Wine bars and enoteche in Rome

After publishing my comprehensive lists of where to eat in Rome a reader commented asking for an index of restaurants that focus on great wine, or ones that own a quality wine list. Enotecas, which are wine bars and sometimes only wine sellers, often serve cold and hot food to go with their mescita of wine by the glass. Some of these have turned into veritable restaurants, which tend to design their menu around the bottles.

Here is my list of favorite places to eat among enoteche, wine bars and restaurants with great wine lists, in alphabetical order. I may expand this, so stay tuned for updates.

Al Vino Al Vino - As far as wine bars and enoteche in Rome, this is the perfect place to grab a glass of wine and some tasty snacks after say, a Forum/Colosseum/Palatine trek. The list of wines by the glass changes daily, and the cooked food is to die for, especially the house caponata, droolworthy meatballs, and eggplant parmigiana. There's always something going on at Giacomo's wine bar, like tastings, photo and art exhibits, plus newspapers and magazines for lazy browsing between drinks. Via dei Serpenti, 19 (Monti) - Open daily 11:00am-2:30pm/6:00pm-1:00am

Beppe e i Suoi Formaggi - Beppe from Piemonte, makes cheese. And butter. And owns sheep in Sardinia. Has a terrible temper, and won't let you take photos in his shop. But when you sit at one of the tables in the back, drop your shoulders, beaming at the delights in your plate – and glistening ruby red in your glass of Nebbiolo – nothing else matters. Shelves display French dairy products, foie gras and other Piemonte-border-of-Gaul regional specialties, like hazelnuts, awesome tajarin pasta, jam, honeys and marmalades, olive oils, salumi, rare breads made with autochthonous grains, and a cheese vault that covers an entire wall. At mealtime, the rotating daily specials always include cold cuts and cheese for lunch, and hot dishes in the evening, the likes of Fondue, soups, important meat stews, et al. Via Santa Maria Del Pianto 9/a - Open Tues-Sat 8:30am-10:30pm/Sun 9:00am-3:30pm

Photo © Beppe e I Suoi Formaggi

La Barrique - This ia a welcoming wine bar that serves hot food and wine (also by the glass) at any time of day and night. Nice aperitivo scene, lovely value lunch, and downright delicious dinner of specials like lemony pasta with prawns; beef tartare; cured pork; oysters, plus awesome steak, fillet and other grilled meats. It's great to stop by here even for just a slice of dessert after the theater. Meals are paired with wines by the glass from either small producers or more famous bottles from Italy, France, Germany and Slovenia. There is also an interesting Champagne list. Lunch is around €15, dinner, about €30, wines excluded. Via del Boschetto 41b (Monti) Open Mon-Sat 12noon-1:00am

Buccone - At the end of the 19th century this was once a horse-drawn carriage depot, and in the late 1940's at the end of WWII, it became an informal trattoria. The present ownership has managed this impressive location since 1969. The walls are lined floor to (high) ceilings with racks upon racks of wine bottles, and the food is homey and local, like porchetta from Ariccia, nice salumi platters, and gnocchi on Thursdays, according to Roman tradition. Via di Ripetta 19/20 (Piazza del Popolo) - Open Sat-Mon 10:00am-3:00pm/7:00pm-11:00pm

Casa Bleve - The Bleve family of wine merchant's wine list is impressive and so is the fabulous lunch buffet and evening gourmet dinner. In the elegant vaulted setting, only a few feet below your table, in the wine cellar sits a 1st century BC wall. Guests at midday can enjoy light appetizers, like pineapple and ham wraps, Alpine cheese samplers, zucchini blossoms stuffed with ricotta, or premium mozzarella di bufala with salumi or tomatoes, varies pasta dishes, or steak tartare, assembled at the table by the expert servers. Via di Teatro Valle, 48/49 (Pantheon) Open Tues-Sat 10:30am-3:00pm/7:30-11:00pm

Cavour 313 - One of Rome's oldest wine bars with food, Cavour 313 opens in the morning to sell wine, and at noon it starts serving lunch. Walk through the sales counter and sit at the rustic booths suspended between overhead shelves and a deep wine cellar below. There are two wine lists, based on whether you'll be buying bottles to go, or staying for a meal. The choice is among 1000 labels, with a handsome rotation of wines by the glass. The mealtime menus feature a wide variety of salumi, rare cheeses, cured meats, homemade desserts and cooked regional specialties. Via Cavour 313 (Colosseum) - Open daily 10:00am-2:45pm/7:30-0:30am

Photo © Cavour 313

Cesare al Casaletto - Properly established as Rome's best trattoria, Cesare al Casaletto is a place where you can find authentic cucina romana, good prices and a stellar wine list. Start your meal with the house mixed fritti, light, tasty fried goods like crisp zucchini flowers, supplì and cod fillets, that come served in paper cones. Starters musts: pillowy gnocchi blessed with cacio e pepe (Pecorino cheese and cracked black pepper), or classics like carbonara, amatriciana and pasta dressed with the sauce of stewed oxtail, quintessential cucina romana complete meal dish. Don't forego the polpette di bollito, the house specialty: shredded veal that's been shaped into a ball and breaded before frying. But it's the wine list that wins the gold: besides the great ever-changing wines that grace shelves, cold storage and printed wine list, Cesare focuses on very good quality natural wines. Via del Casaletto, 45 (Portuense) - Open Thurs-Tues 12noon-3:00pm/7:30-11:30pm

Cul de Sac - One of Rome's oldest wine bars, CdS has been serving hot meals and remarkable wines since 1977. It boasts a wine list of 1500-plus items, great choice of cheeses, terrines and patés. I come of the potato and cod brandade, the crostini sampler, the onion soup, red lentil dahl, awesome topik, babaghannush, or the pizzoccheri from Valtellina. Lovely outdoor seating in summer and good looking staff complete the winning offer. Piazza Pasquino, 73 (Piazza Navona) - Open daily 12noon-2:00am

Cybo - A fine and well-assorted wine list of renowned Italian, French and new world wines pairs with the modern seafood cuisine at the Cybo restaurant and cocktail bar, in the heart of the centro storico, at a stone's throw from Piazza Navona. Various appetizers include prawns fried in batter with curry and creamed Tropea onions; gnocchetti with shrimp, asparagus and porcini; and entrées like wild salmon fillet with orange sauce and spinach. Via di Tor Millina 27 - Open daily 10:00am-2:00am

Enoteca al Parlamento Achilli - Over 6,000 wine labels grace the shelves and cellar of this ancient wine merchant. One of Rome's finest Krug Ambassadors, Achilli is proud of its world-famous collection of Cognac and Armagnac, with vintages as old as 1800. Here wine lovers and neophytes can choose from an astonishing variety of Italian, European and new world wines, as well as purchase 80 year-old balsamic vinegars, prized marmalades and rare chocolates. In the restaurant section, all this and more pairs with the haute cuisine gourmet offer, like the antipasto composed of a bufala popsicle with anchovy foam and fried croutons; a foie gras variation: escalope, terrine and cream; Champagne risotto with prawns and green apple; and the delightful crisp sesame feta, culatello and smoked eggplant composition. Check out the online store on the Achilli website for international/local shipments. Via dei Prefetti 15 (Spanish Steps) - Open Mon-Sat 9:30am-11:30pm

Photo © Barbara Santoro

Enoteca Ferrara - At the corner of bohemian and chic, this Trastevere establishment that pretends to be a humble wine bar develops on several floors of an ex 13th century convent. There's an enoteca – deemed among the best in Rome according to certified wine experts – a cafe, a wine shop, an informal "osteria" (serving typical cucina romana), and a gourmet restaurant, which cooks up interesting dishes like fried anchovies with a leek and Pecorino flan, or meatballs with tomato sauce and "muset" (ground pork snout cased as a boiled sausage), and rotates 25 wines offered by the glass, and owns 1600 labels in the impressive "carta dei vini". Prices are through the roof. Piazza Trilussa 41, Via del Moro 1/a (Ponte Sisto) - Open Mon-Wed 7:30-11:30pm/Thurs-Sun 1:00-3:00pm, 7:30-11:30pm

Terre e Domus - Restaurant/wine bar that offers the food, products and wines of the Province of Rome, featuring a rotation of about 100 choice producers and foods with DOP, IGP, DOC and IGT appellation. These include wines, spumante, grappas, beers, dessert wines – all paired with seafood or meat and poultry, classic Roman dishes, cold cuts and cheeses, jams and marmalades. The offer also includes produce, breads, desserts and biscotti, artisan honeys, and extra virgin olive oil: all local, hailing from the Province of Rome. Free Wi-Fi available but hardly ever works. Foro Traiano 82/84 (Piazza Venezia) - Open Tues-Sat 11:30am-11:30pm/Sun-Mon 11:30am-5:00pm

La Gatta Mangiona – If you're craving pizza but don't want to give up on the vino, this is where you want to be. The pizzas are not only among the best pies in Rome – employing lievito madre natural starters for the dough, prepared by able "pizzaioli" and baked in a wood-fired oven – but the wine list single handedly outshines many so-called gourmet restaurants. Prime Italian bottles share space with excellent French, Slovenian, German and Austrian wines, as well as a handsome selection of Champagnes and fortified wines. There's more besides the awesome pizza: crisp fried starters, pasta dishes and superb entrées. Via F. Ozanam 30 (Monteverde) - Open Tues-Sun 8:00pm-midnight

Photo © Andrea Di Lorenzo

Gibbo's - Keep an eye out for this relatively unknown restaurant. The lighting needs improving, and the decor deceptively brings 1972 east Berlin to mind, but the food and wine are ambrosial. Menu items vary daily, but can include risotto with porcini mushrooms and local Lazio cheese aged in hay; giant prawns rolled in a net of kataifi on avocado mousse and apple balsamic reduction; and stunning desserts like pears cooked in wine with sultanas, pine nuts and cinnamon, served with crumble and custard. Via Castelnuovo di Porto 4 (Ponte Milvio) - Open Mon-Sat 6:00pm-2:00am

Il Goccetto - With a 800+ choice of Italian and (mostly) French wines by the glass, this neighborhood enoteca is the perfect place to taste excellent wines at a good price, great salumi samplers, plus dishes like room temperature bufala, smoked salmon involtini, grilled artichokes, frittatas and a rotation of rare cheeses platters. The place doesn't accept reservations, so while you wait for one of the 12 tables to clear, you can hang around the bar or bring your drinks outside, seated on someone's motorino. Via dei Banchi Vecchi, 14 (Navona) Mon-Sat 11:30am-2:30pm/6:30pm-midnight

NEF - Nuova Enoteca Frascati, in the heart of Lazio's Castelli wine-land, this Frascati institution serves excellent seafood and local specialties to go with the impressive wines of the underground cave-cellar, where frequent events and tastings take place. NEF also offers 'Wine Bank' services thanks to which wine-lovers and connoisseurs can reserve a cell of the grotto for their wine collection, complete with name tags and wine descriptions. On the ever-changing menu, delicious primi piatti may include spaghetti with clams and mullet roe; or dressed with mussels and guanciale; while entrées shine in dishes like porchetta made with gilt-head sea bream (rolled with herbs and spices and spit roasted); or the house special "old school" a complete meal dish made with homestyle bread, grilled calamari, mozzarella, shaved parmesan, tomatoes and served with lemon-scented potatoes. Via A. Diaz 42 Frascati - Open Tues-Sun 12noon-3:00pm/7:00-11:00pm

Palatium Enoteca Regionale del Lazio - This minimalist enoteca specializes in wines and food from the Lazio region, of which Rome is the capital. You can have a glass at the bar, or sit in the adjoining room and also enjoy a light lunch of fettuccine with tomato-less rabbit ragù, or pork roast with caramelized apples. Via Frattina, 94 (Spanish Steps) - Open daily 12:30pm-3:00pm/7:30pm-10:30pm
Closed! :(

Remigio - This is a fabulous Champagne bar in the Tuscolana suburb, where it's common to bump into wine makers and producers sitting glassy eyed while they make love to a heap of Belon du Belon oysters resting on crushed ice. The place is aptly named after Saint Remi, the patron saint of Reims, Champagne world capital. Opened by the same owners as La Barrique, which is a guarantee of quality, at Remigio you'll find a wine list that carries lovely French wines and Champagnes by small vintners, many of which are natural or classified as bio-dynamic; alongside an attractive selection of German rieslings, and innovative Italian productions. Price/quality ratio is good and the food focuses on small, artisan producers of the finest salumi, cheeses, meat, seafood and desserts. I come for the stellar croque monsieur sandwich, the Scottish salmon, and the duck and pistachio terrine, to go with my bubbly. Via S. Maria Ausiliatrice 15 (Tuscolano) - Open Mon-Sat 6:00pm 'til late.

Photo © Remigio

Roscioli - This is one of my favorite places, it never fails. A deli that at mealtime turns into an A-list restaurant, with tables pushed up against the cheese counter, pricey Pata Negra legs jutting above the diners' heads, and a list of remarkable Italian and foreign wines, awesome cheeses, bread and coldcuts, as well as stellar cuisine, perhaps the best carbonara on earth and delightful burrata, local and Spanish cured pork, and Cecina de Leon (ridiculously good cured beef). The experienced sommelier staff is always there to answer questions, suggest pairings, or hold fun English language tastings for all levels of wine lovers. Via dei Giubbonari, 21 (Campo de' Fiori) - Open Tues-Sat 9:00am-1:00am

Salotto Culinario - This is a restaurant whose innovative cuisine by charming chef Dino De Bellis pairs very well with the small yet cleverly thought out wine list. Here you can find delightful homemade gnocchi alla genovese enriched with Fiocco della Tuscia (an Italian delicacy reminiscent of Camembert); cod fillets served with roots: lampascioni, creamed Jerusalem artichokes and turnips; lamb "cacio e ove" an Abruzzo recipe involving egg, pecorino and thyme. All dishes are geared to pair with the Italian regional bottles, or French Champagnes in the wine list. Vegans and celiacs can go with the ad hoc special menus. Via Tuscolana 1199 (Romanina) - Open Mon-Sat 12noon-3:00pm/7:30-11:30pm

Photo © Andrea Di Lorenzo

Sesto Girone - This newly inaugurated enoteca stocks over 500 types of wine, focusing on all Italian regions, an interesting selection of natural and bio-dynamic wines and microbrewery craft beers. Although this is more a store than an actual eatery, at aperitivo o'clock, patrons and shoppers can stop for raw fish carpaccio aperitif, nibble from platters of salumi and cheese to pair with very good French bubbles. Via Salaria 91 (Villa Albani) - Open 9:00am-7:30pm Closed Thursday afternoon and Sunday.

Photo © Andrea Di Lorenzo

Trimani - Historic venue that's been selling wine since 1821, Trimani occupies an entire block on Via Goito with Rome's vastest assortment of 6000 among wines – Italian and not – spumante, Franciacorta, Champagnes, liqueurs e spirits, beers and soft drinks, plus edible delicacies and custom designed gift baskets. The food served at the tables is good and the atmosphere is charming in the restaurant section, but the prices for meals à la carte are way too expensive, so your best bet is a fabulous glass of wine and a light snack before heading somewhere else for dinner. Via Cernaia 37B (Termini) - Open Mon-Sat 11:30am-3:00pm/5:30pm-12:00am

Uve e Forme - The 300+ bottle wine list by the counter, where patrons can savor the delicious samples of vegetarian dishes, specialty cheeses, sustainably sourced organic and biodynamic produce, and fine vintage wines, is chalked on an old control-tower air traffic board. The staff is very kind and the food is delightful, with several vegetarian options, homemade bread and desserts. DOn't miss the savory butternut squash and crisp guanciale flan, the orecchiette with Sicilian broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes and smoked ricotta, or the kale, farro and potato soup. Frequent wine tastings and verticals on the calendar. Via Padova 6/8 (northern suburbs) - Open Mon-Fri 12:00noon-midnight/Sat 4pm-midnight

Photo @ Eleonora Baldwin

Vino e Camino - Good seafood selection, interesting flavor combos and a good wine list: this is what makes both the Bracciano and Rome branches of Vino e Camino a success. I come for the Cinta senese sausages cooked in the wood-fired oven; the hearty chestnut, leek and smoked ham soup, the typical Apulia broadbean purée with wild chicory, the farro cooked with pumpkin and parmesan, or the orecchiette with clams, asparagus and pecorino cheese, and some of the best fresh pasta with cacio e pepe sauce north of Flavio al Velavevodetto. All desserts are homemade, but foregoing the zuccotto with coffee cream would be a grave mistake. Wine list is not huge, but well structured and wisely stocked. Piazza dell'Oro 6 (Castel Sant'Angelo) - Open Mon-Sat 7:30-11:30pm

Tasting Tajarin

It felt like being in my Nonna's birthplace, the room smelled like wine, cheese and truffles. My Piedmontese roots came alive last night when I was invited at a lovely tasting event. Thanks to Beppe e i Suoi Formaggi for hosting, and Katie Parla for pulling the evening together, I had the chance to taste tajarin (a traditional Piedmont egg and flour long-strand pasta) in 7 ways, down divine French white wines, and even taste Barolo and Barbaresco, in the company of friends.

Mauro Musso has a terrific story, one that starts with him pulling off his supermarket employee uniform, and following the whim to create Casa dei Tajarin, an artisan pasta workshop he runs out of the ground floor of his parents' home in Alba.

Images © Katie Parla

His tajarin are made with rare flours from ancient autoctonous grains and cereals, only the best in biodynamic and GMO-free staples sourced from Mulino Marino, Italy's premier heritage grain supplier, and organic eggs. Mauro spoke briefly before the carb-fest that followed, and passionately told us how his main focus was to provide a healthy, all-natural version of the traditional pasta of Piedmont's Langhe region, with digestibility taking first place, even before flavor. But I can assure you that the taste of his tajarin is exceptional. The dressings were very mild and subtly brought out the different flavors of the flours used in each different tajarin kind we tasted.

Here's the menu:

Tajarin made with einkorn flour, dressed with Taggiasca olive oil and cracked black pepper.
No wine was paired with this dish in order to avoid interference with the flavor of the "Enkir" pasta.

Soft wheat tajarin called 'Gentil Bianco' dressed with Beppe's Alpine raw milk butter, and white Alba truffles. We drank Champagne Brut Chauvet Carte Blanche with this one.

Soft wheat tajarin called 'Rosso delle Langhe,' dressed in a mild stockfish sauce. The 2009 southern Burgundy Chardonnay Domaine des Fossiles Brinonnais was a pleasant first for me.

White rye eggless rolled pasta salad, with toasted nuts, and three varieties of cubed cheese (goat's–, sheep's– and cow's milk). We paired these to a 2007 German Weingut Tesch "Unplugged" Riesling.

More Einkorn flour tajarin tossed with mixed vegetables and thyme. The wine was a 2004 Friulano "Galea" by I Clivi di Corno di Rosazzo.

Next up was "Sapori Antichi" tajarin, a blend of Einkorn, spelt, kamut, and rye dressed in a rabbit ragù. I gobbled it up so fast, I forgot to take a picture. With the meat sauce, we switched to a 2004 Barbaresco "Montestefano" of Cantina Baldo Rivella.

The triple "Khorasan" flour tajarin with a 3-meat ragù was the last sample, and by this time I was tipsy, so I only had a sip of Barolo Cantina Giulio Viglione (2004).

The platter of mixed cheeses that followed, had a smear of organic fig jam, pomegranate kernels and walnut meats. Oh, and a slice of fresh pear. The Robiola, Torretta di Capra and the Toma were my favorites.


At midnight my babysitter started freaking out, so I sadly had to skip dessert, which was the typical Piedmontese Panna Cotta. I'm sorry I couldn't stay and chat with the other participants sitting in the other rooms, and mostly that I couldn't say good-bye to Mauro, the tajarin master.

It was great to learn about his small pasta operation, and it was a treat to share the meal and wine with such a wonderful group of friends, all with one thing in common: love for good food.

Flash cut to today at noon. I'm meeting a fellow blogger/foodie friend visiting from out of town at Bonci's Pizzarium, and guess who was delivering three crates of assorted tajarin to be sold at the famed pizza shrine?

Needles to say I managed to say good-bye this time.

Seafood restaurants in Rome

Image © Andrea Di Lorenzo

If you can't make a coastal getaway this summer, dining in Rome calls for fresh seafood, plenty of chilled white wine, and an early sunset buzz. Here's my shortlist of pesce musts (consider applying for platinum credit card before booking a table)...

Continue Reading The American in Italia Magazine

Interviewing Rome's top chefs

I've recently teamed up with a young Italian project called Cibando that provides content for restaurants and foodies via iPhone App, blog, mobile site and social networks.

One of the interesting things I do for this company is I get to hang out with celebrity chefs in their kitchens, ask them all sorts of questions, shop with them, discuss their opinions, learn their tricks, and taste their cuisine.

Here are a few excerpts from a video interview I did with Giulio Terrinoni, Executive Chef of Acquolina Hostaria. The northern Rome all-fish restaurant that serves some of the city's best seafood was recently awarded a Michelin star, and Chef Terrinoni is a proud member of the Jeunes Restaurateurs d'Europe association.

Image + videos © Andrea di Lorenzo

Check out my YouTube channel to view the interviews.

Rome summer survival guide

Hotter than July is no urban legend in Rome. Summer deals end, sales kick in, and restaurants and gourmet shops trim supplies in preparation for the inevitable August vacation exodus. Throughout Europe, August is the month in which shop owners, businessmen, and restaurateurs take a time out. Many movie theaters are also closed.

Though the traditional Rome exodus has slowed a bit in recent decades — some businesses now opt to stay open — travelers must be mindful of the ripple-effect shutdown. Summer in Rome is a quirky place. Be prepared... 

Continue reading The American in Italian Magazine →

Pesche al vino recipe

lacocinadebender.com

Peaches and wine make a fine pair. A sliced white peach soaking in chilled Chardonnay is almost as sweet as a lover' first kiss. Bold red wine, yellow flesh peaches and orange wedges bobbing in a bowl of soda and a shot of cognac Sangria are a terrific drink. Peach nectar and Champagne make bubbly Bellini. The duo is dynamic and downright divine. Applying these same pairing principles, you may wish for an equally inspired dessert. Feel free to vary quantities, proportions and ingredients; all you really need is your peaches and vino.

4 very ripe peaches
Robust red wine
Icing sugar
A cinnamon stick
Lemon rind

Remove the peach pits, and peel the fruits. (To make peeling easier, carve a small cross-shaped incision at the tip. Then blanche and shock them in water and ice, after 10 minutes peels will slip right off).

Arrange peeled peaches in a bowl and set aside. In a saucepan over a medium heat, pour one glass of red wine, two tablespoons of powdered sugar, a stick of cinnamon, and a piece of lemon rind.

Simmer these together for 3 minutes over medium heat, and then pour the hot liquid over the peaches in the bowl.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to stand for at least 2 hours. Remove lemon rind and cinnamon stick, and serve chilled presented in smaller serving bowls, plain or à la mode.

Food tours in Rome

piadina+pastrami sandwich

When I guide culinary tours, my clients often say, "You have the best job in the world."

I couldn't agree more.

I get to walk around one of the world's most beautiful historical and fascinating cities...

...tasting delicious food, meeting interesting people, engaging in conversations on topics I am passionate about...

...and introducing wonderful chefs, wine merchants, cheesemongers, butchers, greengrocers, and artisans to my clients.

I like that Orazio, the fresh pasta guy, lets me take clients in the back of his shop to show how he makes tagliatelle casarecce. I love it when the workers at the bread baker see me walk in, they say, "Eccola!" – here she is, like they were expecting me. I like that if the group is in the mood, we can stop for a glass of wine at an enoteca. I'm happy there is no strict itinerary, and instead a fair amount of improvisation. Mostly, I like the smiles.

You can learn more about the food tours I lead by visiting the website of my co-owned company Casa Mia Italy Food & Wine.