Exactly 10 years ago, Aroma entered the realm of Roman Michelin stars, opening its doors with a kitchen of just 16 square meters. Today, behind the imperial architecture, the Di Iorio method remains immune to trends: a menu that stays true to the balance and a young, passionate team.
There's nothing simple or obvious about cooking in one of the most beautiful places in the world. The acrobatics to satisfy the cravings of the international audience, the statistical study of menu insights, the rallies to manage a flow of requests that never diminishes even in the low season: perhaps what nobody talks about regarding Aroma, much more than a glamorous jewel nestled cleverly in front of the Flavian Amphitheatre.
Here, the match is played on details that elsewhere seem trivial, from the exact timing in the introduction of a glass to the camouflage of a sauce that matches the tones of the setting, to the dessert menu crafted like small sculptural groups. And the convergence of flashes on food - consistently posted and reposted with antiquities in the background - is perhaps the additional trigger to keep the brigade on high alert during the service's peak moments.
"A tough job," would say the straightforward Roman; instead, Giuseppe Di Iorio tells it with the pathos of someone who loves to be on point. "The marathon is non-stop, even in the cold months. But it pays off at the finish line when we see people returning. Tourists, as you know, abound, but we have our share of city regulars too." Muscular sessions with the stopwatch in mind and the legs. Of course, you need a flexible menu to reshape the local essence into a global form. And the satisfaction index is given only by the gesture of those who put down their phones to focus on the bite: a handful of "lived minutes" where the tasting dims the screens.
At the top floors of Palazzo Manfredi, much happens with the "shaken carbonara" as well as with a splendid parade of scallops and wagyu. Because here, numbers are crunched, but the true essence of tasting is something unquantifiable: the x-factor that led the chef to give substance to appearance, even in the inevitable ritual classics.
The Chef and The Restaurant
Throwback, 2014. Exactly 10 years ago, Aroma entered the realm of Roman Michelin stars, opening its doors with a kitchen of just 16 square meters. Now, scrolling through Instagram, it seems like a red carpet suspended over the Eternal City, with Angelina Jolie and Natalie Portman making appearances, remaining diplomatic and champions enrolled in the club of the faithful. However, the coming and going of celebrities does not imply a glossy menu: in the dishes, the chef explores the Mediterranean freely, retrieving the Roman staples to present them in a sort of multilingual sightseeing tour.
Getting lost? Difficult, if the menu reads "Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian" (the three main courses), plus Colle Oppio (vegetarian) and the smart option of three courses including dessert, with a targeted focus on the seasonal truffle. Behind the imperial architecture, the Di Iorio method remains immune to trends: no exaggerated sharpness or unpronounceable ingredients, but a sensitive touch on tactile and thermal games, to compose puzzles of raw materials effect.
A bilateral pact between instinct and performance, honed from the beginning, from Hyde Park in London to the Hotel Inghilterra in Rome, to the Mirabelle at the Splendid Royale, before igniting the fires (and the spotlights) of fine dining on via Labicana, where he is now joined by the talented Fabio Sangiovanni.
Thus, creativity stays true to the balance, almost daring in precision: the rigorous geometry that explodes with color; a "grouper puttanesca" aiming to replace the basic sauce; fermented lemon with its deep echo on Iberico pork pluma. Suddenly the chef breaks the gourmet rigidity and unleashes a playful thread on the table - creating, however, his own game rules.
The Dishes
In the welcome, aesthetics advance without trampling on pleasure. Against the backdrop of the millennia-old arena, two canapés clash: one with basil mayonnaise and saltwort, for an aquatic flourish in the enveloping emulsion; the other decorated with a ribbon of foie gras and blackcurrant gems. Out of competition is the tempura shrimp, easily winning with the crustacean to be dipped plentifully in the green sauce; on the same wavelength, a raviolo filled with turnip tops and anchovies relaunches the opulent last sip of Champagne Brut Origine Mandois.
It's a reverse Cacio e Pepe at the base of the Beef Tongue: from creamy pasta sauce to breaded meat dip, it becomes a "bed" for a Chianina with a thick crunchy armor. In closure, no saltiness spikes: the chef backpedals with the sour cherry topping and braised spring onion; a diplomatic maneuver that reconciles fry and fruit on the go.
Winter risotto? At Aroma, it warms up tones with a smoky burst of peated whisky. "To give it body, I use strictly French butter; the umami push comes from the 34-month-aged Parmigiano Reggiano, in agreement with the fish that makes up the alcoholic sauce," explains Di Iorio, igniting the flame of interest. The latter, in fact, fades on the fire together with the salted anchovies. "As a garnish, however, fresh and marinated ones". The result is a soft, long-lasting residue, non-intrusive but long-lasting enough to leave the right herbaceous space to the sprouts arranged on exit, right after the peak of the "fifth taste". In the glass swirls a Pomino Benefizio Riserva di Frescobaldi, vintage 2022: Italy's first white fermented in barrique, ready to expand the blend of aromas with unexpected persistence.
Particularly impactful are the Broken candele, guinea fowl ragout and mulled wine: almost a mandala that traps flavor in form, foreshadowing a brightly colored bite. Plot twist: among the candle-shaped pasta, two "intruders" stuffed like ravioli and lightly gratinated with Parmigiano, to trigger a chiasmus of memories ranging from pasta format (fresh-dried) to double finishing (mantecata-baked). No-waste policy on the guinea fowl: "From the pulp I make a brunoise, from the carcass a fragrant stock with fennel seeds that I let thicken for 20 hours". Surprisingly, there is no ginger in the mulled wine: the chef transforms the spice into a subtle air for the final burst of freshness.
The Glacier 51 also breaks clichés, a "regal" codfish from the icy waters of the subantarctic Australian fjord: while marine biodiversity is enhanced by the mussel sauce and a light dusting of seaweed, at the top emerges a touch of localism, where the tender fiber of the "Sea Wagyu" (pampered at low temperature and finished on the grill) embraces the artichoke and broccoli leaves, bringing the cod back to the city's tradition.
The final stanza? In harmony with the rest, weaving a homogeneous texture of salts and sugars. The credit goes to Irene Tolomei and Roberto de Santis, "Partners in pastry" of the establishment capable of reining in any excess sweetness. Remarkable is the Exotic Baba with its tropical kit, streamlined in appearance and with a syrup completely alcohol-free; inside, a multivitamin mix of lime and passion fruit, while even the wasabi ends up in the raspberry gel.
The Carrot Cake responds in tune, where the cake "disguised" as a vegetable hides inserts of lemon and mango, for a juicy reinforcement on the mascarpone chantilly. Finally, a postcard ready to eat: the Colosseum reproduced on the plate as a dessert of ricotta and sour cherries. Romanness at the tip of the fork.
Address
Restaurant Aroma
Via Labicana 125 Roma (Rm)
Phone: 06 97615109
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