I try to treat my wife Laura and myself to a special dinner several times a year. Fortunately, Rome offers many options for a wonderful meal, including several Michelin Star restaurants, which we have been working our way through. A few weeks ago, we tried one of them, Acquolina Hostaria, which as the name suggests, serves a fish-centered menu.
Besides tasting menus, you can order a la carte, and you can compose your own tasting menu with smaller portions of a la carte options. We each did three tasting portions a la carte and, when combined with the numerous treats from the chef plus dessert, we were full but not overly so. The meal started with several amuse bouche served on rocks and a wire mesh.
While I am getting a bit tired with kitschy serving vessels, every bite was lovely and delicious.
We had multiple small fish dishes — the portion sizes were perfect.
The amberjack tartare (pictured at top) was also a hit. The desserts were delicious and playful.
Service was excellent, attentive but not intrusive, and thoughtful (always brought silverware so we could taste each other’s choices, did not rush to remove plates, etc.). With a dearer-than-average bottle of wine (95 euros) and coffee, the entire bill came to about 300 euros for two. So, it’s definitely on the high end for a fish dinner in Rome. But, we’d do it again in a heart beat.
And, some great news! When we went in April, the restaurant was located a good bit north of us. However, as of this post, it has moved within an easy walk of the Spanish Steps Apartment. So, we have yet another superb restaurant close to us.
Our next post will be on more fish in Rome — this time a bit cheaper!
The Spanish Steps Apartment on Via della Mercede 