O Rei Do Marisco brings island life and fusion flavours to Piazza Bologna in Rome

The African archipelago of Cape Verde, a cluster of 10 islands in the Atlantic Ocean, is a destination which blooms fiercely in the imagination of those who both have and haven’t visited. Reveries conjure up emerald bays whipped by wind and the lilting music of morna; soft Portuguese dialects and fresh fish hustling for space in the market alongside a rainbow of tropical fruit.

Despite these striking images, a strong sense of its food is hard to grasp, and that’s because there isn’t a true decalogue of Cape Verde cuisine. Islanders eat seasonal food, influenced by African, Brazilian and Creole traditions. So Rome’s first Cape Verde restaurant, O Rei Do Marisco, isn’t a rule book: it’s a homage to an experience, and a rather lovely poem about a culinary adventure lived by its owners.

O Rei Do Marisco is Rome's first Cape Verde fusion restaurant

Fabio Massimo Nardella and Marco Di Lallo, two young, engaging Romans, set off for Cape Verde half a decade ago aged just 25, with a plan to travel the islands, and an openness to opportunity. Cape Verde, they found, lacked a good Italian restaurant on Sal Island, and with a mix of youthful bravado and Italian reverence for food, trattoria O Rei Do Marisco was born.

O Rei Do Marisco is Rome's first Cape Verde fusion restaurant

Fabio Massimo and Marco’s adventure was such a success that the restaurant soon transferred to bigger premises in the Santa Maria neighbourhood, specialising in fresh fish and Italian seafood pasta. But the hunger for home was strong: and so it was that the two friends, inseparable from boyhood, hatched a plan to return to Rome with a new dining formula.

O Rei Do Marisco is Rome's first Cape Verde fusion restaurant

They sold the Italian restaurant on Sal, and opened O Rei Do Marisco earlier this year in the Piazza Bologna neighbourhood.

Styled as Rome’s first Cape Verde fusion restaurant, this is a simple dining experience channeling subtropical vibes and an idea of island life. Although there are tables and chairs, the spirit is of a upmarket beach bar, specialising in fresh fish sandwiches; plates of fried fish and tangy tartares diced with tropical fruit, straight from the Cape.

Review: O Rei Do Marisco, Cape Verde fusion restaurant

The garden furniture isn’t quite comfy enough for long dinners, but that’s ok: there are perch points in and outside O Rei Do Marisco, sprawling happily across the pavement, as well as collection points for the waves of take-out punters.

O Rei Do Marisco is Rome's first Cape Verde fusion restaurant

Dinner is a casual, young affair, coming in at around €25 per head tops for a shared tartare, an oversized fish sandwich apiece, and perhaps a frittata to share as well, washed down with a glass of natural prosecco.

Or plump for the attractive set menus: a bottle of wine to share, plus a tartare and sandwich apiece comes in at €48 for two. Done.

O Rei Do Marisco is Rome's first Cape Verde fusion restaurant

We started with this delicious dish of diced yellowtail tartare, combining tahoon leaves, dragon fruit, pineapple, papaya and kiwi (€12.50). The fish was very fresh (O Rei Do Marisco uses the same suppliers as swanky sushi restaurant Zuma) and the tropical fruit added a lovely sweet hit of flavour.

O Rei Do Marisco is Rome's first Cape Verde fusion restaurant

Next we ordered what are the heart and soul of this menu – fish sandwiches. Salmao meravigliao (lightly smoked salmon, stracciatella, sweet potato chips, kiwi and salad) is a fresh and tart sandwich (€10) distinguished by satisfying textures and sweet but not cloying notes. Tonno focoso (raw tuna, stracciatella, roast aubergine pulp, rocket, pomegranate seeds and lime zest) is a more complex, clever dish (€10), where the aubergine adds smoky depth to the fresh ocean taste of the tuna, contrasted with the tart studs of fruit.

O Rei Do Marisco is Rome's first Cape Verde fusion restaurant

We still had room for another morsel or two, so plumped for a sharing portion of fried fish, styled as frito de pescatrice e maracuja (€11) on the menu.

This dish combined pieces of deep-fried monkfish, with a wasabi mayo, fresh pineapple, and a side-salsa of passionfruit. The monkfish had satisfying bite, but the fire of the wasabi was a bit lost on me. I enjoyed the fresh fruit dipping sauce, however – evening out the frying oil with its exotic sweetness.

O Rei Do Marisco is Rome's first Cape Verde fusion restaurant

All in all, O Rei Do Marisco is an engaging project and a fun night out. I wouldn’t say no to a cushion for those aluminium seats, and I’d like to see the restaurant gravitate to stainless steel cutlery instead of wooden forks for the dine-in option, but this is a gust of fresh air in the Piazza Bologna district, with a sunny future.

Highly recommended.

Testaccina was a guest of O Rei Do Marisco

O Rei Do Marisco | Via Eleonora D’Arborea 22 | Rome | +39 0645652570

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