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Rome Restaurants: CAMPO DE' FIORI & THE GHETTO

Sheva
The ghetto's only truly contemporary restaurant, and surely the most sophisticated Kosher cuisine in Rome, Sheva offers both traditional Roman Jewish dishes, and innovative creations. Proprietor Ilan Raccah has a background in design, and its shows — from the beautifully lit bar to the presentation of the cuisine. Plates come out of the kitchen looking like works of art. A Roman artichoke "alla Giudia" was like a flower, and cooked to perfection,,crispy outer leaves with a tender center and not a trace of oiliness. Among the more creative dishes, we loved the risotto with yellow squash and chestnuts, and the rolled orata (a Mediterranean fish) stuffed with spinach, raisins and parsley. For dessert, try the crepes filled with caramelized pineapple or the hot chocolate flan that oozes fudgey heaven. The Kosher wine list is an education in just how good Kosher wine can be, with labels from Italian regions and from Israel. Sheva is open all day, so you can stop by in the morning for a cappuccino and a pastry. And it's one of the few places in Rome offering heartier breakfast fare, such as scrambled eggs. A tasting buffet is available at cocktail time. In a suggestive corner of the ghetto, with a view over the ancient piazza, and a delightfully modern interior, it offers the best of both worlds. Reasonably priced. €€
Via Santa Maria del Pianto 1b tel 06 6880 1518 Open 10 am- midnight. Closed Friday night and Saturday lunch.
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Al Bric
Just off Campo de’ Fiori, this wine bar/trattioria reeks with old world character, from the valuted ceiling to the walls, decorated with wine labels. Bi-frontal windows, open to passing foot-traffic, display an incomparable selection of French and Italian cheeses, home-made grissini (bread sticks), foie gras, patè and a list of French and Italian wines selected by owner Roberto Marchetti. The menu features unusual flavor combinations, such as Roman pecorino cheese paired with chestnuts in a maccheroni sauce, or sword fish Stroganoff seasoned with thyme. Among the divine desserts, our favorite is a confection of chestnuts with cinnamon cream. €€€
Via del Pellegrino, 51 tel 06 687 9533 Open continuously 12:30 to 23:30

Camponeschi
With it’s ringside position in the magnificent Piazza Farnese, and its old-world elegance, the Camponeschi family restaurant has charmed Italians and tourists for decades. The three dining rooms are decorated in warm colors, antique furnishings and period chandeliers. The menu offers superb renditions of regional specialties. Seafood enthusiasts might try astice, (baby lobster) with truffles or millefoglie di triglia con cialde di pecorino — a layered confection of Mediterranean fish served with roman pecorino cheese. On a chilly winter evening, warm your insides with pasta topped with mountain goat ragu sauce. In any season, don’t shy away from desserts – they’re worth the calories. The wine list is exceptional. Start your evening with an apertivo in the adjoining wine bar.
Terrace dining is a must in warmer months. €€€
Piazza Farnese, 50 tel 06 687 4927 Closed Sundays and in January.

Crudo
Hidden away on a tiny side street between Campo de' Fiori and the Tiber, with an atmosphere that puts it closer to Manhattan's Soho district, Crudo is a great place to relax at the end of the day, decorated in taupe and concrete, with comfy fifty's-style couches and easy chairs and subtle lighting. One wall is dominated by a video projection, a very amusing and creative animation that can hold your attention for the duration of your first drink. On offer, a wide range of wines by the bottle or the glass, a variety of martinis and exotic cocktails and an unusual dinner menu. All the food has been prepared with minimal interference: steamed or raw and blended with fresh herbs in tasty combinations. The selections, which run along the lines of sushi, sashimi and carpaccio, are divided into delicate, medium and spicy categories. For starters, there's a raw bar of oysters and clams, and a nice choice of desserts with which to reward one's self for having had such sparse and healthy entrees. €€€
Via degli Specchi 6   tel 06 683 8989 
Open continuously 12:30 pm - 2 am. Closed Sunday lunch, Monday dinner. 

Ditirambo
With a location steps away from Campo de' Fiori, and the ambience of an updated trattoria, it's no wonder Ditirambo attracts its share of the tourist trade. The menu is intriguing — unusual combinations of ingredients like sardines cooked with figs sound tempting, but not all the dishes are successful. The menu changes monthly, and everything is fresh and top quality. We tried a flavorful eggplant with pesto sauce, but were disappointed by the octopus salad with ginger, which was oddly bland. Among the desserts, the coffee semifreddo was heavenly, but a millefoglie with almond cream and berry sauce was too syrupy sweet. The menu includes a selection of small vegetarian dishes, which are a wonderful idea. Make a meal by ordering several and enjoy the variety of flavors and textures. The extensive wine list includes some 200 labels from all over Italy. €€
Piazza della Cancelleria 74/75   tel 06 6871626

Da Giggetto
In the heart of the Ghetto, with a view of the ancient Portico d'Ottavia, this family-owned restaurant is a bastion of classic Roman Jewish cuisine. In warmer months, ask for an outside table, or choose one inside against the French doors that open out onto the street. Not to be missed: stuffed zucchini flowers, and the flawless carciofi alla giudia, crispy fried artichokes without a trace of grease. In season, try the puntarelle, a classic Roman salad with an anchovy dressing. Traditional pastas, such as amatriciana and carbonara are cooked to perfection here, as is another Roman classic, abbacchio allo scottadita, (roast lamb).
Via del Portico d'Ottavio tel 06 6861105. Open for lunch and dinner. Closed Monday.

Hosteria del Pesce
Since opening in 2001, Hosteria del Pesce has been widely considered the best seafood restaurant in Rome. The fish is incredibly fresh and deliciously prepared. Brothers Johnny and Giuliano Micalusi use only the day's catch brought in each morning from nearby Terracina. It's displayed on beds of ice, giving you a preview of the menu as you enter. On the downside, it's expensive; the service can be a tad on the indifferent side; the place is usually packed; you can wait for your table even with a reservation; and the founding chef, Franco, recently left to start his own restaurant, La Lampara, (Via Pie di Marmo 36). Still, the Hosteria del Pesce is expanding, with a sister restaurant in Terracina and another opening in London. €€€
Via di Monserrato 25c tel 05 686 5617 Closed Sunday

La Locanda del Pellegrino
Specializing in the cuisine of Italy's south, with Calabrian cheeses, sweet onions from Tropea, and the spicy 'Ndja sausage. The menu includes many interesting twists on traditional dishes, such as a delicious flan made with pecorino chese and roast beef cooked on lava rock. All served on colorful hand-crafted ceramic plates. Open for lunch and dinner. Closed Mondays.
Via del Pellegrino 107
tel 06 687 2776 www.lalocandadelpellegrino.it

Osteria Romana
You may not find this charming, traditional restaurant in a guide book, but when ex-president Bill Clinton was in Rome as the guest of mayor Walter Veltroni, the banquet was held here. In warm weather, the terrace, facing a quiet little street, is as pleasant as it gets — tables topped with hand-painted umbrellas, blooming geraniums, candlelight. In winter, the elegant interior rooms provide a cozy atmosphere. Two set menus — one fish, the other meat — will be urged upon you by the friendly wait staff. All the dishes are delicious and typically Roman, but less hearty appetites can order a la carte. Try the bucatinii all'amatriciana, a bacon and tomato sauce with just a touch of hot pepper, or one of the fresh fish poached in a paper packet. €€€
Via San Paolo alla Regola 29-30-31   tel 06.686 1917 Closed Monday.

Pierluigi

Piperno
One of the city’s oldest and most famous restaurants, near the ancient Portico Ottavia, in the heart of the ghetto, Piperno has made its way onto the intinerary of many a visiting celebrity — Tom Cruise took Katie Holmes here during their romantic tour of Rome. Although the restaurant dates back to 1860, the Boni family has kept in step with changing tastes, while continuing to offer classic dishes, such as ravioli filled with spinach and ricotta cheese, lamb sweetbreads with artichokes, and spaghetti topped with shavings of pecorino cheese. For seafood lovers, spigola and orata, two Meditteranean favorites, share the spotlight with crustaceans and a traditional platter of mixed fried fish. Finish your meal with one of the homemade jam tarts €€€
Via Monte De’Cenci, 9 tel 06.683 3606 Closed Sunday evening and Monday.

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