Latest posts from our Rome expert:
St'A Lounge Closing Party and FREE CD
The time has come to close shop for summer and refresh the senses for the next winter season. And St'A is gonna cook up a fab closing party this FRIDAY MAY 16th, giving the first to enter a free cd with an 'anthology' of the music played throughout this past season. The cd has been skillfully mixed by their resident dj Siddharta. Entry is free, so you'll be able to splurge on drinks while reclining on black leather couches and velvet walls. Dance the night away while sexy '50s videos show in the background.
If you're lucky and wink at the dj, you might just get an invitation to a private party for the launch of 7oz Records, the latest Italian electronica label to hit the shelves this week!!!
St'A , Vicolo della Cancelleria (piazza navona)
Pizza - The real thing!
How many times have you heard Romans say:"This is the best place for pizza!" According to them, and me, they're all good but sometimes one just stands out from the crowds and that's why I'm here to tell you about 'Da Ivo'. A no frills, checkered table cloths, family-run restaurant serving up thin and juicy pizzas for a bargain. This place is always packed, and closes very late in the summertime (they'll serve till 11.30pm!). The pizza is strictly oven-baked and the pasta dishes homemade by the 'mamma' and 'nonna' of the guys who work there. Try the buffalo mozzarella pizza - hot, rich, cheesy, perfect.
Appetizers abound and so do typical Roman dishes prepared with cow entrails and the like... You're forewarned.
DA IVO
Via S. Francesco a Ripa (Trastevere)
Wide Open Windows
Welcoming, elegant and casual. These are the best words to describe Le Finestre (The Windows), a darling pizzeria/restaurant in the Trieste area. The indoor scenery, which flows throughout the rooms, is reminiscent of a rural landscape. During the summer, tables are set up outside, all surrounded by the beautiful residential buildings on Via Chiana. The menu holds wonderful combinations of Mediterranean treats and a yearning for culinary innovations. The meat selection is endless and delicious with a choice of entrocotes, carpaccios and fillets. Specialities are prepared in their wood oven, from pizzas to daily specials. The desert menu is to die for with traditional home made sinful delights. There is no doubt that Le Finestre's combination of friendly service and good food will leave you going home in good spirits.
Gluten-free in Pasta Central
So you can't eat anything with gluten, and if you're travelling thru Italy, the truth is, your screwed. But don't give up hope so fast! Rome, as many other Italian cities, is finally catching up on what has become a known fact in Italy: a growing number of Italians are gluten-intollerant. So here's one place, trendy and cool (why give up fashion?) that offers different menus for different tastes and needs. Located inside the Abitart Hotel in Ostiense, Estrobar is a modern and elegant restaurant which has succesfully combined cuisine with art. The artistic nature of the restaurant can be seen throughout, with spaces tastefully decorated with valuable art pieces and exhibitions showcasing young talents. And while art hangs on the walls, excellent food is served for those who love eating as much as they love art. Specialties from all over Italy are served with an original twist and always prepared with the best ingredients. Open from Monday to Saturday, 8pm to 12:30am, this place also serves pizza (only on Mondays) as well as sophisticated fare such as 'bass tartare on rice noodles, zucchini and carta musica (extremely thin pasta)'. To wash down all their yummy flavors, the bar holds more than 200 wine labels and serves 'Health drinks' made with veggies and fruit. Estrobar is proof that cooking is really an art.
And here are a few more restaurants cooking up gluten-free food:
1. La Mimosa Fiorita, Via Bari 11/A
2. Renovatio, Piazza Risorgimento 46/A
3. Albella Salute e Gourmet Via Igea, 2
Believe in Fairy Tales
A well-renowned Irish pub in the Prati neighbourhood, Fairy Tales is an eclectic watering hole with definite Irish flair. Gabriele, who, together with Andrea, has recently become manager of this place tells us the best Guinesss is served right here. But there's no clan mentality here: Fairy Tales will accommodate anyone's tastes and desires. Open every night from 7pm to 2am, Fairy Tales also doubles as a pizzeria and steakhouse, with dishes to be adorned with fries, salads and much more. Once you step down to the spacious underground floor, you'll find an enviable large room (where the bar is) spawning smaller, more intimate alcoves painted in warm colors and suited with dim lighting. Wi-fi will soon be installed and free internet access will be provided in all rooms. Their weekly programming is yet to be defined, but there are some events that are not to be missed including all soccer and rugby matches shown on flat screens, Karaoke Thursdays, live music on Fridays and aperitifs on Saturdays. Mondays will be strictly cultural: readings, exhibitions and conferences. This friendly pub has something for everyone with its moderate prices and informal and welcoming setting. And you thought wishes only came true in fairy tales...
Old-school pubs
In the southern and western areas of Rome, Newport Cafè has become a household name. Chameleon in nature, it's a discobar, a pub&pizza place, a cabaret spot, live music joint, a cocktail bar and so much more. The most recent addition is a floor entirely dedicated for those of you who just can't quit, smoking that is.
The place is made entirely in wood and there's soft lighting throughout, making it a truly incredible place, a welcoming spot to call home. Different nights call for different events and with a place like this, how not to check them all out? Start the week by singing your lungs out with karaoke on Mondays. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays is for a little dancing, a little singing and ‘messaging' (have fun sending anonymous or signed messages to that hot person you just saw walking in the door!). On Fridays and Saturdays, start with karaoke then dance the night away with house, happy and dance selections. Watch soccer matches as you dine on perfectly grilled meat, or Neapolitan style pizzas, the variations are endless. The bar serves up the best cocktails and frozen drinks this side of town with original ingredients and fresh fruit, all served by true bar masters making this place a drinker's paradise.
Newport Café
via della magliana, 42
Web Site
Tick Tick Clok!
Recently renovated with a dashing new look, Clok is once again one of the most stylish restaurants in Rome where quality and fashion mesh. Located between the Tiber and piazza Cavour, this New-York style eatery welcomes a mixed crowd of cosmopolitan people who are always looking for the very best. This ultra-modern space offers delicious and quick lunched for those on the go and aperitifs for those post-work and highly needed drinks. For dinner, Clok serves traditional yet revised Italian food, pizzas and overn-baked goods. Their cellar is fully stocked and their desserts are strictly homemade. Reservations suggested.