When I lived in Rome, six years ago now, we used to walk past Roscioli all the time. And sometimes pop in and buy something delicious from the Deli. But we never ate here.
When I returned in January, the delightful Bellini Travel recommended I try it for lunch. And wow, what a lunch we had. A table overflowing with delectable antipasto.
The stuffed oxtail stew courgette flowers deserve a paragraph of their own. I’ve eaten a lot of courgette flowers in my time. I love battered courgette flowers, stuffed with mozzarella and anchovy (they do these brilliantly at La Quercia). But this was in a league of its own.
The service is hit and miss here, perhaps a little typically Roman. Their pastas looked amazing, but we stuck to fat balls of creamy burrata with baby dry tomatoes, large plates of cured meats (their prosciutto is insane) and a wintery salad of artichokes, carrots and rocket, washed down with a crisp dry white wine.
This was our first meal in Rome of the weekend, and what a perfect introduction to our favourite city. After lunch here make sure you visit Piazza Mattei and see the Fontana della Tartarughe (turtle fountain), and afterwards wander around the Jewish Ghetto, check out the colossal French Embassy (also known as Piazza Farnese) on Piazza Farnese and walk down Via Guilia. It’s a wonderful part of the city.
Via dei Giubbonari, 21/22
Photo credit: my own and pbgastronomica.com
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