Recently I had a very special seafood feast. I wasn’t at beach or holidaying on the coast. I was right by Piazza Fiume in central north Rome at Chinappi; a local family-run institution for many years – one I hadn’t come across in my food adventures across the eternal city! With a restaurant and fish supply from the coastal town of Lazio’s Formia and beyond, owners, Stefano and Elena make you feel right at home from the get-go.
I feasted on 8 courses of the finest and freshest seafood. The most exquisite, delicate flavours by chef Federico Delmonte, a young and talented chef from Le Marche region. The thing I enjoyed most about his dishes is that they were inventive and a little risky without taking away from the delicate tastes of the fish.
I hope Chinappi is ready to get to know me a little more – because I’ll be back in no time. And then back again! And again.
Here’s what I ate:
Raw scallop with coconut, lime and marinated red onion 
Seabass carpaccio with fennel marinated in champagne and star anice
Raw prawns with gin and lemon 
Octopus with roman broccoli and potato
Salt cod with cabbage, black tea, black tea and hazelnuts 
Cappelletti pasta stuffed with pumpkin and served with spannocchi (a type of mantis shrimp) and red vinegar reduction
Squid ink risotto with squid offal, bitter and juniper essence 
Dairy free almond gelato with carrot biscuit and celery granita
Quick Facts:
Chinappi: Via Augusto Valenziani 19. Ph: 06 4819005. Website: www.chinappi.it. Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, 365 days a year.
Entrees: €14-18 | Pasta: €18 | Mains: €20-28 | Dessert: €9
Chinappi hosts regular dining events like a recent focused on baccalà (salt cod) and Pinot wine – 5 courses including wine ag €59 per person. Follow them on social media or visit their website for updates and info.
Signing off from Trastevere,
Baci Maria
Disclaimer: I was a lunch guest of Chinappi, but all words and images are mine. Nobody tells me what to write – especially when it comes to food.
