La Pergola: Worth every one of its 3 Michelin Stars

I guess it loses it’s “once in a lifetime” status when you dine at a place more than once.

But with very special foodie friends in town I couldn’t resist the urge – on having them ask me to book the best restaurant in Rome – to lock in an evening at La Pergola.

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Located within the Hilton Waldorf Astoria about 20 minutes north of the centre, La Pergola is one of the best and most awarded restaurants in all of Italy.

Heinz Beck has been the executive chef here since 1994 – an amazing tenure – and since 2005 they have annually been awarded 3 Michelin stars. An accolade many restaurants around the world strive for, but very few obtain.

The food and wine is beyond magnificent. The service impeccable. The view of Rome breathtaking. The experience unforgettable.

Hard to choose but the food highlights included the “Fagotelli” – signature pasta dish filled with carbonara. These delicate parcels, eaten whole, just burst with runny carbonara egg mixture in your mouth. The ‘garden’ of vegetables was an absolute work of art. The petit dessert box felt like a never-ending supply of miniature treats. And the dessert… Well I’ve never had anything like it. A frozen pomegranate ball – hollow on the inside – visually stunning and just divine.

Here is a run down of tonight’s menu…

Pre-Starter, Compliments of the Chef:
Beef carpaccio and infant mushroom with chestnut purée

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1st Course:
Balsamic lumberjack with pomegranate sand served on an island surrounded by a moat of dry ice

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2nd Course:
Woodland garden with truffle, fois gras, parsley moss and infant morels

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3rd Course:
Fagotelli pasta – filled with carbonara

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4th Course:
Cod with anchovies and bell pepper sauce and crispy olive shard

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5th Course:
Lamb with artichoke and crispy potato

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Pre-Dessert:
Box of petit desserts (macaroons, apple tart tatin, biscotti, cannoli, tiramisu, amaretti, jellies and more)

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Dessert:
Frozen Pomegranate ball with chantilly cream cannoli and chocolate mousse

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A 6-course degustation with wine will set you back about €250 – but the experience is worth every single cent.

Until my “once in a lifetime” comes around again….

Signing off from Trastevere (in a food coma!)
Baci Maria

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