I stumbled across this place on Trip Advisor in advance of our holiday, but swiftly forgot about it until the receptionist recommended it. A two minute walk away, rumbling bellies and tired feet made this perfect.
Fabio was the perfect host, recommending places to go and things to see (indeed he was the person telling us to
look through the keyhole!). Nothing seemed too much trouble, and he clearly loved his job. He told us all about the ingredients, talked us through the combinations, told us how fresh everything was, told us his favourites.
The first day we both went for the first option on the menu, a ciabatta filled with prosciutto, mozzarella, and rocket, finished with a drizzle of olive oil.
The mozzarella was fresh that day, oh so creamy, and a little rnny like the ever-trendy burrata. The prosciutto sliced in front of us. Melting soft, full of flavour, good fat marbling and plenty of it. The rocket was obviously fresh and added a good pepperiness, the olive oil adding a bit of lubrication. It was a whopper of a sandwich, and utterly delicious. If only all sandwiches were like this!
We tried to replicate it whilst in Venice, buying the ingredients (minus rocket and oil) for lunches and did a pretty good job, but I’ve not had a sandwich as satisfying since.
On our last morning in Rome we decided to grab a sandwich between us, to take on the train. We went with Fabio’s favourite, a combination of speck ham, truffled cheese and more rocket. Definitely an easier sandwich to eat, especially if taking away – and although not quite as good as the first I certainly enjoyed it. Again the meat was sliced in front of us, amazingly fresh and clean flavoured. The cheese was also sliced in front of us, and was creamy, strongly cheesy and lightly truffle-y. I’m not usually a fan of cheese (other than mozzarella) with bread but this was delicious!
At €6 for a sandwich (some hot options are a little more), this place is a hidden gem. A stone’s throw away from the Colosseum it’s a calm oasis away from tourists providing damn good food and cheap wine (which smelt great, though we didn’t sample).
My only regret is that I doubt we will return to Rome, as I’m desperate for a prosciutto and mozzarella sandwich!
What’s your favorite sandwich filling?
