A rugby player for more than a decade, today Marco Martini is a kitchen hitter who never ceases to surprise fine dining lovers. Between Tagliatelle di seppia all'amatriciana and Baccalà con fondi di pollo, are some of his best dishes.
Marco Martini Restaurant
In the varied panorama of starred chefs animating the capital's gastronomic scene, Marco Martini, a native of Colleferro, an enlarged suburb south of Rome on the road to Anagni, is certainly one of the most intriguing.
This is partly because his confidence can also be found in Marco’s dishes. The chef goes in full-handedly, diving into both tradition and classicism (including Roman classics), as well as more atypical dishes. His past as a rugby player for more than a decade (one of his friends is Martin Castrogiovanni) and the passing through different kitchens have been useful for his professional growth.
From his youthful full immersion in Labico, at Antonello Colonna’s, to experiences across the Channel, passing like Heinz Beck and Tom Aikens. Only afterwards did he go back to his homeland, in the shadow of the Pyramid of Caio Cestio in the Testaccio district and at the Stazione di Posta, in an adventure that led to a MICHELIN star and that gave the chef greater awareness and cofidence to put himself out there; this is also thanks to his close-knit kitchen team. The brigade surprisingly followed him, to the-then The Corner at Aventino, the restaurant that has been transformed over the years into Marco Martini.
A path full of self-denial and sweat, as the Roman chef has always been keen to emphasize, fueled by a mix of talent and ambition that are still the indispensable fuel not only to aim for the recognition of customers and critics, but more simply to make ends meet while bringing concreteness and flavors punctuated by experimentation on the table...at a good pace. 
The restaurant's objective is to stay away from trends and not be afraid of what’s different. Instead, they want to put tradition on the plate, with an attention to true sustainability and food costs: the pleasure of taste is declined in many reductions, but also in the playful intuitions that reinvent made in Italy. In the splendid covered terrace, which over time has been further decorated with ornamental novelties and a simple and straightforward décor as it is the case of the cuisine, Marco Martini tells his story through an extensive menu with tasting options and a la carte choices.
Peaches in wine and almonds
Dishes
Besides the many seasonal variations which alter the culinary offerings on a regular basis, the menu starts off immediately with local dishes on the page dubbed I Romanissimi 2008-2021, a tasting with historical connotations, spanning over thirteen intense years of the chef's history through reinterpretations of the many flavors of Lazio. They range from the tagliatella di sappia all'amatriciana to the tasty french toast of saltimbocca alla romana (to be eaten strictly with hands), to the Mortadella tortello with white pizza and pistachios and the Turbot with potatoes and carbonara.
French toast di saltimbocca alla romana
Turbot, potatoes and carbonara
For a series of entertaining takes on local cuisine that both stimulate curiosity and unhinge certain clichés. Continuing in the available courses, admirers of the veg world will draw satisfaction from the dedicated menu that offers barbecued endive and leek with lemon, potatoes and capers; those who want to enjoy themselves to the fullest should dive fully in the Empatia tasting menu, where, not surprisingly, it is Marco Martini himself who delivers the 10 courses to the guests.
Stuffed zucchini
Chestnuts Mandarin and Porcini mushrooms
Among the dishes that partly appear on the menus or are plucked directly from another menu are the Piedmontese Plin stuffed with beef with a phenomenal consommé alla puttanesca or the Bottoni with mascarpone, 'nduja and mussels, for those who can´t decide between Northern or Southern Italian pastas; Finally, there’s the ricciola with salad and the lusitano-style cod with potatoes and a chicken jus.
Steamed ravioli with chicken cacciatore inside, enriched with a roasted potato broth
Marco Martini wants to evoke childhood memories in the desserts, with milk and mint and strawberries with cream (and lemon), mingling with the controlled exoticisms of white chocolate, EVO oil and matcha tea or raspberry with cocoa, coconut and lime.
Strawberry cream and lemon
As if that weren't enough around here, the cellar has long since taken a turn to unconventional wines, including native yeasts and bottle fermented options that come from around the world (lots of French, but also Georgian, Spanish, German, and Slovenian options), and if desired, the menu can be paired with the signature cocktails that comes from the cocktail bar upstairs in the restaurant. With tailor-made pairings designed by the chef, who was among the first in the capital to mix mixed drinks with fine dining.
Address
Marco Martini
Viale Aventino, 121
Tel. 06.45597350
