Pulejo is the current darling of Rome’s fine dining scene, at least in part because it is the newest restaurant to earn a Michelin star. We tried to dine there in November 2022 (which should be “low season” in Rome!), but they were booked solid. On our most recent trip to Rome, however, we were just barely able to get in, scoring a reservation for lunch, mid-week. But what a lovely lunch it was.

The chef, Davide Puleio, started his career at age 21 at one of Rome’s long-standing Michelin-star restaurants, Il Convivio Troiani. He went on to work at the famed Noma in Copenhagen and at L’Alchimia in Milan. Puleio then returned to Rome and opened his own place. The restaurant’s name is a play on the chef’s last name, with a j replacing the i, which is an old Roman dialect thing — like when you see the “Galleria Doria Pamphilj.” (If you’re practicing your Italian, the letter j is pronounced like an extended i, almost like the English vowel y.)

 

Of course, our meal started with some delectable amuse-bouche, as well as superb bread.

For her first dish, Laura had the “peperone come manzo,” roasted red pepper, rocket salad, 36-month parmesan, capers, and oregano.  This was a delicious dish whose delightful tanginess was perfectly highlighted by the parmesan cheese.

I started with sweetbreads, cooked in butter, covered by a smoked oyster sauce, and topped with Swiss chard. Marvelous. The usual mineral-ness of the sweetbreads was complemented by the chard.

For her main dish, Laura went with the “Mi-Ro,” which is a “Milano-Rome” risotto — again being lexically playful.  This is a dish the chef is famous for and is what’s shown at the top of this post. It’s a gorgeous saffron yellow (the Milan part), with a ring of cocoa sauce and a bit of oxtail in the center (the Rome part). Really lovely, both delicate and savory.

I went for the guinea fowl.  The wonderfully moist, slightly gamey flesh was pressed into a little loaf, surrounded by grapes and two stuffed grape leaves. The menu described it as “Marco Gavio Apicio” style, a reference to a Roman who lived during the time of the Emperor Tiberius, and who was said to be a true gourmand. I think he would have loved this dish.

We did not order dessert, knowing that little sweets were likely on the way. This was a wise choice. A bowl with an orange, almond, and olive oil foam appeared

Of course, there were more sweets with our coffee.

Pulejo well deserves the hype, and it’s well worth a visit — that is, if you can get reservations!