Rome: Trattoria al Moro, Caffe Greco, Baccano Gelato

So far most of the meals we’ve had in Italy were disappointing with some mediocre dishes that served to merely fill our tummies. That changed when we had dinner at Trattoria al Moro.

We were quite famished having skipped lunch and spent the day at the Vatican museum and we arrived a little too early and al Moro was still closed. We walked to the nearby Trevi fountain and Spanish steps for the requisite sightseeing.

This is the fountain made famous by the movie “Three Coins in the Fountain.” I did throw in coins ensuring that I will return to Rome as the legend dictates.

Rochelle asked me, “this is it?” Yes these are the famous in the Piazza di Spagna. I still don’t know why so many tourists find the need to sit on those steps. Maybe it’s the only place where they can take a rest.

I’m pretty sure you’ve never seen where chestnuts come from before you buy them already roasted and ready to eat. They remind me of the rambutan with it’s spiky exterior.

marroni or chestnuts

Unfortunately the shops along Via Condotti were already closed so we went in to Caffe Greco instead. This is the oldest and most well known bar in Rome having been established in 1760!

Caffe Greco

We bought a slice of the chocolate chip ricotta cheese cake and the strawberry tart for our dessert back at the B&B where we can enjoy it with some espresso.

Both were delicious!!!

Finally dinner at al Moro.

Doesn’t our waiter look like an actor? He could be in the cast of The Sopranos or Godfather.

The bread was warm (rare) and crusty. It was the best bread in a restaurant in Italy.

This was Rochelle’s first taste of Rome’s sweet tomatoes and she quickly fell in love with the simple combination of tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, basil and olive oil.

Caprese salad

artichokes

Sha ordered the spaghetti alla Moro which turned out to be carbonara with a touch of red pepper flakes. It was incredibly good with the al dente pasta and rich creamy sauce from the eggs. It had a nice subtle heat which cut the richness of the pasta.

Spaghetti alla Moro €22

Our waiter brought a freshly roasted baby lamb to our table and one whiff at the glorious aroma Rochelle and I immediately pointed and said, “we want that!”

The baby lamb was simply spiced and roasted yet it was the best lamb I’ve ever eaten. The meat was milky and super tender and the flavor was just beyond words. Even the simple baked potatoes with rosemary was so good.

abbacchio romanesco al forno e patate (roast lamb with potatoes) €24

I got a meatier part while Rochelle was given the bonier part. Hmm just like our physiques huh? The baby lamb reminded me of the delicate meat of the cochinillo (baby pig).

You should have seen Rochelle strip all the meat from the bones. That’s the good part.

I highly recommend a meal at al Moro. It was worth every euro and it was the best meal I had in Italy.

al Moro’s menu (click to enlarge)

Naturally we needed gelato to end a most excellent meal. Baccano was actually a restaurant which had it’s own little artisanal gelateria.

I got my usual flavors of coffee and dark chocolate two my favorite things in the world. The coffee gelato was really strong and the chocolate was dark the way I like it but it wasn’t as creamy as Flor gelato but I still enjoyed it a lot.

dark chocolate and coffee

Caffe Greco
Via Condotti, 86, 00187 Rome, Italy
telephone: 06 679 1700
website

Trattoria al Moro
Vicolo delle Bollette, 13, 00187 Rome, Italy
telephone: 066 783495
website

Baccano
Via delle Muratte, 23 / 00187 Rome, Italy
telephone: +39 06.69.941.166
website