Daria Venuto and Remo Proietto have created a venue where you can enjoy live concerts while savoring excellent dishes. A stimulating and engaging experience.
Dining at Elegance Café Jazz Club means embarking on an intercontinental journey and immersing yourself in an atmosphere where cuisine and live music blend seamlessly. This unique experience can be found in Rome, just a stone's throw away from the famous Pyramid of Cestius, a symbol of the Ostiense neighborhood.
Upon entering the venue, you'll descend a staircase leading to a modern space, featuring a bar counter with mixology inspired by the prohibition era of the 1920s. Next, you'll discover the elegant dining area, meticulously designed and entirely focused on the stage.
Here, a different live music performance, carefully curated by artistic director Daria Venuto, takes place every day. Daria, the wife and co-owner of the club, runs it alongside her husband, Remo Proietto, an experienced sommelier with years in the restaurant industry.
The two spouses have poured their passions into a versatile establishment, with jazz as the central theme that inspires the cuisine. The executive chef, Marco Roselli, who has returned to Italy after several years in top London kitchens, takes the culinary helm.
The restaurant
Elegance Café brings an international flair to Rome, both in music and taste. The chef draws inspiration from Jazz influences spanning France, the United States, the Caribbean, and Creole and African cultures, resulting in dishes that reflect a myriad of traditions and blend with Mediterranean cuisine and Marco's creativity.
In addition to the à la carte menu, there's a tasting menu featuring Elegance's signature dishes, along with a selection of small bites thoughtfully crafted by the chef to pair with drinks, whether as an aperitif or during concerts. Remo Proietti, naturally, takes care of the wines and cocktails, offering an eclectic and enticing selection.
During dinner, you can enjoy live musical performances, conceived by Daria and enhanced by state-of-the-art acoustic equipment that allows you to savor your meal without being overwhelmed by the sound. It's a perfect balance between food and jazz, a continuous dialogue that makes the experience enjoyable and stimulating.
The dishes
Start your culinary journey with a New England classic, Clam Chowder. This soup features clams, oven-dried prosciutto crudo crumbles, and fried pasta chips, all topped with a drizzle of Nduja-infused olive oil. Originally the staple of fishermen due to its nourishing qualities, this refined version highlights the texture of clams and the savory notes of the prosciutto. The Nduja-infused olive oil introduces a hint of spice.
The lobster and mango compote pan brioche takes us to more modern experiences. Homemade bread serves as the base, complemented by perfectly boiled lobster and a delightful mango compote that avoids being overly sweet. It's an exotic sensation that captivates the palate. Jazz and Creole culture inspire the green crab salad, featuring a base of apple gazpacho, crab, almonds, cucumber, and a yogurt topping. It's a fun dish defined by a refreshing summery zest, with the yogurt's acidity adding to its appeal.
Moving on to the main courses, you'll meet the raviolo stuffed with pork belly and shrimp, accompanied by a lobster reduction. This dish takes you on an oriental journey before returning to South American influences with the lobster reduction and a spicy kick from the chili. The raviolo's filling and thickness are perfectly balanced, showcasing Marco Roselli's skill in homemade pasta. We opted for an off-menu tasting course, as the dish intrigued us from the description. It's Fettuccine stuffed with crab, cheddar, and Parmigiano milk served on the side for pasta garnishing.
"The chef's words capture its essence: "The idea is inspired by mac and cheese, which in America can also be made with seafood. It's a provocative dish, especially for our culture. I wanted to play with this idea and combine the typical American recipe with symbols of our tradition, like fettuccine and Parmigiano." This dish is truly a taste revelation, with the crab making a subtle entrance and serving as the perfect finish to a bold culinary experiment. Moving on to the main courses, Marco Roselli explores a vegetarian recipe: Roasted and glazed cauliflower with maple syrup and cajun seasoning, cauliflower cream, and charred leek petals. The glazing adds a pleasant depth of flavor and umami to the vegetable, making it a persistent and crunchy delight.
Next, we return to animal protein with the short rib beef, cajun mayonnaise, and chimichurri. The tenderness of the meat, combined with South American spices balanced by the chef, creates a mouthwatering experience.
Desserts are both delightful and flavorful. You'll be presented with a trio: Banana Foster with salted caramel, s'mores with cocoa cream, hazelnut mousse, and roasted marshmallows, and a crumble with mango and yogurt gelato quenelle. These diverse textures, fusions, and international ingredients conclude a truly cosmopolitan dinner experience.
Address
Elegance Cafè Jazz Club
Via Francesco Carletti 5, Roma
Tel: 0657284458
