When Is a Bridge Not a Bridge?

When a Roman talks feverishly about a bridge, “Ponte”  there’s little chance he’s referring to anything spanning the Tiber.  He could be enthusing about status-symbol leather goods, trademark The Bridge but the likelihood is, the bridge in question relates to a one-day National holiday, which, if it were to fall on a Tuesday for example, could merge with the nearest weekend to form a four-day holiday: Ponte, a figurative construction with the power to magically spirit away working days in between. Lately, some work-shy Romans have been bemoaning the loss of two precious bridges, neither of which has collapsed, or been sold brick by brick to the Americans. Both have failed to materialize due to a calendric catastrophe, namely the last two National Holidays have fallen on a weekend. Che pizza! What a pain! But just as it seemed all was lost, Bingo! Today sees a National Holiday fall on a Wednesday which can only mean one thing: Superponte! June 2nd marks the anniversary of Italy becoming a Republic and what better way to celebrate than to bridge today with two equidistant weekends and take the whole week off.  If your boss happens to be a royalist or still refer to Piazza della Repubblica as Piazza Esedra, its pre-Republic name, you may have had to consider a one-way bridge, the secret being to check with Guido Guidi’s weather forecast first before deciding in which direction.

Taking an extended holiday to mark the day Italy sent its Royal Family packing is a curious concept to a Briton whose Royal Family continues to be one of her country’s star attractions.  Maybe the Queen would have to consider upping her game in the face of stiff competition like a Pope or the works of Michelangelo if she faced getting the heave-ho too.  This said, it seems that the Italian Royal Family may have secured a few more votes way back when if only reality TV or even TV had been invented.  Since being allowed back home after decades in exile, the man who would now be king, Emanuele Filiberto is a big hit with today’s public. This year, the viewing public voted him into second place at Sanremo, Italy’s equivalent of the Eurovision Song Contest.  They also sent him rocketing to victory in Italy’s version of Strictly Come Dancing.  Let’s just hope if it ever came to it, Prince Harry could pull something out of the bag on the X Factor, few would ever expect her Royal Highness to break into song.

As a new Roman I got into the spirit of the Ponte this week and took a few hours off on Monday.  After estimating a four-day wait to get into the Caravaggio exhibition at the Scuderie Museum, I gave up and went to try out brunch at Rome’s reportedly best vegetarian restaurant “Margutta Ristorarte” just across the road from Episcopo Lipinsky (fantastic bed and breakfast reviewed on this site). TripAdvisor says it’s expensive but worth it for evening meals but I’m recommending this restaurant for its great value, delicious brunch. Brunch in Rome basically means serve yourself from a large buffet for a set price. It seems to have precious little to do with breakfast and the Roman jaw usually drops when I explain the construction of the word.  The food is excellent and not having to police it for tail or tongue is a bonus if like myself, you are a veggie.  Hot dishes include melanzane alla parmigiana and vegetarian lasagne. The restaurant is bright and sunny and located below Federico Fellini’s old flat near Piazza del Popolo in a hidden, leafy street in the centre of Rome. Get there around 12.30 if you want to be one of the first to dive in and if you are visiting during this Superponte, relax, the next Ponte in Rome falls on a Tuesday. Hurray!
Margutta Ristorarte. Vegetarian. Metro: Flaminio or Spagna. Good disabled access. Open every day

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Tiramisu: delicious when eaten on a zebra crossing

My favourite meals in Roman restaurants are comparable only to being invited to a friend’s gluttonous grandma’s house where requesting a price list or a menu would be equally as inappropriate.  Instead, wobbly tables (or as they say in Italian, dancing ballando) are sandwiched together refectory style and a jovial owner stands at one end shouting out the traditional dishes on offer, to all within earshot . Ordering is achieved by raising a hand when something sounds heavenly and hoping the request is noted on a wad of scrap paper the owner juggles while counting.  As with many things in this city, there’s giant scope for blunder but the food is, as they say here “Da panico”.   The kind of delicious that can send you into a panic as you anticipate the arrival of your order.  In this environment I could be mistaken for a Roman until I reveal my life-long vegetarianism, a phase they all concur I will grow out of.

These Roman eateries are mostly family-run and granny is often at the helm, so checking what kind of food she’s into before you sit down is a wise move. Sending back a bowl of soup because there’s tail in it could prompt her to leave her stove and deliver you a disapproving look, unless you are a grizzling child or vegetarian, in which case you are only pitied for turning down Roman delicacies.

These types of eating establishments are real Roman territory and only the most intrepid of tourists would dare to navigate them.  It's a shame as the atmosphere is one of frenetic family celebration and the food is genuine.  So often, in line at Ciampino Airport, the air in the departure lounge is thick with moans; “Arrogant bloody waiters, the food's not all that” . The chorus of the disgruntled British tourist who mistakenly chose to dine with a  view of a monument instead of the dessert trolley, full of homemade sweets.   The Colosseum will still be there when you have finished eating. 

So my first restaurant recommendation is “Luzzi”.  It’s not visible from the Colosseum, but hidden in a sidestreet nearby. Perfect. There, non-Romans feast on typical Roman fare with locals, amidst the animated, pleasurable confusion of an authentic Roman trattoria.  It's usually overflowing, so turn up and socialize in the jumbled queue until you are squeezed in.  In  spring, the boundaries of the outdoor eating area swell into the road when necessary. Their grilled aubergines and onions au gratin are a great starter and spaghetti alle cozze are spectacular on Tuesdays and Fridays when the mussels have just been caught.


TripAdvisor reviews are fair in my opinion although whosoever thinks they saw a microwave probably saw a portable TV in the kitchen: all Roma football matches are religiously observed.  Service can be sporadic and brusque but never arrogant. One Pavarotti-esque waiter likes to address all his customers as “secco”, Roman dialect for “skinnyribs”. "Luzzi" isn't intimate or sophisticated (you may well have to set your own cutlery out as you would at granny's house)  but it's great value and entertainment.   There’s no upselling and waiter recommendations are golden.  I for one can highly recommend their Tiramisu which tastes all the more delicious when eaten, seated on a zebra crossing with a statue of Padre Pio above your head. Metro: Colosseo. Closed Wednesdays. Ok for Vegetarians brave enough to unveil themselves.  Cheap Roman Cuisine with delicious bread from the Castelli. Menus provided!
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