Steven C.
Yelp
I have a rule. I don't award five stars to a restaurant unless I've eaten there at least three times, with true excellence demonstrated each time. Sometimes rules need to be broken. This gem is off of the beaten path, about a 10 minute walk from the Tiber River. From the moment we entered, we knew. The manager inspected every plate as it came out of the kitchen. The aroma of fresh, warm bread. Bottles of extra-virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinaigrette at every table. People eating intensely, savoring every bite, and not looking at their cell phones. Bus staff removing bowls filled with empty seafood shells and bringing fresh empty bowls to tables. Could it be? People were wearing street clothes, as were we, and the menu looked like two people could eat and drink for under €90. Well, let me tell you something: everything from the fresh crusty bread to the fennel salad with orange, to the mussels and main courses were absolutely scrumptious. The broth at the bottom of the bowl of mussels was sopped up with an extra crusty bread which was served with the mussels for that glorious purpose.They have their own bottled house wine which tasted to me like a light Chianti or Sangiovese / Nebbiolo blend, but they wouldn't tell me what it was. Their lamb was breaded almost like a schnitzel, but finer ground coating. A similar flour dusted coating was on the sautéed prawns. The calamari was cooked to perfection, as were the mussels, which is not easily accomplished. It is not often that a meal is so filling that I have no room for dessert, especially in Italy where that biological anomaly known as "the desert space" permits desserts to be consumed regardless of whether there is any anatomical room left. Alas, I truly couldn't eat another bite. The friendly waiter, linens, flatware and spotless plates added to the experience. And when we ran out of room on our table, the waiter didn't hesitate to use the table next to us. And with the wine, and the appetizers, and the main courses, the bill for 2 came to €79! We will be back.