Pantaleo: food, wine, mixology in Rome

I missed the grand opening but I'm headed there this weekend.

The brand new cocktail bar-restaurant in Rome is called Pantaleo and by the looks of the photos I've seen on social media it's a definite must.

Located in a small square half way between Campo de' Fiori and Piazza Navona, Pantaleo is open all day long, until 2 am.

Divided on three levels, Pantaleo welcomes guests on the ground floor with the large bar and kitchen counters in plain view and a large social table in the middle of the room. The more lounge area with large velvet armchairs is located on the mezzanine. 

Downstairs is a glamorous party room fitted with a circular bar for more formal evenings.

The kitchen has three different menus: a raw menu featuring tartares and ceviches made with a selection of fine quality products; a hot menu with soups, meats and fish that are perfect for the colder months; and an exotic cuisine menu with aromas and flavors borrowed from the Mediterranean tradition, as well as from the cookery of Europe and Asia. 

I'm dying to try the scampi tartare with Septenber figs, as well as the mullet served with onions on a lime and cashew nut powder. The red and black Ceviche with goji mayo and tomato sounds equally tantalizing. 

From the raw seafood menu my curiosity was piqued by the Mazara prawns served with beet hummus, burrata and citron. 

 

The symbols of the restaurant are connected to the history of Saint Pantaleo after which the place is named. He was a doctor who was prosecuted under the emperor Domitian for believing in alchemy. 

On one of the walls of the ground floor bar room, the Saint is portrayed in a mural by artist Leonardo Spina. The features belong to Count Negroni, turn of the century viveur and creator of the famous cocktail. Also portrayed are the symbols connected to the passion and true soul of Pantaleo: the ancient alchemy symbol of lead, which recalls the elegant mixology department coordinated by Paolo Sanna; the Icosahedron which was one of the 5 Platonic Solids, regarded as a carrier of perfection and universal harmony, and the symbol of cold fire that represents the culinary offer played on complex and hot dishes, opposite cold, raw preparations.

The bar features an entire section on Martinis. The three-sip cocktail dear to James Bond is my favorite, so I know I will break my diet and have at least one Dirty Pantaleo, made with brined capers instead of olives.

Did I mention they serve oysters?

Pantaleo - Food Wine Mixology

Piazza San Pantaleo 4
Tel. +39 06 93572514
www.pantaleoroma.it

Photos courtesy of Pantaleo

How to enjoy Italian coffee like a local

Italians are regimented about their caffè. Neapolitans won't drink espresso other than on their turf, deeming anything else served outside their city as vile and toxic Espresso brewers throughout the country perform absurd propitiatory rituals to ensure their post-prandial Joe is just right. Some never wash the stovetop moka pot to conserve flavor in the hardware parts. Others add a grain of rock salt in the water boiler. All will tell you never, ever to pat down the coffee powder in the filter. Cappuccino fundamentalists insist on not drinking any after 11 a.m., and especially after meals, when caffè rules.

Beyond the simple espresso comes a whole universe of choices. The number of ways Italians enjoy the concentrated beverage brewed by forcing very hot water under high pressure through coffea Arabica beans that have been ground to a fine powder is at once finite and endless. Here's an alphabetical shortlist of common espresso-based bar beverages.

Affogato translates to "drowned." This is a shot of brewed espresso poured over a scoop of vanilla gelato commonly served as a dessert in restaurants, though some fancy bars and cafes with magnanimous baristas will sometimes dish it out over the counter...

Continue Reading ➔

Writing and Snacking in Rome

Image © Raimund Kutter

Though most of my work is published on the web, I'm an old school pen-and-ink gal. I have a callus on the pen-rubbing side of my middle finger. I like to scribble and keep notes in a bulging, dog-eared Moleskine notebook. I also have a passion for sending handwritten postcards. Remember those?

When it comes to work, I hardly ever compose my stories directly on my laptop. Instead, I almost always start with a ballpoint outline. Besides the comfort of the seating and folklore in the faces, it's the nosh that most galvanizes the drafting...

Continue Reading for a lits of places where I love to write and eat ➔

Best museum restaurants in Rome

The combination of Art and Food in a city like Rome is a no-brainer. The illuminated trend of coupling delectable cuisine with paintings and sculptures originated in several European cities, like Bilbao with restaurant Nerua at the Guggenheim Museum, Barcelona, Paris at the Musée d'Orsay, Avignon and St Etienne. Other world museums that have picked up on this idea include the Tate Modern in London, the Winter Palace at the Hermitage in St Petersburg, and The Modern at MoMA in New York City, to mention a few.

Here's what the Eternal City has to offer in terms of museum restaurtants:

Atelier Canova Tadolini
The studio where Antonio Canova and pupil Adamo Tadolini worked in the early 1800s is now a unique cafe and restaurant, where patrons dine surrounded by plaster replicas and marble fragments of the maestro's scuplture.
Don't miss the sea bass carpaccio with lemongrass sauce, the gnocchi with zucchini blossoms, cherry tomatoes and asparagus tips, or the grilled veal medallions with side of chickory flan.
Via del Babuino 151 (Tridente) Tel. +39 0632110702 - The restaurant is open daily noon to 11pm, cafe opens at 8am.

Bistro Cafe - Chiostro del Bramante
Come for high tea, or to dine on fresh seasonal dishes in the Hall of the Sybils from which, thanks to large glass windows overlooking the church of Santa Maria della Pace, you can admire the famous Raphael frescoes of the "Sibille e Angeli." The menu is perfect for vegetarians with its featured salads, bean soups and bruschette loaded with toppings, all enjoyed while making use of the free Wi-Fi.
Via Arco della Pace 5 (Navona) Tel. +39 0668809035 ext#26 - Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 8pm.

Caffé Capitolino at Terrazza Caffarelli - Musei Capitolini
The breathatking view of Roman tiled rooftops is staggering from the top of the archeological Capitoline Museums, housed in Palazzo dei Conservatori and Palazzo Caffarelli.Visitors can take a breather from all the beauty inside the museum halls by sitting on the terrace of the Caffé Capitolino and ordering freshly squeezed juices, potent espresso or the house specialty salads, which come served in huge bowls.
Piazza Caffarelli (access from the musuem or from top of the giant Campidoglio staircase, turn right and head uphill) Tel. +39 0669190564 - Open Monday to Saturday 9am to 8pm.

Caffé delle Arti - Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna
The National Gallery of Modern Art (aka GNAM) nestled in lush Villa Borghese, was built in 1883 to house the modern art of unified Italy. The cafe and restaurant "of the arts" occupies a shady wing of the museum's monumental structure, with a terrace surrounded by trees and greenery. After feeding your soul with masterpieces by Guttuso, Klimt, De Chirico, Pollock, Balla, Calder and Mondrian, fill your body with beef carpaccio, eggplant parmesan, a tasty timballo made with tortellini, and vegetarian cous cous, sprawled on one of the leafy terrace's plush sofas.
Via Gramsci 73 - Tel. +39 0632651236 - Open Tuesday to Sunday from 8:30am to 7:30pm.

Photo © Andrea Di Lorenzo

Open Colonna - Palazzo delle Esposizioni
Perched atop Rome's largest interdisciplinary exhibition area, sits an airy transparent open-space loft, which turns into a flickering urban lantern as night falls. Chef Colonna's innovative cuisine combines traditional Roman cucina povera with international and cosmopolitan flavors. Dinner is served upsatirs in the "Gourmet" level, but don't miss the value lunch options offered between Tuesday and Friday, with two buffet menus to choose from at a flat €16 per person.
Stairway entrance at Via Milano 9A (Nazionale) Wheelchair entrance on via Piacenza - Tel. +39 0647822641 - Open Tuesday to Sunday lunch from noon to 11pm.

MACRO 138 - MACRO
Museo d'Arte Contemporanea a Roma spells the contemporary art museum's acronym, whose permanent collection offers a selection of some of the most significant expressions of the Italian art scene since the 1960s. The all-organic and biodynamic restaurant housed in a spectacular glass and steel structure, offers buffet lunch and à la carte dinner, with an ever-changing menu largely dictated by seasonal and local availability.
Via Nizza 138 (Nomentano) Tel. +39 068548274 - Open Tuesday to Saturday from noon to 3pm; and 8 to 11pm. Sunday open for lunch only.

MAXXI 21 - MAXXI
The museum of 21st century art is Rome's latest addition. Anglo-Iraqui architect Zaha Hadid's vision was to design a space in which the pleasure of enjoying art (and food) is experienced at 360°. The MAXXI 21 restaurant's menu is based on the concepts of zero food miles, with use of products hailing from the immediate vicinity of Rome, particularly those in season; and zero calories thanks to a delicious menu designed to include only preparations containing less than 250 Kcal.
Via Guido Reni, 4A (Flaminio) Tel. +39 063207230 - Open Tuesday to Sunday from noon to 7pm, and Saturday from 11am to 10pm.

If it's music you're most into, and need respite from all the museum-visiting, why not make a stop at Rome's newest concert hall?

ReD - Restaurant and Design at Auditorium Parco della Musica is open from breakfast through to post-dinner drinks, with delectable meals in between. Chef Carelli's cuisine features both classic and innovative dishes, plus interesting artisan microbrewery ales and an impressive winelist. I'm often seen here for evening aperitivo, or to watch the rugby games broadcast on giant screens and mostly, for the pumpkin ravioli with home-churned butter and black truffles, the paccheri pasta with lobster tails, fresh tomato and basil, and the divine lamb shank with sweet pepper tiramisu.

Viale De Coubertin 12-16 (Flaminio) Tel. +39 0680691630 - Open daily from 9am to 2 am.

Post Meridiem Cappuccino (screw the etiquette)

I'm a cappuccino person.
And I confess, I do cappuccino after 11 a.m.

It's the American in me, although I don't drink cappuccino at restaurants after a meal of say, fried calamari and puttanesca. Italian coffee fundamentalists insist having cappuccino after 11 a.m. is sacrilege (tsk tsk tsk, "all that milk on a full stomach!" headshake). But if the mood is right, the foam is thick, and the barista is an artist, I will indulge in the occasional afternoon cap.

This pictured above is one of the best cappuccinos I've had in a while. Just don't tell Giovanni, the man who's been pouring my breakfast at the counter and saving me a warm cornetto for the past 12 years.

This here is the work of a gentleman named Luigi Santoro, and his caffeinated expression of creative skill is hard to beat. Flavor, texture, aroma... perfection in 5 sips.

The name of his little hole in the wall cafe says it all.

Locals, tourists and students from nearby John Cabot University flock here in droves to savor Luigi's artistic cappuccino, but also for the kosher/parve breakfast pastries; for the pastrami sanwiches (yes–you read correctly, my American expat friends: pastrami-stuffed pizza bianca), and Roscioli bakery products. Besides superior quality ingredients and coffee beans, exemplary craftsmanship, and cordial service, prices are convenient too–considering the centro storico. In my neighborhood, at least, nobody sells cappuccino for €1.

Before each food walk I lead in the area, I always stop by at Luigi's to coat my upper lip with creamy coffee deliciousity. Regardless of what time it is.


Bar Del Cappuccino
Via Arenula, 50
Tel. +39 06 68806042
Bus 63 – 271 – 630 – 780 – Tram 8