Jenny and I took a weekend trip to Rome as part of my burthday celebrations this year. We stayed close to the Via Nazionale, within easy walking distance of the Trevi Fountain (spectacular!). Looking around for a celebration meal venue, we followed the Time Out guide advice and plumped for their selection in that part of town - Al Presidente (www.alpresidente.it). What an excellent choice it turned out to be - not least because they do a seafood tasting menu! The decor was very attractive - subdued but classy, with very good attentive service.
We started with a glass of fizz, checked out all the different options (including three other tasting menus including a 'Roman Tradition' option as well as some delicious a la carte options). The starter was 'Raw red snapper in three ways' - which were sashimi (with lovely soy-flavoured sauce), carpaccio and tartare (minced with a little onion), accompanied by a glass of Pietrana de Bartoli 2007 fresh white wine. We picked the option where each of the four courses came with a glass of wine to suit - only €18 extra per person, a very good choice.)
Primo platti (as they say in those parts) was 'Fresh Homemade pasta with calamari , shellfish and thyme' served with a glass of Olivers Pecorari 2007. The pasta was excellent (of course!) and the shellfish, including a huge prawn, came in a tangy sauce. Secundi platti (still on the mains here) was 'Octopus , cuttlefish and calamari in a spicy sauce', accompanied by Arcadia Cogetti Conti 2007 - more full-flavoured white wine this time. The spicy sauce was very good, an interesting and aromatic combination.
The dessert was 'Apple and calvados millefouille' with ice-cream accompanied by a glass of calvados (what else?). Very tasty indeed. A coffee and a glass of grappa followed up (we asked for a typical Roman digestif, but were told that there wasn't one. Nonetheless the grappa, from Moscato grapes, was quite the best I've had, with a flowery taste.) At this point Sebastiano Allegrini, the chef himself, emerged from the kitchen at the end of the night's service. We chatted to him for a few minutes (he speaks excellent English) and were rewarded by another glasss fo grappa on the house! A lovely end to an excellent evening. The menu came in at €68 per person, wine at €18 per person, and with fizz, coffee and digestifs the total was just over €200 for the two of us which, as Jenny remarked afterwards, was money very well spent.
Al Presidente, Via In Arcione 95, 00187 Roma, Italy, Tel +39 6 67 97 342, www.alpresidente.it.
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4 comments:
Awesome site! I have a question though, tried to look for your email adress but couldn't find in you about me section... I am looking for your opinion on the best calamri you have ever had in Devon, say between plymouth and Exeter, I have had some really good calamari from many different locations, South Africa being one of the best but wanted to know where I could get localy in a restaurant. Thanks
Hi Mulkparps, thanks for getting in touch! Tricky question... depends on how you like it cooked. I might start at the Seahorse in Dartmouth (see my post here on it) where they specialise in grilled seafood. But I am sure there are plenty of places too for fried calamari rings if that's what you like. Good luck!
Thanks Mark, Im looking for nice big chunky strips of calamari breaded if possable, I know it will be hard to find a place that does it exactly like that so was looking for an opinion from someone like yourself, I shall have a read of the seahorse, I was tempted by the Ancherstone Cafe as I love Dittisham! Again, thanks.
Hi Mulkparps
The Anchorstone in Dittisham is well worth a visit whatever, and may well even do calamari as you like it. I think they are only open in summer though... check around for details.
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