ROMAN HOLIDAY
When in Rome…. try to fit in as many restaurants as possible! But if you only have time for one, make it Assaje at the Aldrovandi Villa Borghese hotel. Situated just a little out of the centre, close to the beautiful Villa Borghese gardens, this is a truly magnificent hotel reminiscent of Italian glamour of yesteryear. The restaurant, however, is sumptuously modern – a gleaming white space with a few stylish touches of grey in the shiny marble floor and the (wonderfully comfortable) upholstered chairs. I knew we were in for a treat when they brought me a matching upholstered stool for my handbag.
We eschewed the five/six/seven-course tasting menus in favour of the a la carte, but the little extras they brought to amuse our bouches extended our three courses into six anyway! We oohed, ahhed and delightedly worked our way through dish after dish of magnificence, with the most artistic presentation I have ever seen on a plate (or on anything else, for that matter).
The surprisingly young but exceptionally talented chef Claudio Mengoni trained under Andrea Migliaccio at the famed L’Olivo at the Capri Palace. He astounded us with a trilogy of aubergine, courgette and artichokes parmigiana-style and tomato soup with buffalo ricotta and basil pesto, followed by seared wild sea bass with chicory and lemon-scented mayonnaise, and duck breast with spinach, red onions and mustard sauce, cooked at a low temperature to preserve the flavour and tenderness.
We had no room for ‘Dolci’ – but how could we not try Il Cioccolato – chocolate cake, creamy chocolate and vanilla crème brûlée and Dolcezza al Caffe – a liquorice coated ball of coffee ’sweetness’ with hazelnut crumble? And still there was more – a tea trolley with 20 different infusions to choose from, served with a plate of eight not-so-petit fours. Wines were advised upon, offered to sample, poured with aplomb and replenished.
The table was at 9. We collapsed into a cab at 12. Three hours of foodie heaven.
this article previously appeared in the Jewish News
More recommendations:
STAY: JK Place Roma – upscale boutique hotel in superb location near Piazza Navona
EAT: Antico Arco – inventive cooking in Trastavere district
TOUR: Villa Borghese and historical centre with Georgia Darrell
« Previous - THE RELUCTANT VEGETARIAN
CLEAN UP YOUR RESTAURANT - Next »