In this column we give an account of the month's new restaurant and wine bar openings up and down the peninsula. These are, it should be pointed out, reports and not reviews, as none of us have yet had the opportunity to eat at that particular upcoming establishment. Here are the new March openings.
Despite the undeniable crisis in the restaurant industry regarding wait staff and kitchen staff, there remains a great ferment evident in the number of new restaurant openings. Various types are embraced, from gourmet restaurant to trattoria, from pizzeria to ethnic restaurant.
Wide is the price range related to new restaurants, ranging from the cheaper ones, set on traditional cuisine and pizza, to the decidedly higher-end ones, perhaps inside luxury hotels.
Often the guarantee of the quality of the restaurant is the experience of the owner, often the reliability of the chef, often the skills of the manager. But many other factors come into play in determining the success of a restaurant, from location to decor, from parking facilities to the wine list (something we value).
Here’s a chance for you to try new experiences.
The article is updated regularly with reports of new openings that we learn about.
Column edited by Iolanda Maggio
Gran Deroma opens near the Spanish Steps
In the center of Rome a new hub of good eating with an Italian soul. After Deroma, from the same ownership comes Gran Deroma, in the Spanish Steps area. A design environment with an international flair that focuses, however, on Italian excellence and tradition: bakery, pizza, grilled meats for an all-day long proposal.
As was the case with the first location on Poli Street, in the new one in Largo Nazareno, the careful sourcing of flours for bread and pizza production is utmost. At the entrance, the large counter displays the best of the best. We find breakfast items(hours are 8-24, seven days a week) and baked goods, both sweet and savory, that tell the bakery side of this establishment: so croissants and croissants, pastries and small pastries.
For those who prefer a slower breakfast, one can sit at the tables and browse the dedicated menu that also includes savory maritozzi, toast, pancakes, as well as a selection of Caffè Circi, teas and herbal teas from Via del tè, high quality juices and juices such as those from Marco Colzani, Goi and Terre di Zoe.
Gran Deroma
Largo del Nazareno, 13
00191 Rome
Tel. 06 45677938
Facebook: Gran Deroma
Instagram: Deromamor
Twist & Chips in San Lorenzo, Rome
Four guys bring a completely revamped international street food proposal to San Lorenzo.
A project born from a food truck, which is joined by a “fixed” venue, in San Lorenzo, where to enjoy the original offerings in a pop and lively context.
The quartet includes Michele Ferruccio, a bartender; Pietro Paolo Arnò and his partner (in other business) Nicola Sammartino, who also already knew the environment and the neighborhood, having for years managed venues on the same Sabelli Street; and finally the fourth member is Federico Giuliana, a computer engineer and his longtime friend.
Twist and chips
Via dei Sabelli, 47 – Rome
Open from aperitif.
instagram.com/twistandchips_rome/
The lounge restaurant that was missing is born: exclusive events and lunches with a view at Chalet del Lago Roma EUR
In the EUR district, a charming lakeside lounge restaurant where you can find a la carte menus for lunch, between relaxing breaks and reserved business lunches, and a venue for carefully organized, tailor-made private events. The cuisine, refined and with genuine taste, is increasingly the protagonist of every experience.
Chalet del Lago, renovated four years ago under the supervision of EUR, offers an indoor hall, a panoramic terrace and a lakeside garden. A careful intervention that has respected the original 1956 structure, preserving its historical vocation: a corner where to spend time in serenity. The cuisine is signed by chef Danilo Sassano, who boasts significant experience in Italy and abroad, including France and Germany, and has worked as a consultant for several important Roman establishments.
Chalet del Lago Eur
Japan Walk – Rome
Events:
Tel. 335 5383550
events@chaletdellagoromaeur.it
Lounge Restaurant:
Tel. 340 4114312
info@chaletdellagoromaeur.it
Cibum bistro in Centocelle, Rome
Emiliano Lucarelli brings to Centocelle the restaurant idea that is the strength of the CIBUM project at the former shopping center in Fonte Nuova. And in the new venue he offers tantalizing chopping boards, tasty sandwiches and tempting cocottas of hot dishes for aperitifs and evenings of excellence.
Last year it took over the entire area of the mall to give birth to Cibum, a 1,600-square-meter space transformed into a multifaceted Mediterranean cuisine space, with a land-based restaurant (Pizzeria & Bbq Grill House) that includes a braceria, with meat selections from the Galli Group, and a Neapolitan pizzeria (the dough was specially made by a master pizza maker) with sought-after ingredients, such as Fiordilatte di vacca irpina from the Gargiulo dairy. Next door we find a sushi restaurant, featuring Italian seafood cuisine. And finally Cibum Coffee & drinks from aperitif to after dinner.
Cibum bistro
Via dei Glicini, 76
Open from 4 p.m. to midnight
Closed Sundays and Mondays
instagram.com/cibum_bistrot
The Pizzeria Ristoro Est!Est!Est!
There is a new address to mark in your diary for lovers of pizza and Roman cuisine: Pizzeria Ristoro Est! Est! East!, at Via Genova 32, between the Monti and Esquilino neighborhoods. The new opening bears the signature of the team already known for the restaurant Ristoro degli Angeli in Garbatella: Francesco Morrone and Domenico Falcone, two friends who are passionate about cooking, and Marco Ceccarelli, an expert in the field. Ristoro degli Angeli’s offerings are being expanded with this new restaurant, which was born in the premises of the Antica Bottigliera Est!Est!
Via Genova is a side street of Via Nazionale, one of Rome’s main streets. It was right here, a stone’s throw from the Viminale, the Opera House and the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, that the Antica Bottigliera Est!Est!Est! was born in 1888, as evidenced by the bright sign still posted outside.
Pizzeria Ristoro Est!Est!
Via Genova, 32
00184 Rome
Tel: +39 06 4881107
pizzeriaristoroestestest@gmail.com
Facebook: pizzeria.ristoro.estestest
Instagram: pizzeria.ristoro.estestest
Site: www.pizzeriaristoroestestest.com
Mignon opens in the heart of Milan
After conquering travelers, Mignon-Eccellenze Napoletane lands in the city’s living room, bringing authentic Neapolitan flavor to everyday Milanese life. Mignon, a signature of the Neapolitan pastry art, has opened its new space in Milan at Corso di Porta Romana 48 and, for the first time, is bringing Neapolitan energy and tradition out of the railway station platforms and airport lounges, opening the doors of a place dedicated to those who live, work or simply stroll through the city.
The proposals, from breakfast to tea to aperitif Mignon was born from the experience of a family of Neapolitan pastry chefs, established for the artisanal care of their recipes and the careful selection of raw materials. This new space presents itself as a meeting point for those who wish to indulge in a moment of gluttonous relaxation at any moment of the day. From breakfast to aperitifs, sweet and savory offerings make it possible to explore and share the Neapolitan taste in a warm and welcoming environment.
Mignon Milan
Piazza Duca d’Aosta, 1
20124 Milan
Hours:
Open ⋅ Closes at 8 p.m.
Phone: +39 02 8408 5081
Innocenti Wine Experiences opens in Florence – Enoteca restaurant Alle Murate
Inaugurated in Via del Proconsolo, in the palace that preserves the traces of ancient Roman Florence and the 14th-century fresco with the first portrait of Dante, Innocenti Wine Experiences – Enoteca restaurant Alle Murate, a new project of Gianni and Francesco Innocenti, who after the wine and food experience started in Poggibonsi (Innocenti Wine Experiences, founded in 2018, signaled by the Michelin Guide and awarded, in 2024 and 2025, with the “Three Bottles,” a coveted Gambero Rosso award for wine bars), have decided to replicate in Florence, with this space founded on good food and a wine cellar with 1.200 different labels.
Sixty covers for a restaurant on three levels, where the historical and artistic value of the building is perfectly combined with the criteria of quality, seasonality and research that characterize the menu and wine list. Innocenti Wine Experiences – Enoteca restaurant Alle Murate is the destination for those who want to drink a glass of wine in a warm and welcoming atmosphere, enjoy an ever-changing aperitif or taste gourmet proposals for lunch and dinner, prepared by a team of young professionals headed by emerging chef Thomas Palmieri, who trained in the Michelin-starred kitchens of Gaetano Trovato (Arnolfo) and Maurizio Bardotti (Al 43).
Innocenti Wine Experience
Via del Proconsolo, 16r
50112 Florence
Tel. +39 055 8893394
box@innocentiwines.it
Enoteca Hours:
Tuesday – Sunday 11 a.m. – 00 a.m.
VIVI opens – Borghese Gallery in Rome
Daniela Gazzini and Cristina Cattaneo, founders of VIVI, the Food & Lifestyle brand, and Borboletta, an organic brand of zero-impact artisanal cookies and cakes, enthusiastically announce the opening of their fifth venue, VIVI – GALLERIA BORGHESE, the third inside a museum. After the success of VIVI – PIAZZA NAVONA (Palazzo Braschi, Museum of Rome) and VIVI – PIAZZA VENEZIA (Palazzo Bonaparte), the new bistro confirms the strong link between VIVI and the love of beauty.
Among the proposals designed especially for Galleria Borghese: The Cardinal’s Breakfast (quadrotto with salmon and egg poché, orange juice and American coffee), Citrus Delight (misticanza of fennel carpaccio, orange, grapefruit and pomegranate vinaigrette), Canova’s Venus (snowflake filled with delicate milk cream and ricotta cheese), Caravaggio’s Delight (hot chocolate with Baileys and lots of cream), Bernini’s Fluffy (hot latte with pistachio cream, lots of cream and a crunchy touch of pistachio granola), Borghese Tea Party (Ceylon white tea flavored with cocoa and lychees, with homemade scones, whipped cream and strawberry jam) or the signature drink inspired by the museum gardens, Giardino Segreto (elderflower spritz with lemon and fresh mint leaves).
VIVI – GALLERIA BORGHESE
Piazzale del Museo Borghese
Open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tuesday to Sunday
Monday closed
https://vivi.it/
https://vivi.it/store/galleria-borghese/
1224 Restaurant in Cortina, a high-altitude dining experience
To offer moments of pure gastronomic pleasure, in an elegant setting suspended in time, through a refined menu of sea and land where the absolute excellence of the raw materials “dialogues” with the creativity of chef Michele Mezzarosa. This is the promise of “1224 Restaurant Cortina,” a new fine dining restaurant inside the iconic Grand Hotel Savoia Cortina, a member of Radisson Collection, in the center of Cortina d’Ampezzo.
In this gastronomic experience, mountain tradition rises to new heights, transcending geographical boundaries. Each dish is an ode to authentic flavors, an exploration of the land where seasonality lays down the law and biodiversity is the inspiring muse. Sustainability, ethics and conviviality: these are the pillars of a culinary experience that goes beyond the mere pleasure of the palate.
1224 Restaurant Cortina
Chef Michele Mezzarosa
C/O Gran Hotel Savoia
Via Roma, 62
32043 Cortina d’Ampezzo (Belluno)
Tel. +39 344 6926033
Closing day: Monday
info@1224restaurantcortina.it
www.1224restaurantcortina.it
Katei opens 家庭 robata&sushi in Milan
The flavor of a Japanese home with consultation by Masaki Okada. “Home with a broader, more familiar meaning, not just understood as a place in itself.” The meaning of the name Katei perfectly captures what a guest finds as soon as he or she has crossed its threshold.
Sushi, on the other hand, is divided into uramaki, gunkan, nigiri and sashimi and is prepared directly at the open counter. Stand out “Avocado grill” with 
fried shrimp, seared avocado, teriyaki sauce and ikura; “Italy-Japan” with tuna, cucumber, puffed rice, burrata spicci, concause tomatoes and basil oil; “Scallop roll” with salmon, avocado, scallop tartare, tobiko and mentaiko mayo.
Katei 家庭 robata&sushi
Via Giovanni Battista Fauchè, 11 Milan
Tel. +39 0297104552
@kateirestaurant / kateirestaurant.com
Open daily from 12:00 to 14:45 and from 19:00 to 00:00
Closed on Tuesdays
Welcome to The Hoxton, Florence!
March 2025, marks the opening of The Hoxton, Florence the brand’s second Italian hotel, following the debut of The Hoxton, Rome in 2021.
The Alassio restaurant offers Mediterranean dishes and comfort food inspired by the flavors of the Italian Riviera, with Ligurian influences. Concept revolves around relaxed lunches and dinners, accompanied by lively, fruity cocktails.
The menu ranges from a “slow” breakfast-with typical local accompaniments such as Chestnut Necci and Schiacciata with avocado-to lunch main dishes such as Girella of red mullet ravioli and Focaccia Alassio with grilled zucchini and tuna tartare. For dinner, share plates such as Pork Tomahawk and the signature Alassio dish with seafood delicacies. Unmissable is the Tiramisu, the star of the desserts. Violetta is a neighborhood wine bar with a relaxed atmosphere. With a selection of local and international wines, including Champagne Larmandier Bernier, Pascal Cotat’s Sancerre and Yarra Yering’s Pinot Noir. There is no shortage of natural wines such as Solouva’s Franciacorta Brut and Emidio Pepe’s Trebbiano d’Abruzzo.
The Hoxton Florence
Via delle Mantellate, 2
50129 Florence
Osteria Sauli, has recently opened its business
Opened in Rome a new restaurant space that unites Lazio, Abruzzo and Puglia and promotes social inclusion projects in collaboration with Lucha y Siesta. A new restaurant reality located in Garbatella that combines passion for cuisine, attention to raw materials and social commitment. Behind this project are Antonello Magliari of the restaurant Hosteria Grappolo d’Oro and La Barrique and husband of Stefania Pinto of Hosteria Grappolo d’Oro, Francesco “Cecco” Ciacciarelli of La Barrique restaurant, and Michele Rech, aka Zerocalcare, all united by a long-standing friendship and the desire to create a welcoming and authentic place.
The wine list is a field choice: almost exclusively natural labels. About 60 references, constantly evolving, the result of a relationship of friendship and trust with the producers.
Osteria Sauli
Via Giacomo Rho, 3
00154 Rome
Tel. +39 06 45473762
Hours
Tuesday through Friday from 7:30 p.m. to 10:45 p.m.
Saturday from 12:45 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. to 10:45 p.m.
Sunday from 12:45 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Closed Monday
