names (Vito and Emilia), plus her initials. It's a tribute to those who supported her on her path to become a maître chocolatier, who passed through the Cast Alimenti school.
Velt's is a state-of-the-art laboratory, equipped with a thermoforming moulding machine, as well as a 3D printer to give the chocolate three-dimensionality. It's not just technology, however, because taste is the first goal for Tommasino, and she has chosen to work only Valrhona chocolate and to alternate the production of pralines with that of single portions and other delicious products such as chocolate liqueur.
Cioccolateria Velt, Via Oderisi da Gubbio, 246
Mignon alle Mura
Mignon opened at the end of January and is a great addition to Termini station, which today looks like a large construction site, but hopes to rebound as soon as possible after the pandemic. Already in Milan and Turin (also at the station), Mignon is a concept that brings the best of Neapolitan pastry from Naples (finally a place to buy sfogliatelle without having to take a train), and which offers refreshments including sandwiches, salads and pastries in a discreet environment.
Mignon alle Mura, Termini Station - ticket office atrium (Piazza dei Cinquecento entrance)
Mama Eat Ponte Milvio
“If my mother eats it, it's good for everyone!” And so Mama Eat was born, from the passion for good food and and the Zeccolini family's cooking. The restaurant in Trastevere manages to please mixed groups of diners, including those with intolerances. Mama does this by operating two kitchens and a single menu: in practice, the dishes are the same and you just have to order them gluten free or not.
Mama Eat is in Trastevere and Borgo Pio, and is opening a third outpost in Ponte Milvio on 30 March 2022. The Neapolitan institution and can also be trusted to make a decent gluten free pizza. The Genoese and the pasta and potatoes also deserve to be tasted. And, not least, perhaps to share, are the 25-centimetre crocché, with gluten-free breading suitable for everyone.
Mama Eat Ponte, Milvio Viale di Tor di Quinto, 21
Il Maritozzo Rosso
This 'Maritozzi' address is going for a second serving, opening its second store in the Prati area, a stone's throw from the Palazzaccio. They have become well known above all for their savoury versions of the classic Italian cream bun, with more than 30 recipes, even if the classic one with cream remains a must-try as well as the Maritozzo carbonaro, which combines two cornerstones of Roman cuisine.
Il Maritozzo Rosso, Via Pietro Cavallini, 25
