If you’re looking for the best vegetarian restaurant in Rome, you’ve come to the right place.
Il Margutta Vegetarian Food & Art was the original vegetarian restaurant in Rome when it opened its doors in 1979, and today, this charming and cavernous restaurant still has your vegetarian needs sewn up from dawn til dusk.
Pop in for breakfast for those sunny-side-up eggs, a two-speed brunch on weekdays and weekends, a seasonal lunch, and a splendid and affordable aperitivo from 18.30 which is twice as impressive on weekends. This alone is one of the reasons why it’s considered the best vegetarian restaurant in Rome.
Informal green spaces and a well-stocked bar inspire you to take your time and go with the seasonal flow of the menu.
Il Margutta Vegetarian Food & Art really comes into its own after dark, when the roomy, lamp-lit restaurant oozes charm and class. Sit down and peruse the tempting menu and you’ll see why Il Margutta comfortably holds the crown as the best vegetarian restaurant in Rome.
I recently went to visit Il Margutta Vegetarian Food & Art to try the new spring menu, and wasn’t disapppointed. The menu here is renewed four times a year, while the wine list changes five times a year, reflecting the fact that this well-established restaurant has no intention of resting on its laurels.
Expect to start your dinner with hand made bread and grissini, served with a sensational local olive oil.
Courtesy of the chef, this stylish amuse bouche combined bread baked with algae and plankton on a potato foam. Tasty and unusual.
We began the dinner in earnest with this selection of antipasto plates. Front, this beautiful layered potato cake was served with a sorbet of black taggiasca olives. Back, fron left, the other delicacies included a fried zucchini flower filled with vegetarian carbonara sauce and a vegetable roulade.
This extraordinary risotto was perhaps my favourite dish of the night. Stirred with broad beans and pecorino, what really made it stand out was the almond cream and habanero chili pepper sauce. Simply delicious!
This dish of cavatelli pasta was fresh and spring-like. Tossed with herb pesto and shavings of parmesan, it represented a beautiful execution of a classic dish.
It was time to move onto red wine for the next stage of the dinner. Il Margutta changes its wine list five times a year and it’s really worth asking for expert advice.
Made from the same grapes as Amarone, this plummy red wine with notes of prune proved a perfect, fruity combination for the latter stages of the dinner.
From the second course menu, this poached quail’s egg surrounded with tumeric mashed potatoes was wrapped in swiss chard and served with shavings of truffle. The lovely, earthly flavours proved a great combination.
It was time for dessert, and a trio of delights awaited us. First up, this coconut-infused creme brulee was an easy winner for me.
We also tried a mango dish with chocolate ice-cream and a delicate strawberry and rose sorbet.
All in all, the Il Margutta Vegetarian Food & Art experience was very satisfying, and a reminder that well-established restaurants can still surprise and delight. Whether you’re a full-time vegetarian or not, it’s a lovely way to explore seasonal vegetables and get in touch with this healthful approach to gourmet food.
Highly recommended.
Il Margutta Vegetarian Food & Art | Via Margutta, 118 | 00187 Rome | Tel
+39 06 3265 0577
Testaccina was a guest of Il Margutta Vegetarian Food & Art
