Last year when we were in Rome we visited a small fish restaurant that was highly recommended by friends (thank you Lisa). It was a good half hour walk from our hotel, but it was well worth the effort. This year we discovered that it is only a four minute walk from our apartment. It is very popular, so you can’t always get in. They don’t take reservations, but after we dried out from our walk back from the Ara Pacis museum, we decided to risk it, even though it was a Friday evening.

They have a simple menu – deep fried cod and puntarelle salad – but both are excellent. They complement each other, and when you add in a half liter of white wine, you have the holy trinity … the basis for a religious food experience.

You can get wine by the bottle, but the local wine is excellent. The taps on the wall pour water, three types of beer and two types of wine. Simple and delicious.

This was not a leisurely Italian dining experience. The place has a certain energy to it that encourages a quick meal without ever pressuring you to hurry up. It is THE place to go for a great local meal. When we finished eating, we went for a stroll down the streets enjoying the ambience. A light mist was falling when we decided to pick up a gelato to bring back to the apartment for dessert.

Gelato with a light sprinkling of Italian mist makes the perfect end to the evening.