The Eternal City and its charm, how can you resist it?
There is a place in Rome where you can admire its splendor overlooking Trinità dei Monti, the St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican, Castel Sant’Angelo, and the hill of Monte Mario.
It is the Ozio rooftop, on the 8 floor of Orazio Palace, a design hotel in the heart of the Prati neighborhood, near Cola di Rienzo, recently renovated by architect Daniela Colli.
Ozio Restaurant, on the seventh floor, opened its doors in June 2021 when two partners with long experience in the world of catering - Paolo De Angelis, Sommelier Masterclass, and former director of several upscale restaurants in Rome and Alessio Tagliaferri, from the wine bar Achilli al Parlamento, joined their forces.
The idea of this modern-style restaurant is to offer a warm welcome and quality food and wine, from breakfast to after-dinner and aperitif cocktails served on the terrace.
The background lounge music, which accompanies every moment of the day, makes the Ozio experience full-sensory.
The final menu represents the original idea of the owners. Executive Chef Marco Milani prepares dishes with distinct and recognizable flavors. The recipes are partly inspired by the Rome culinary tradition although the cooking is done using cutting-edge techniques.
The cuisine is based on carefully selected mostly zero-mile and seasonal ingredients. In the fall, you will find a white truffle of Acqualagna and a black Burgundy truffle from Umbria used to season pasta alla gricia, as well as porcini mushrooms from local suppliers, on their menu.
Try their fried egg with carciofi alla giudia (Jewish-style artichokes) for the starter, and then go for pasta with local-garden beans and seafood and baby squids or their light version of smoked carbonara spaghetti with sea urchins, mullet bottarga, and crispy tuna bacon, all made using Verrigni-made pasta.
For the second course, you can surf or turf. Choose from roasted Barberie duck breast or pil-pil bacalao with delicious and refined garnishes. The desserts are homemade.
The wine list is particularly fascinating, especially considering that one of the owners comes from the legendary wine bar and offers a selection of fine Italian and French wines, from sparkling to still.
Alongside the fine labels, they serve Millennium Water - Antica Fonte della Salute, water rich in precious minerals in elegant bottles.
Even before you start savoring their dishes, you’ll be impressed with the warmth and passion of the staff who are so easy to rely on in the choice of a degustation menu. It's time to give Ozio a try!
