An unusual name but beautiful decor, a high rating and a dozen chefs working in the kitchen made me want to walk in and try Fiore. Fiore is a restaurant based on vegetarian dishes, healthy and gluten free - when possible - with a selection of light fish and meat dishes. A wide restaurant with a bar at its heart, a kitchen in the corner and several tables filling the remaining space - each carefully decorated with fabric runners, wine glasses and a full set of cutlery.
White marble tables, high chairs around the deli counter and bar, wooden details throughout giving the space more intimacy, a white ceiling, relaxing chairs and the sounds of the open and vibrant kitchen. The service is way too slow but I was enjoying the vibe. The restaurant also has a closed room where ham and jamon are cut.
The menu is not like any usual restaurant menu, it's divided into fresh sections starting with the deli counter, then raw food cuisine, crudo and starters, first courses, second courses, the vegetable garden, fruits and desserts and finally raw food cuisine desserts.
Some of the items you can find on the menu are: a raw milk cheese selection; artisan ham; wild smoked salmon; original parmigiani cheeses; cucumber tartar; courgette spaghetti; beetroot ravioli; oysters; risotto with mackerel; piggy in the corn; fresh salads and raw fruit dessert.
20 minutes until the order was taken, 10 minutes more before the drinks were brought to us, and then we received the wrong order... without the drinks! Under-staffed and disorganized, the service leaves much to be desired!
Now the food:
- This is the worst hummus I've ever had, sweet like a dessert served with biscuits and covered with flavorless carrots and cucumbers. Not at all close to the hummus the world knows: needing lemon, salt, life and flavor!
- The cheese selection is spot on: seven kinds of cheese served on a wooden board...but without bread! From soft to hard, aged and new, several parmesan cheeses, white and yellow, pecorino, parmesan, provolone and gorgonzola. The bread basket was eventually brought to us after having to ask for it three times.
- Two balls of buffala mozzarella. Oh wow! Superb quality: firm textured and loaded with flavor, juicy inside out, the mozzarella drew a smile on my face. Served with mixed greens and cherry tomato compote. Just add olive oil and enjoy.
It seems that everyone around here is lost! The kitchen is full of shouting, the waiters are running around like headless chickens, the deli area seems disorderly and in need of better management... if the restaurant was calmer it would have been the perfect zen place to enhance the speciality of the menu.
And we waited... tonight's service is upsetting!
Two more plates to come:
- The mackerel risotto is disgusting! Undercooked, bad sauce, bizarre fish.
- The spaghettini with baby cuttlefish is good! Loved it. Loved the almonds, the pasta temperature and texture, the freshness and the flavor.
The good:
- The portions are generous.
- The food quality looks good, tastes average but the ingredients used are superb.
The bad:
- Bad service, no attention, nobody cares.
- We were not even offered dessert after all the mess tonight.
- It's not a place I'd recommend to anyone visiting Rome.
Not good! Average food. A bad experience!
