Just like the neighborhood in which it is located, the Cambio changes its offerings and atmosphere depending on the time of day. Exactly as the atmosphere of Trastevere changes, it follows its rhythms and adapts to the varied fauna that faces its doors.
When asked, you answer “I live in Trastevere” the first reaction from the listener is a very long “Oooooh“, the second inevitable, “but where do you park“. Me? under my house, indeed often in front of my front door. Question of karma.
Those who don’t live there, on the other hand, come there in the evening, when it is inevitably full of cars, motorcycles and, save us, scooters. They come looking for a place to eat or have a drink. I don’t think everyone knows that it is now a neighborhood where, with the many houses turned into bed & breakfasts, they put serving a tourism that in terms of food is often scarce in taste, and is also content with the inevitable “feeders” and convenience stores that are increasingly replacing the old stores.
For those who are not satisfied
But who wants more, or rather the right, between San Francesco a Ripa and via Natale del Grande, find a bouquet of establishments that still retain character and quality.
Among them right at the corner between the two streets is Cambio. It is run by young people Franco Magliocchetti e Fabio Trovato already since 2016, and has changed its name since 2019. Fabio, a son of art, loves being in kitchen, has previously worked at Moma and Aleph, and is of Apulian descent as well as Franco, who is the front man of the situation, is sommelier of wine and oil (he even earned the title of Best Oil Sommelier in 2019), who from Puglia, passing through experiences abroad, landed in Rome with all his vitality, love for music and communicative drive. And his great passion for wine. Proof of this is the well-stocked cellar of both simple wines offered at a fair price and also very important bottles, both Italian and foreign.
Those who work between tables and counter at the Cambio are also very young and smart, some I have met at the various wine tastings that take place in town, others are a little less experienced compared to the very good and wide range of offerings at the the winery, but all always smiling and very polite.
The venue has a plus: the chameleon-like characteristic of changing its offerings and atmosphere depending on the time of day just as the atmosphere of the neighborhood changes, following its rhythms and adapting to the diverse fauna that faces its doors.
Breakfast.
Early in the morning Trastevere still belongs to the residents. Newspaper under your arm and an hour or so of time are the perfect company to sit quietly at Cambio’s small tables with a good cappuccino and a yeast. The croissant is very French of the kind that when you eat it, if you’re not careful, half of it goes away in crumbs because it really is a thousand buttery states, which if you’re a fan of the genre is addictive. Then, if you stay a little longer, dishes start coming in on neighboring tables that you politely pretend to ignore.
Here’s the thing: tourists wake up late, partly because what do you take a bed and breakfast inside Trastevere for if you don’t make it through the night, and then you’re aware that you’re already in the heart of Rome, you might as well take it easy. And indeed by mid-morning the place fills up with sleepy tourists, but their breakfast is truly envy-inducing.
Cambio offers hearty breakfasts based on Egg Benedict, crusty toast topped with smoked salmon and a poached egg, topped with a velvety hollandaise sauce (a mayonnaise made hot with clarified butter and egg yolk), Toast with avocado and smoked salmon, or even a delicious Croque Madame with toast, béchamel sauce, ham, cheese and fried egg. It sounds like a lot, but for those who have to leave on their tourist mission, it is a good compromise between breakfast and lunch.
Lunchtime
Between coffee and a drink we slide toward lunchtime, an ideal time for those who want to relax and eat a dish with that has a taste and, the chef guarantees, based on quality products. The menu of the day includes a Lasagna Bolognese (which, although it doesn’t look like it, is always good) the classic Risotto Cambio which varies with the seasons -i n summer it is topped with smoked eggplant, buffalo flakes, semi-dried cherry tomatoes, toasted almonds and chives-or anOctopus salad fresh and fragrant. Fair portions, pleasantly articulate but delicate taste.
The aperitif
It goes on like this without a real break until the moment on the tables at the Cambio are the aperitifs to prevail. And I must say with considerable satisfaction because in addition to being prepared by a couple of good barman, can be accompanied by a plate of Guacamole quite tasty or with some Fritters very light, or make company for dinner.
I recently enjoyed a gin and tonic with the amazing Monkey 47, Schwarzwald, a dry gin that combines British traditions, the exotic allure of India and the roots of the Black Forest, made with 47 botanicals and a strong note of cranberry typical, precisely, of the Black Forest. Its character is also given by the spring water and the ‘aging in special earthenware containers, it is citrusy, spicy with a spicy edge, smooth. Truly pleasant.
Music
And then there is the music. Also live , a great personal passion of Franco’s. I confess that I don’t really like to eat while someone is playing (often sax and guitar) because it seems disrespectful to them, both because you don’t pay proper attention to who is playing and because, in some cases, the high volume forces you to speak loudly. But in venues like this one I reconsider, because. the musicians are well integrated into the environment, they are part of the evening, part of the dishes you eat. And then if you really don’t fit in, you can always eat in the outdoor tables active, with Rome’s climate, all year round.
A la carte menu
But the good thing is that even in the evening you find a little bit of everything. Some people continue with their cocktails Some people have a nice pair of dishes from the menu which offers traditional Roman pasta dishes such as Amatriciana e Carbonara, Cacio e pepe e Risotti, or main courses of Vallugana Chicken, Burger with Sakura meats (i.e., a selection of meats with various marbling, which can come from different European cattle breeds, raised non-intensively free to graze), Sliced Sakura beef, Crusted tuna., plus other offerings related to the season or what can be found at the San Cosimato market.
And then there’s more music and drinks for those who want to pull in late.
In short, a place you can drop by at any time and whatever your level of hunger or thirst. And a desire to stop for a while away from the hustle and bustle of Trastevere.
An extra note on a wine that speaks of precision and harmony:
Loibner Wachau Grüner Veltliner Ried Schütt Smaragd 2018 Weingut Knoll
An extraordinary wine from the Cambio winery that I drank on my last visit to the venue was a splendid (the misuse of adjectives is intentional) Austrian wine produced in the wine-growing area called Loibner, within the region of the Wachau. The river valley runs along the Danube for 15 kilometers (15 miles) and is covered with terraced vineyards where high-quality wines, especially Grüner Veltliner and Riesling, are produced.
Our bottle was (because finished to the last drop) just such a Grüner Veltliner Smaragd: wines that express the highest quality of this region are thus identified. The name, meaning “emerald,” refers to a particular species of lizard that is at home in the very best, sunniest vineyards. On the label it is specified to be a Ried Schütt which is a wine from a single plot (Ried in German) and is produced by the company Weingut Knoll. Founded in 1850, it is one of Austria’s most significant wineries. It is to its credit that the Wachau has become known as a high-quality wine region, with its first bottles marketed in the 1950s.
And how was this wine?
Wine, 2018 vintage, is intriguing and deep, tasting it was a very satisfying experience, with a nose that blends immediate saline notes with exotic sensations and spice, white fruits and tobacco undertones. The same vibrant savoriness is rounded out in the mouth by a firm, solid body and sensations of freshness and creaminess. A structure kept soft and warm with aging in large wooden barrels but balanced by excellent acidity, closing in a refined finish.
The bottle is recognizable by its unmistakable label with the representation of St. Urban, a saint whose figure is rooted in Austrian wine culture and tradition, considered the protector against damage to vineyards and crops.
