By Sophie Grove
With a dizzying array of mouth-watering options seemingly at every turn, deciding where to eat in Rome is no simple feat. Fortunately Hotel Eden's top-floor bar and restaurant, Il Giardino, is the perfect spot. Offering both traditional contemporary Roman dishes, superb regional wines and breath-taking views of the city, Il Giardino serves up a taste of Southern Italy in a beautifully designed space, fit for a roman holiday.
Executive chef Fabio Ciervo describes his style of cooking as “based on continuous research around my guiding principles of innovation, wellbeing, ingredients, taste and art.” His inventive menu offers a modern take on traditional Roman cooking with many unexpected surprises throughout. Nibbling is encouraged with a selection of 'tapas' style cicchetti, including anchovies, squash blossoms stuffed with mozzarella, and the obligatory pizzas and salads.
The main menu however is the main attraction. Skipping right ahead to ‘Primi’ we went for Chef Ciervo’s famous cacio e pepe and in keeping with our “when in Rome…” mantra for the day, we went ahead and ordered the spaghettoni alla carbonara too. Our pastas were prepared perfectly, serving as a friendly reminder of the art of simplicity that Il Giardino does so well. Of course no bowl of pasta would be complete with out a glass of wine and for that we chose a light frascati reserve by Villa Simone, idea for a bit of day drinking before heading across the street to Villa Borghese.
At the insistence of our server we rounded out our lunch with a light desert of zupetta di fragole with mint and yogurt gelato and espressos while taking in the 180 degree views of Rome down below—stretching from Il Vittoriano and St. Peters to the Villa Medici and Borghese gardens.
True to its name, Il Giardino is not only an foodie oasis, but an enduring gem of Rome’s contemporary culinary scene.
Il Giardino Ristorante & Bar,
Hotel Eden, Via Ludovisi 49
00187 Rome
Italy