SANTOPALATO: NOT YOUR TYPICAL ROMAN TRATTORIA
The Cost - $40 per person
The Atmosphere – Santo Palato is a small Italian trattoria with just eight tables inside and a couple more outside (which are only really usable from May to October). Unlike the typical trattoria though, the space has got some young and cool vibes with fun art on the walls and a vintage refrigerator covered with stickers in the back.
On my first night in Rome i went to Pietro Valentini for some traditional Roman dishes. On my second night, I wanted something more modern so I booked a table at Trattoria SantoPalato where chef Sarah Cicolini serves up her versions of some Italian classics.
The Order – Rigatoni alla Carbonara, Sedanini Turanici, Maiale, Coniglio alla Royale and Brioche con crema Chantilly.
The Fantastic - The #1 highlight of this meal was the Rabbit (Coniglio). Tender rabbit meat stuffed with celery root and rabbit liver, this dish was bursting with flavor and was served with a cooked apple with mustard and rabbit stock. This may not be the first dish you think of ordering when you see the menu but trust me, it’s worth it. The Rigatoni alla Carbonara was also a standout. The rigatoni was cooked perfectly and the sauce was yolky and smooth and when combined with the salty strips of crunchy pork cheek, the dish hit all the right spots.
The Great - How do you make bread with cream taste incredible? I don’t know but Chef Cicolini sure does. The Chantilly Cream Brioche dessert was just a brioche roll filled with Chantilly cream and it was delicious. The bread was a little too savory for me but the sweet Chantilly cream with vanilla and crushed green peppercorns was superb. The Sedanini Turancini, a pasta dish with butternut squash cream sauce, saffron and black ricotta was excellent but I wish it had (more) black pepper to contrast the sweetness of the sauce. The Grilled Pork (Maiale) was also quite good with two nicely done pieces of pork but the best part of the dish was the mushrooms it came with over an almond cream that was perfection.
The Verdict – Chef Cicolini is a rising star in Italy and I understand why. Her creative and modern take on Italian cuisine is a joy to eat and SantoPalato is a great place to balance out the more traditional meals you’ll have in Rome.