Lydia Forte on where to eat in Rome

Lydia Forte on where to eat in Rome

Lydia Forte has travel in her blood. Daughter of Sir Rocco Forte, she is currently F&B group director for the family’s famous business, which has hotels all over Europe including Brussels, Berlin and eight in Italy alone. The Italian eight, however, are soon to become 11, and Lydia is currently planning the restaurants for exciting new openings in Milan and Sardinia. We talked to her about Rome, which is her mother’s hometown and the site of two of Rocco Forte’s most iconic properties: Hotel de Russie and Hotel de la Ville.

You wouldn’t imagine it, but it is possible to eat badly in Rome. The city is still very old fashioned in its approach to dining out. Romans like to go to generationally owned trattorias that their parents went to, with dark wood interiors and classic Roman cuisine. And there are a heavy number of captive tourists, who don’t know any better, propping up some of the more mediocre offerings. But there are still some gems if you know where to look.

For a traditional Roman experience, head to Al Moro. It’s low-key and authentic (it has been around since 1929), but is still a place to be seen. Chic Romans like to go there to bump into each other. It’s a place where you can eat all the old-fashioned Roman dishes: seasonal, local vegetables such as carciofi alla Romana (fried artichokes) or chicory in broth, as well as excellent spaghetti alla carbonara – Al Moro is famous for it. For the more adventurous, there’s fried offal with ovoli mushrooms.

I also like a family-owned business called Roscioli, which is basically a deli that has been turned into a restaurant. It has an amazing bakery and supplies all of the bread for our hotels as well as an extensive range of local, cured meats and cheeses, and more filling antipasti, primi and secondi. It’s great for lunch or dinner. And then there’s Emma, a simple pizzeria that does the classics extremely well, as well as more gourmet pizzas, including one in homage to our genius culinary director, Fulvio Pierangelini – mozzarella, fried pepperoni (friarelli), scallops and mortadella.

Drink Kong, Piazza di S. Martino Ai Monti

For cocktails, Rome now has a couple of bars in the 50 Best. One of them, Drink Kong, is run by Patrick Pistolesi, who started his career at the Hotel de Russie, which is also not a bad place to stop for a drink in its magical 17th-century gardens right in the centre of the city. But really the place I always recommend for a nightcap is Hotel de la Ville. A lot of the rooftops in Rome have been turned into really boring fine-dining experiences, so finding a place for a quality, informal drink with great views of the city can be hard. Cielo bar is at the top of the Spanish steps with an amazing view of Rome’s rooftops – it’s the perfect place to drink a cocktail, listen to the DJ playing old vinyl and nibble on some Roman dim sum or a spaghetti al pomodoro as the sun comes down.