Outdoor dining is incredibly popular all across Italy, so imagine a restaurant that combines great food and a stunning view.
ROME, Italy — In Italy, it is all about the food!
“Italian food. The best food in the world,” said Fiat 500 tour guide Christine Bravi.
“When we wake up in the morning, we decide what will be our lunch, and what will be our dinner,” said tour guide Valentino Barkanti.
Many tourists book an Italian cooking class.
Handmade Pasta with Grandma gives you a chance to learn how make one of Italians’ favorite food.
Outdoor dining is incredibly popular all across Italy, so imagine a restaurant that combines great food and a stunning view. It exists in the Eternal City right across the street from the historic Colosseum.
Welcome to the Aroma Restaurant.
Once seated, you cannot keep your eyes off the Colosseum, especially at night. But then the food arrives. Cuisine created by the man who learned cooking skills at a very young age and earned his first Michelin star in 2014.
“To become a Michelin star chef was the biggest target for me. It’s very satisfying for me,” said Giuseppe Di Iorio who is the Aroma Restaurant executive chef. “I’ve been doing this job for 37 years and I know it’s the most beautiful job in the world.”
Chef Di Iorio says heart and love are part of his culinary philosophy.
“We are what we eat. Food makes us happier and gives us a sense of spirituality and shows everyone coming in our region. It gives us special moments,” said Di Iorio.
His signature dishes feature the top producers in this region of Italy.
“We have amazing products from Italy. Fresh codfish and cheese, vegetables, and fruit. We don’t have the same product every day. We have to put our knowledge over the product,” said Di Iorio. “We are known for our pizza and our pasta. But especially our pasta. The best dish is one of our homemade pasta which is the ravioli.”
The Aroma restaurant offers three different tasting menus named after the different columns used at the Colosseum.
The dorico is at the base of the Colosseum. The onico is in the middle and the corinsio is at the top. The corinsio is our signature menu, so it represents the best we can offer in this restaurant,” said Di Iorio.
“In the beginning, I was a bit anxious to keep the expectation as the view already does so the expectation is the same – to keep the attention on the customers and the dish and not only the view. But we reached some important achievements and goals. So, we’re very proud,” said Di Iorio.
The chef wants people who dine at Aroma to have an incredible culinary experience.
“We work in a very requested place with a very long waiting list. We try to do our best because this space is not huge. We like to snuggle with the customers. Change of napkins. Small details that make the difference, not just the kitchen,” said Di Iorio.
If you travel to Italy, I hope you are hungry.
“We love pasta every single way to do it,” said Barktani.
Italian grandmas will teach you how to make it. There are plenty of great places to eat.
If you ever get to Rome, consider a place that serves amazing food with an equally amazing view.
Dining and Cooking