Ricci il Salumiere in Rome, the historic shop opens a restaurant opposite the Pantheon

The story of Ricci the Salumiere

The person who decided that the city center was the right place for him was Ricci Il Salumiere, the Ricci who opened a shop in Borgo Pio in 1910, which later became the current location in Vigna Stelluti in 1955 (and was acquired by the Ricci Group in 2018, with a view to expansion). The location began and consolidated as a shop, offering regional and national products, along with a few international gems when they were still rare at the time, and has remained so today. In fact, the second Ricci store opened in spring 2023 (in the meantime, Ricci has opened another shop in Piazzale Adriatico, in Montesacro, and a new location will soon be arriving in the Trieste district, in Piazza Sant'Emerenziana; the Ricci Group also opened Ricci Pescheria con Cucina in the Vigna Stelluti area).

We're in the center, right in the center. In Piazza della Rotonda, which in other words means in front of the Pantheon.

The restaurant at the Pantheon

No longer just a shop, but a restaurant open from breakfast to dinner. Shutters open at 7 a.m., and leavened goods arrive from Cavalletti, Rome's leading pastry shop, part of the same group. There's also a generous selection of eggs, pancakes, bread, butter, and jam, yogurt, and stuffed pizzas. Then comes lunch, aperitifs, and dinner. Chef Fiorella Pasqualini, born in 1989, the daughter of restaurateurs, leads the kitchen. "My father has a large restaurant in the Marche region, but I've always wanted to follow my own path and gain my own experience." A medical graduate, Fiorella has always pursued her passion for cooking, eventually deciding to make it her profession, with stints working alongside Francesco Apreda in the kitchens of Pianostrada and Provence.

The restaurant in Piazza della Rotonda has an indoor area, with a large breakfast and deli counter, and an upper level where you can sit at tables or have breakfast by the window, enjoying the view of the Pantheon. But the outdoor area is the highlight. While the view can be distracting, the chef's dishes speak volumes. "I always have to consider where we are, so I designed a menu that appeals to tourists in a hurry, tourists who want to try our products, and Romans and Italians who want to eat well in the city center." On the menu, therefore, it's not surprising to find a few salads (from 12 to 18 euros), "but even there I wanted to put my own spin," explains the chef, "focusing on ingredients and flavor," and pizza, in its more classic options (all around 15 euros).

To start, you can try the cured meats and cheese platters, featuring deli products. "Roman pasta dishes are always a must, as they're always in high demand," explains the chef (the guanciale for carbonara and amatriciana is Cinta Senese from Il Borgo, and the pecorino from Fulvi). The rest of the menu changes seasonally.

In summer, for example, the focus was on fish and fresh dishes: tartare, carpaccio (with edible fruit and flowers, and a herb-infused oil that's somewhat of a signature dish). Among the first courses, there's a delicious seafood risotto (€24), well-creamed and with distinct flavors. Yet delicate, like the chef's touch: "I like to embellish simple things."

At the moment, on the menu, fish is also among the second courses with the sea bass fillet in a new potato crust with salad (30), while for those looking for meat there is the beef entrecote (25), "but there will always be meatballs in sauce and the Fassona burger".

Between courses, there's time to peruse the wine list. The sommelier has reserved space for Lazio (luckily, someone does), but there are labels from all over Italy and a few from France.

Ricci the Salumiere. Piazza della Rotonda 6, Rome. Tel. 06 42986448. Website. Facebook. Instagram.