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| Interior - looking towards one set of room; there are more tables in back of the camera view, but you can see the narrowness of the restaurant here. |
We have an easy to answer to the most asked question –
what’s our favorite restaurant in Rome, and that’s Mithos – La Taverna dell’Allegria. The food is amazingly good, at a reasonable
price, and the ambiance is without a doubt charming yet understated. The owner, Mario, is the perfect host.
But, we usually add, Mithos is out of the Centro a ways, and has
no English menu. For us, that’s a
plus. So is the fact that we found
Mithos by simply stumbling across it when we lived in the neighborhood 5 years
ago. Then, Mario had a tiny restaurant –
about 4 tables inside and the same outside (during the long outdoor season in Rome ). He would write up the menu in his (for us)
hard to read handwriting about 7.30 p.m. and go next door to make a few copies. We watched him do this prep work one evening
when we arrived at what was supposed to be the opening time of 7 or 7.30 p.m. – but
don’t count on the restaurant really opening before 8 p.m. No self-respecting Roman would show up for
dinner before dark, even in the summer.
About 2 years ago, Mario and his adult daughter and son took
a leap of faith and tripled the size of the restaurant by moving into a longish
storefront in the nearby Piazza Scipione Ammirato. The décor features old sideboards,
cupboards, kitchen tables and chairs, painted in muted Easter-egg hues, and all
placed in a gracefully lit, modern infrastructure.
You can even watch the cooks at work in the kitchen. The outdoor space is now available too, as
you can see from the photos, and gives out onto a relatively quiet (esp. for Rome ), recently spiffed-up
piazza.
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| Mario in ubiquitous apron serving outdoor tables |
So onto the food.
Mario still does a nightly menu and the selection is limited (4 or 5
pasta dishes, 4 or 5 entrées), but wide – fish, meats, vegetarian. We love it all. The seafood is amazingly fresh and good
(“Zuppa di pesce,” for example), and the pastas perfectly cooked, interesting,
and wonderful. Mario’s daughter
(Alessandra, as I recall) oversees the scrumptious desserts.
The Slow Food movement has found Mithos and sponsors events here, which
tells you something. The TripAdvisor
reviews are all in Italian (except mine) and are almost all highly
favorable. And, by the way, there is nothing Greek about the cuisine. This is Italian to the core.
Two of us usually eat here for Euro 45, including wine. Though those who choose a full menu will
probably see a bill for 2 of Euro 60. By
Rome standards,
this is a deal.
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| Sunday brunch menu |
We chatted with Mario this summer about his expansion into
pizza offerings and Sunday brunch (not a Roman custom). We think, like many restaurateurs , he is
trying to cover his costs, having expanded into the heart of the Great
Recession which, you may have heard, is hitting Italy
even harder than the U.S. I wouldn't waste a trip to Mithos on pizza or
omelets, but you may have different ideas.
Okay – so is it worth a taxi ride out of the Centro and
back? It’s hard to justify a Euro 30
taxi each way for a max Euro 30 per person meal. The Metro A stops of Ponte Lungo and Furio
Camillo are at most a 10 minute walk from Mithos. We recommend them. You'll also get a feel for this very Roman
suburban neighborhood. Technically Mithos is in the Appio Latino quarter, but it also is very close (walking distance) to the Tuscolano quarter. (If you must stay in the Centro, and are foodies, definitely go to Katie Parla's site, www.KatieParla.com, or her app for great recommendations.)
We almost always go to Mithos on one of our last nights in Rome each year, and we
are never disappointed. As we discover
each time, it’s a romantic and delicious way to savor the Eternal City
We recommend reservations. Mithos is often full, even on weeknights. tel: +39.067840034. Email (I've never tried it - but go for it) - info@mithostaverna.it. Address: Pizza Scipione Ammirato, 7.
Dianne
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