Settimo in Rome, the restaurant with kitchen and terrace for memorable sunsets
Settimo in Rome. Settimo is located on the seventh floor of Rome's Sofitel Hotel. The summer season makes this location particularly attractive and sought-after, but the restaurant, renovated a few years ago, is open year-round for both in-house and out-of-town guests.
The restaurant is led by chef Giuseppe D'Alessio, a down-to-earth and down-to-earth chef who, after touring Germany, France, and London, returned to Italy and began working steadily in hospitality. Having a restaurant inside a hotel, he tells us, is very different from having one on the road. It means taking into account the desires of guests, as varied as their nationalities, serving dinner in their rooms, and preparing something even for those who arrive at 11 p.m., have traveled hours, and need something good to eat. "We're in the Lazio region, so we wanted to include local products," he explains, "following the philosophy that the Accor group, of which the Sofitel brand is a part, has espoused for several years." He adds: "The sunsets here are memorable, and I honestly remember them all. Working with an open kitchen like mine lightens your day, lets you breathe."
The result is a rather extensive menu, varying depending on the time of day, which can appeal to an international tourist without excluding Romans or Italians, a flaw common in many hotels in central Rome. Both in terms of the type of offerings and the prices, which make many hotel restaurants unapproachable to locals. Rather than produce a menu inconsistent with the space and its inhabitants, D'Alessio designed a Roman lunch menu, with two options, each consisting of two courses: the first course for €29 (appetizer and first course), the second for €41 (appetizer or first course and second course). Then comes the aperitif with cocktails and bottles from the menu, accompanied by dry snacks and a few small tastings from the menu, and finally dinner and after-dinner drinks. And let's not forget breakfast, also served à la carte and very quietly on weekends.
The menu includes stringy supplì and fried artichokes served with pecorino cream (18), guinea fowl cappellacci on yellow cherry tomato cream (24), Cav. Cocco fettuccine with clams, courgette flowers and trombolotto (26), crispy octopus with cannellini bean puree and aromatic herbs (34), rack of lamb baked in strong herbs with sautéed cardoncelli mushrooms, a selection of Italian and Lazio cheeses with fruit mustard, just to name a few. To be accompanied with the crunchy pizza from the Marchetti oven and the white pizza from Niko Romito.
Settimo – Roman Cuisine & Terrace. Via Lombardia 47, Rome. Tel. 06 478022944. Website: Facebook.
