Pastificio San Lorenzo, a restaurant in Rome’s artists’ quarter just a ten minute walk from Termini Station, has relaunched with a spring in its step and a selection of delicious new dishes riffing on Roman cuisine.
Presenting a brand new menu of cocktails and food from September 2020, Pastificio San Lorenzo has also had a smart refurbishment which reinforces the industrial roots of the real estate.
Based in an old pasta factory which is now a cool art collective and more, the whole building today is known as the Fondazione Pastificio Cerere and it is definitely worth your time if you are interested in getting to know Rome’s contemporary art scene a little better.
Situated on the ground floor of the palazzo, Pastificio San Lorenzo has a monochrome, no-frills colour scheme punctured by touches of vintage decor and splashes of colour which add modernity while celebrating the building’s past.
The menu is a sometimes light-hearted homage to classic Roman and Italian food, which never strays too far from local and seasonal ingredients.
Dishes such as tripe plunge straight into the past, but the deep-fried twist, crisp and light, with a dipping salsa, updates this into a modern street food option.
We also tried 80s classic, veal and tuna mayo, which has rightly stood the test of time.
Other small plates, such as these boiled beef meatballs with citrus strips, add a fresh note to a classic recipe.
The pasta dishes are original and worth trying, with even classic dishes getting an intelligent makeover. These capon and broccoli ravioli show that chicken can show up in pasta dishes sometimes and is truly delicious, cooked the right way.
Amatriciana with pecorino pop-corn was a delicious and fun homage to one of the great Roman pasta dishes.
On the second course menu, baccala in hunter-style sauce and capon with crusco red pepeer were both tasty and original options.
The menu keeps entertaining well into the dessert course. Lemon meringue tart is seared at the table with a blowtorch; we also tried a second dessert of white chocolate ice-cream sevied with salted popcorn, caramel and cocoa crumble, which was served with the house white negroni. More surprises, and entirely welcome ones!
Pastificio San Lorenzo is a smart and reliable restaurant in a district known for student hang-outs, but what really impresses with the new menu is the sense of intelligent fun running through the dishes. In times like this, it’s just what we need!
Highly recommended.
Pastificio San Lorenzo | Via Tiburtina 196 | Rome | Tel 065042669
