The definitive guide to eating in the Monti district in Rome. From a typical trattoria to an ethnic restaurant, passing through a signature cocktail.
The ancient suburb, now revalued and has become one of the most genuine and pleasant neighborhoods for a Roman holiday evening: the Monti district. If in Roman times, in fact, men were lost in the alleys in search of carnal pleasure, today the streets are crowded more than anything else with boys and girls eager for a fun evening, good food, good wine and well-executed cocktails. The advice is to go there from aperitif time onwards, when the area comes alive with the heterogeneous nightlife that frequents it: Romans, university students and tourists who all find themselves in the same place, walking through the alleys or sipping a beer or a drink in one of the picturesque squares. The most beautiful: that of the Madonna dei Monti with its fountain.
Street food
As the name implies, at the basis of the proposal for Aunt Rosetta, there are the famous sandwiches with the button on top (the "cicciolo" as they say in Rome), stuffed in dozens of ways. The names are funny, since to exorcise pandemic anxiety many sandwiches have been renamed with eloquent names, such as Green Pass, Stable Affection, White Zone and so on. The advice is to take more mini-rosettes (at 3/4 euros each) to taste the various flavors. If after the rosette you also want to treat yourself to a dessert, pass two windows farther from Raw and you will come out satisfied, without even too much guilt. These are confectionery, chocolate and ice cream, raw food and vegan. Here we do not use flour, eggs, milk and derivatives or refined sugars: the right place even for those with intolerance problems.
Restaurants and wine bars
If Monti has a flaw, it is that it is not the right place to find a good Roman trattoria than it used to be. Give up for an evening to carbonare and amatriciane and try to rely on the card of Chef and Shirt, a delightful little restaurant hidden, but not too much. It deserves the mention too Barrique, from whose name it is evident that we are talking about a wine shop with a kitchen. Here you eat and drink well, with a menu that follows the seasons and takes its cue from tradition, without following it slavishly. Mariolina instead, it is a halfway address, because you can order a takeaway or stop for a slightly longer stop in a small but well-kept place. The workhorses are two: ravioli and meatballs. Then there is more, but how do you say no to a ravioli with cheese and pepper with crispy bacon?
Ethnic restaurants and fast food
Hasekura is one of the historical Japanese of Rome, specializing in excellent quality sushi. There are those who consider it the best in Rome, but there is no shortage of worthy competitors in other areas of the city, not to mention the recent landing of the Japanese-Brazilians, including the very close Temakinho, landed in Rome from Milan and immediately much appreciated by the public. Always Japanese-inspired, but focused on okonomiyaki and onigiri instead Maido, a recent opening that winks at manga fans and nostalgics of Japanese cartoons. The references to Marrabio, Hello Spank and other cartoons that made the children of the eighties happy are scattered throughout the restaurant and the evening can only end with the dorayaki that Doraemon likes so much. The format of I love Pokè, which has already depopulated in Milan and has landed in Rome starting from Monti with his poké to compose according to your tastes.
Cocktail bar and speakeasy
Being a nightlife area, you could not miss the cocktail bars where you can taste a good drink. In fact, there are plenty of bars, but don't stop at the first tavern. Sacripante it is an art gallery lent to good drinking, as well as a gem not to be missed. Otherwise, you have to get away from the crowded streets a bit, to find true champions. It is the case of Drink Kong, which is technically in Piazza San Martino ai Monti, so we are still in the heart of the neighborhood. To animate this place, Patrick Pistolesi and his team of champions. At number 45 of the World Fifty Best Bars, in addition to the best mixed drinks in the city, you can also taste accompanying dishes that blend flavors and aromas from various parts of the world.
