I don’t “vacation” in Rome, but I usually go there three or four times a year for a day or two on my way to and from my biannual getaways to Umbria where I have a small house that is my oasis.
Since I’ve been doing this for 20 years, I do have my Rome favorites and am occasionally asked for them. Therefore, I have decided to finally write my Rome Restaurant Guide. Here it is, so if you ask me about my Rome picks, I’ll just refer you to this article.
Since I usually land at Leonardo da Vinci airport in the early evening,. my first meal in Rome is dinner and it’s always at Roscioli near the Campo di Fiori. The formal name is Ristorante Salumeria Roscioli, which their website describes as “a multi-function delicatessen, an unconventional restaurant, and a varied wine bar, where the cuisine is based on high quality materials selected over the years by the Roscioli brothers and an attentive and ready staff.”
That’s all true. What they don’t tell you is it is my favorite restaurant in Rome.
You walk in and on your left is a deli case filled with the finest food products from all over Italy. The dining room is in the back, but in-between is where you’ll find me, at one of the eight or so seats at the counter. I’m not a huge pasta eater, but I’ll take several forkfuls of Michael’s order, usually fettuccine carbonara, made with the renowned eggs of Paolo Parisi. Parisi’s egg farm is near Pisa in Tuscany and part of the richness of these eggs is reward from the chicken’s steady diet of goat’s milk.
I’ll usually start with anchovies with French butter and move on to a pork dish or some fish. More on that later.
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For lunch the next day I can be found, also near the Camp di Fiori, at Ristorante Salumeria Roscioli, sometimes referred to as Roscioli Salumeria con Cucina, but in my world simply called Roscioli . Depending on how many people are dining with me, I might eat at one of the tables in the small, back dining room. If it’s just Michael and me, we are at the counter. This is my favorite place to have lunch in Rome. The bartender and the charming owner Alessandro are getting to know us and will send some salumi our way. The last time they gave us cured sliced pork leg I haven’t had before called Cullaccia della Bussetto, a kinda cross between prosciutto and culatello. Just get it if it’s available.
I’ll as be digging into the pasta Michael will order, likely a rigatoni with French butter and three kinds of delicious Parmesan cheeses on the menu it is listed at Burro E Parmigiano “Francescana”, a homage to Massimo Bottura.
It’s a terrific was to start off a day in Rome. After, we begin our walking, usually rather aimlessly, but often leading us to the Spanish Steps and maybe to Marni, my favorite clothing store. Then it more strolling and talking about going to see Caravaggio’s “Calling of Saint Matthew” - which we did see once – but we probably won’t go, just talk about going. We’ll go back tour hotel and relax for a while before dinner.
Last time in Rome - and I think future times - we stared at this Damaso Hotel, which is located at Piazza della Cancelleria, 62, 00186 Roma RM, Italy The rooms are nice, nothing fancy, mind you. but the staff is helpful, the price is good at about 100-120 Euro a night and the location is superb. It’s right near the Camp di Fiori.
So, from the Damaso, it about a four minute walk to my number one restaurant in all of Rome. It’s formerly called Ristorante Salumeria Roscioli, but we just call it, like most everyone else Roscioli. - pronounced Row – She Oh – Lee Address is below. They also have a bakery and i think another cafe, but this is the one I’m talking about.
There is a dining room in the rear of the establishment. And one downstairs, but I like to eat at the counter. The food here is what I want. Simple and delicious. There’s even a superb hamburger. The pastas are superb, the selection of mozzarella is, too.
Usually after two days in Rome I am either driving up to Umbria or flying back to Los Angeles.
If I have a later flight home, or am cool with getting to Umbria in the early evening, I’ll have lunch at my favorite restaurant in Rome. It’s called Roscioli. I’ll tell you about it sometime, but I’m rushing off to lunch there.
Nancy’s Guide to Dining in Rome
ROSCIOLI SALUMERIA CON CUCINA
www.roscioli.com
Open Monday to Saturday 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., 7 p.m. to Midnight Closed Sunday
Via dei Giubbonari 21, 00186 Roma
Phone: +39 06 687 5287
