Santo Palato

Its name might seem to refer to the palate it delights, but it is actually a tribute to the Taverna del Santopalato, the home of the Futurist cuisine movement in Turin. In the 1930s, the future of cooking was imagined as an aesthetic one: shapes, flavour pairings and the composition of dishes were all being rethought, in reaction to the rising fascism of the era, which sought to make everything straight, rigid and square. This is the world that inspires chef Sarah Cicolini. Originally from Abruzzo and Roman by adoption, she welcomes us into a setting poised between an old-fashioned trattoria with wooden chairs, marble tables and tiled floors and a new-wave restaurant, complete with graphic posters and a vintage, self-illuminated storefront sign. Here, the grandmother’s original mondeghili, a traditional Milanese meatball, disappears beneath a thick layer of golden breadcrumbs, while minced meat gives way to meltingly tender shredded oxtail. The large, perfectly round sphere is eaten with a spoon: you literally break through its crust to move from crunch to softness. As for the classics, how could one speak of a sacred palate in Rome without mentioning the holy dish? Naturally, the carbonara is exquisite, and so is the amatriciana. Everything is accompanied by a choice among 1,200 wine labels. For dessert, opt for the remarkably effective maritozzo, or for the cream puff with coffee ganache, long pepper and cherries—a final, unexpected detour to round off the meal.