Sturdy, sustainable, and self-assured: this is Jacopa's cuisine, the heart of Trastevere winning over locals and foreigners with savory and sweet dishes.
The story
Courage and vision, these are the qualities of Daniele Frontoni, the owner of Jacopa, a restaurant with a contemporary flair that has been winning over the Trastevere’s locals since 2019, with its seasonal, fresh, and comfortable cuisine. We are on via Jacopa de’ Settesoli, in the heart of the Trastevere district in Rome, just outside the youthful nightlife scene, in a square with a tranquil atmosphere.
Here, Daniele Frontoni, utilizing the interior spaces on the ground floor of his three-star hotel, San Francesco, has created a small and refined cocktail bar in the lobby, while transforming the breakfast room into an equally elegant restaurant with about 28 seats.
The signage hides multiple souls within, from the Café to the Restaurant to the Cocktail Bar. And, during the warmer months of the year, tables and seats are added to the rooftop of the hotel, where excellent drinks, glasses of natural wine, and shared dishes are served for an aperitif and dinner.
The menu revolves around a few creations, combining classics with novelties, supplemented by daily specials. Guests can choose à la carte from shared dishes, 6 appetizers, 3 first courses, 4 main courses, and 4 desserts. Additionally, there are two 5-course tasting menus for 48 euros, one of which is entirely vegetarian.
For those stopping by just for an aperitif, there's another menu with bites to share or mini buns to enjoy solo. A lot of attention is given to the wine list, small but comprehensive, focused on small, mainly Italian producers working ethically and sustainably. Over the years, Jacopa has grown, achieving technical expertise and substance in its offerings, closing the circle of solid, sustainable, and self-assured cuisine.
The dishes
Dry, flavorful, and meaty are the breaded and fried anchovies to share at the center of the table, happily drowned in wasabi mayonnaise, spicy and tangy just right. The braised ossobuco meatballs are also gladly shared, a happy hybrid between a Roman boiled meatball and a Milanese braised ossobuco. Here too, the sauce makes the difference, based on marrow and saffron, with an intense yellow color. Not for sharing but devoured solo is the mini bun filled with oxtail, dripping with sauce.
No fear for vegetarians: there's a variant made with mushrooms and mixed greens, with a potato and beetroot meatball and Parmesan sauce. Among the first courses, the Sardinian fregola with just-refreshed small squid and prawns stands out for cooking and flavor, a light dish, an ode to the sea and the upcoming good weather. Thicker are the semi-wholemeal fettuccine with courtyard ragout. Thin yet hearty, they disappear in the mouth leaving a happy memory of home and hunting.
Unmissable is the tuna tataki with purgatory bean cream and marinated onion. Hats off for the fish cooking and the balance of flavors. Everything is simple, balanced, and light. You could eat it endlessly.
Leave room for dessert, which deserves more than ever at Jacopa. From the Lucky Liuk with lemon and licorice to the Mr. Peanuts with caramel, peanuts, and vanilla, each creation is a work of art, delicious and visually striking.
Contacts
Jacopa
Via Jacopa de’ Settesoli, 7 - 00153 Rome
P. +39 06 5809075
Monday closed
