The welcome
After being seated, we are given a menu which folds out, detailing the key landmarks visible from the terrace. Among them, we spot Trajan's Column, Quirinal Palace and the Tower of Milizie.
A bottle of Jacquesson Cuvée 746 Champagne arrives during our seated sightseeing. Smooth and citrusy with a lovely bite, it is the perfect way to start things off.
Looking out over Rome’s expanse and enjoying a glass of chilled Champagne would have been wonderful enough in itself, but we were informed by our server that chef Marcello Romano has prepared a special menu for us to enjoy. Needless to say, we were very excited.
Our culinary experience begins with an overflowing bread basket, in true Italian style. It contains the usual suspects from focaccia to crispbreads, but the real standout was a bundle of breadsticks, flavoured with 36 month aged Parmesan cheese and cracked pepper. Wonderfully savoury with a slight kick, they were incredibly moreish.
The menu
The first course was the highlight of the entire meal — breaded scallops with purple potato and an apple and bergamot dressing. These scallops were the best I’ve ever tasted. They cut like butter and were deliciously thick with a perfect white colour. The crunchiness of the salad and citrusy blast from the apple dressing was the perfect compliment. I will no doubt be thinking about this dish for a long time. This course was accompanied by a wonderfully fizzy Bollinger Champagne Rosé. Everything about this pairing was summer encapsulated.
Next, is a three tomato risotto with provolone fondue and micro herbs. It is rich and hearty without being dense, and encapsulates the flavours of the region perfectly. The accompanying wine was a lovely red from Tuscany, which was purposely light.
Our last savoury course is veal on a bed of spinach with aubergine and potato puree. This dish is made ‘Milanese’ style and one bite proves it to be perfectly seasoned and succulent. The matching wine is from producer Borgo del Tiglio, which is based in the same Northern Italian region that our server is from.
Each wine pairing was thoughtfully selected and skilfully presented, offering tasting notes and the production history for each bottle. It was great to learn more about why that drink had been chosen.
By the time dessert arrives we are fit to bursting, but no sweet tooth can deny themselves a sugary ending. The two-course parade began with a tray of miniature treats including lemon meringue pies, macarons and chocolate biscuits. The grand finale is an exotic blend of passionfruit and mango, encased in a sumptuously light meringue shell. Beautiful.
