 |
|
Looking for somewhere tasty to go for lunch in the centre of Rome? I know you must think this sounds easy, and it can be if you don’t get trapped at a quaint looking little tourist eatery where the prices will far exceed the quality of the food. The best places are always by recommendation and this is one of my all time favorites. There are now three Obika Mozzarella Bar’s in Rome, I like the one in a little back street close to the Pantheon in Piazza di Firenze on the corner of Via dei Prefetti, its a little hidden away hence full of locals as the tourist traffic is not so crazy. Specialising in serving dishes that include very high quality buffalo mozzarella or ‘mozzarella di bufala’.
Inside there is a large antipasto bar that is buzzing on Sunday evenings at aperitivo hour which tends to start around 6.30-7pm and serves amazing Tuscan prosciutto, parmigiano reggiano from Parma, my favourite pane carasau from Sardegna, amazingly delicious cappers from Sicily, prosciutto crudo from Friuli Venezia and so many other incredible fresh produce from all over Italy.
I love this Italian tradition where you can pop in to a small bar, buy a drink and select a small plate of food to accompany the alcohol. It is such an civilised and social Italian tradition and basically the reason why you hardly ever see a drunk Italian, an alcoholic drink is always accompanied by a delicious plate food, the way it should be!
The OBIKA Mozzarella Bar concept has now extended to Rome, Milan, Fidenza, Florence, Palermo, London, New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Istanbul and Tokyo. There is another great one in Parioli which is an affluent suburb in Rome (just out of the immediate centre) and another newish bar in the heart of Rome is in Campo di Fiori.
Every time I visit OBIKA in Piazza di Firenze in Rome its for either the large juicy Artichoke, Songino Salad or the Tuna in olive oil and baby lettuce, both loaded up with mouth watering milky mozzarella balls and accompanied by crusty Italian chewy bread and a crisp glass of pinot grigio. I definitely recommend this great little chain of restaurants for lunch or a modern take on the Italian tradition of aperitivo hour, its the best.
xmm
|
