The Roman address is the only new Michelin-starred restaurant in the capital in 2025: a collaborative effort led by the chef from Campania, who delights diners with flavors from his homeland and childhood memories.
The restaurant
After several years of waiting, from Achilli al Parlamento, the Michelin star has returned to shine. A well-deserved result, sought after and pursued with determination by the owners and all the staff of the renowned Roman wine bar, which since 1972 has been a safe haven in the center of the capital. This recognition is even more heartfelt when we consider that Achilli is the only new Michelin-starred restaurant in Rome in the 2025 edition of the famous Red Guide. It is the result of a team effort led by Pierluigi Gallo, a chef from Campania who has been at the helm since 2021. Originally from Castellamare di Stabia, he arrived at Achilli al Parlamento 'on tiptoe' and quietly revolutionized the restaurant, knowing that a Michelin star was a goal but not an obsession.
Together with owners Daniele Tagliaferri and Cinzia Achilli, she completed the renovation work needed to restore the restaurant to its former glory. Because while history must be preserved and respected, we must also be aware that change is sometimes necessary. “Today, when you walk in, you find the same professional and competent approach as always, but also a very contemporary vision of cuisine and a menu that truly has something for everyone,” says Cinzia Achilli. ‘Some come for a dish and a glass of wine, while others want to indulge in the full tasting menu. Our goal is to show that Achilli can be a safe haven for everyone, but that doesn't mean it's predictable. Quite the contrary.’
Achilli's first room is designed to offer a more informal and quick option, a true wine bar where customers can choose from over 4,000 bottles of wine – please note: the policy is to charge only the shelf price, so there is no surcharge for wine consumed at the table – and sit down for an aperitif or a quick lunch. Meanwhile, the second room is where the magic of fine dining takes place, with simple, minimalist tables stripped of tablecloths and unnecessary details: the gastronomic experience is focused essentially on the cuisine of Pierluigi Gallo, assisted by young, welcoming, and dynamic service staff.
The chef
Two tasting menus (5 and 8 courses) plus the à la carte menu express the philosophy of the chef, who discovered his passion for cooking at the age of 16, almost by chance. “I was working as a waiter in my father's pizzeria in San Salvo,” says Gallo. ”Then one evening, out of necessity, I started making pizzas and realized that it was a different kind of emotion: cooking was more fulfilling for me.”
A passion that would come to fruition a few years later, with the Osteria del Gallo in the small Abruzzo village of Montenero di Bisaccia. But it was at the Accademia di Niko Romito (at the age of 29) that the Campania-born chef acquired the skills necessary to enter the world of haute cuisine; a talent also recognized by the chef of Castel di Sangro, who welcomed him into the kitchens of the Reale restaurant until it was awarded its third star. “I was in the first team. The year of the third star was grueling, but I owe all my gastronomic knowledge to Niko,” reveals Pierluigi Gallo.
The dishes
Although the chef's cuisine is heavily influenced by Campania, one of his signature dishes is a tribute to Rome and the timeless panino con porchetta: a Pagnottella – made with Senatore Cappelli flour – filled with pork neck marinated in herbs for five days. The reference to his native region is more intense than ever with the Casatiello da tavola, served with focaccia and fennel and honey-flavored breadsticks. After the leavened extravaganza, we begin with Seppia, miele di zucca e capperi (cuttlefish, pumpkin honey, and capers): a bold start given the remarkable overall acidity of the dish, in which we appreciate the excellent texture of the mollusk and the savory finish of the caper extract. The sprint start is softened by the Insalatina di ceci e tartufo nero, in which the dialogue between the two ingredients is palpable. Here, the chickpeas are prepared in three ways—boiled, reduced, and in a rosemary-flavored mayonnaise—and accompanied by an intelligent almond cream that rounds off a remarkable dish in its simplicity.
The wow effect comes with the Senza spaghetto alle vongole, in which tortelli conceal a filling of creamed overcooked spaghetti wrapped in an emulsion of clams and parsley oil. A simple dish and an example of how tradition can be played with and elevated to something poetic. Pierluigi Gallo demonstrates his great familiarity with first courses – and his aesthetic sense – with his Spaghetto limone, provola e zafferano. Pietro Massi spaghetti is cooked in a saffron broth and finished with lemon and smoked provola cheese whey. An essential recipe in which the pasta is cooked al dente, giving it a bright yellow color thanks to its preparation in saffron broth.
The gastronomic journey continues with one of Gallo's signature dishes, Baccalà, lattuga, bufala e ventricina: salt cod cooked in oil, ventricina foam, sautéed lettuce, and buffalo mozzarella cream. “It's the oldest dish I've created, one of the first recipes I came up with for this type of restaurant,” says the chef from Campania. ‘The real star here is the ventricina, whose spiciness is perfectly balanced by the salt cod, which I desalt for many hours before it reaches the desired consistency.’
The Lattuga come un'insalata mista (mixed salad) is a Romito creation, marinated in osmosis and roasted on one side only before being dressed with roasted carrot cream, semi-dry cherry tomatoes, sweet and sour onions, fried capers, and green apple gel. A technical but effective dish that prepares the palate to savor a dessert that says so much about Pierluigi Gallo's love for Campania. “It's not a very well-known dessert, but it's in my heart,” reveals the chef. “My grandmother used to make it for me when I was little.” The chef transforms his memory of milk soup with stale bread into Pane, latte e caffè (Bread, milk and coffee), a dessert consisting of cocoa crumble, breadcrumbs, coffee semifreddo and milk cream sweetened with white chocolate. “It's a dessert that I always have on the menu, I really enjoy talking about it because it's more of an emotional recipe than a technical one,” comments Gallo, giving us one of the most vibrant dinners of 2025 with this finale.
Contact
Achilli al Parlamento
Via dei Prefetti 15 Rome
T. 06 687344
