Luca Ronzoni and Ciro Del Pezzo amaze with a contemporary and pop profile concept made of dishes featuring fermented kiwi, celeriac Wellington, and Italian-style ramen. All at pop prices.
The story
January saw the birth of the most explosive and innovative idea tasted in Rome in recent months, at a counter in the Val Melaina market: linguine, kiwi, and sheep's milk Parmesan. Like a bolt from the blue, amid crates of kiwi and unripe tomatoes, Luca Ronzoni, chef and co-owner of Riccioli D'Oro, envisions the dish.
He returns to the kitchen, slowly cooking the kiwi at 70 degrees for 3 hours, then passes them through a sieve until obtaining a sauce identical in every way to the one we're accustomed to from childhood. He uses it to dress linguine along with a brilliant sprinkle of sheep's milk Parmesan, savory and pungent just at the right level, and serves it to the lucky customers of his restaurant. Have I convinced you to book a table at Via di Conca d'Oro 39? If this brief description isn't enough, here's the rest of the story.
Riccioli D'Oro is the new gastronomic landmark of North Rome. Just a snap away from Conca D'Oro metro station, since September 27th, Luca Ronzoni and Ciro Del Pezzo have charted the new course of the neighborhood's dining scene with an irreverent, contemporary, and sustainable offering, distinguished by creativity, informality, and maturity. Luca, 32 years old, he's essentially been wearing an apron since he was born. At the age of 14, he already helped Riccardo Di Giacinto in his kitchens, alternating between school and work. He then followed Alessandro Pipero in Albano, then to Mirabelle, and further to London at Zafferano restaurant and to Scotland, in Edinburgh, at Martin Wishart's. It may seem like a lot, but it's not everything yet: Luca returns to Rome working at Open Colonna, then back alongside Di Giacinto at All'Oro, and again at Heinz Beck's Pergola and at Pulejo's.
After a solo stint at Pirò Osteria di Pesce, he meets Ciro Del Pezzo. The rest is Riccioli D'Oro. You may have already noticed Ciro in the kitchens of Mamma Orso, a beautiful establishment opened by himself along with Andrea Longo and Damiano Lucidi in 2022 in Piazza Bologna area, representing a familiar cuisine, also sustainable and mindful of human values.
He is a volcano of ideas, charismatic and talented both in the kitchen and in the dining room. His approach to the customer, like in his dishes, is genuine and unfiltered, full of smiles, straightforward and modest. At Riccioli D'Oro, the two propose an accessible cuisine featuring seasonal vegetables, fresh fish, and local meat, all sourced from ethically and respectfully working companies. The menu changes daily: "Here I do what I want when I want," Luca happily tells me, as he is supported in the kitchen by Mirko Arena, also a partner in the restaurant.
Two are the tasting menus, with 5 and 6 courses respectively, priced at 30 and 35 euros. Bringing a tasting menu to a small neighborhood restaurant at a more than accessible price: this is Riccioli D'Oro's goal. Contemporary cuisine doesn't necessarily mean expensive and costly. The menu is divided into "Small Bites" and "Full Plates," to which is added a careful selection of cold cuts and cheeses from the Deli and Desserts Counter. "Small Bites" are meant as small tastes to start the dinner, while "Full Plates" include pasta and second courses to satisfactorily conclude the journey. The wine cellar, small and evolving, is curated by Valerio Frattali, a talent in the field.
Wooden tables from another era, wallpaper, vintage cupboards, and comfortable retro chairs and armchairs. Everything here feels like home and vaguely recalls a cozy family living room, like Grandma's, among vintage furnishings and unique porcelain found by Luca and Ciro themselves at vintage markets.
The dishes
Start with a cracker topped with pumpkin seeds and almonds, dip the spoon into the black chickpea hummus, tahini sauce, and bergamot gel, and sneak a fingerful of guinea fowl galantina with mimosa egg and pickled onion. These are the first three moves at the wooden table of Riccioli D'Oro, a harbinger of an extraordinary dinner, full of playfulness, technique, and a desire for something different. On the vegetarian side, there are Roasted Mushrooms with green curry. Among the most convincing dishes of the evening, the Pleurotus mushroom is grilled and dressed with a spicy sauce made from coconut milk and green curry that will blow your mind.
Also vegetarian is the French Onion Ring, Riccioli's signature dish: a French onion soup, shaped like an onion ring, breaded, fried, and served covered with a veil of 24-month-aged Fontina cheese just passed under the torch. Try the Oyster in its shell, disguised by a rich "mugnaia" sauce, melting marrow, and sorrel, all in one shot. An explosive and incredibly balanced dish.
The meal complexity is intensified with the Grilled Sheep Tartare with Béarnaise sauce. The sheep meat is seasoned with its own fat grilled and pleasantly smoked. What's even more surprising is the Béarnaise sauce, a cloud that disappears in your mouth (Luca reveals that there's no butter inside). Tarragon powder and purple rocket complete the picture.
A historic dish is the completely vegetarian Ramen, where soba noodles are replaced by crispy celeriac. Between each bite, you'll find chestnuts, mushrooms, turnips, spring onions, and the inevitable melting egg. A dish that warms you up and prepares you for the next taste. The Linguine with kiwi, basil, and sheep's milk Parmesan speaks for itself, extraordinary and destined to live a long life on the menu. Vegan is the Celeriac Wellington where lactose-free puff pastry wraps around a celeriac steak. The taste surprises with its richness and depth. The accompanying sauce recalls that of the best roasts yet is obtained from the scraps of celeriac itself and mushrooms.
The savory selection concludes with the Duck in multiple presentations, with the breast cooked directly in the pan as if it were bacon, coated in butter, garlic, and rosemary, then finished in the oven, and the tender breast left raw, up to the foie gras bon bon with cognac and toasted almonds. For a side dish? As a homage to the classic "Duck à l'Orange," here's an ACE (italian juice acronym for Vitamin A, C and E) side dish, with oranges, fermented Moroccan lemon, and carrots in various consistencies.
The desserts are just as impressive. The St"l"udel, a playful nod to China, becomes a fried spring roll to dip in apple and cinnamon extract with a hint of rum, while the Black Forest Cake is a delightful tartlet with a Caprese base. Excellent is the yogurt’s sphere, white chocolate, and red turnip, a beautiful blend of sweet and savory.
Contacts
Riccioli D'Oro
via di conca d’oro 29, Rome, Italy
Dinner only 7pm - 11pm. Sunday closed
Phone. 06 83797040
