Bar Gelateria Piranha In Monterosi

Review of the Bar/Gelataria/Piranha, Via Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa, Monterosi, Viterbo As far as we could remember we had never previously visited Monterosi, but we could well have passed the small town when taking the SS2/Cassia bis heading north out of Rome - on our way to Viterbo. This time, however, we had accommodation booked above Trevignano/Lago Bracciano, and Monterosi was the obvious place to shift from the cross-country autostrada to the back roads of rural Lazio. We had not earlier noticed the Bar Piranha when crossing the centre of town, but we did stop at the Carrefour Supermarket nearby for those essential perishables with which to being the week’s holiday. A couple of days later we figured on breakfast at a local bar … and the closest was in Monterosi. The small rural/services town is about half-way between Rome and Viterbo and has a population of about 5,000 people. We figured there would be half-dozen bars that could be explored but, the reality was one of ease-of-parking that settled the choice. We’d driven into town passed the supermarket and there, on the junction of the main through road heading towards the SS2 autostrada was the Bar Piranha. We had travelled the same route across town earlier but had not seen the bar. The decider, however, was the large municipal car park immediately in front of the bar – that was all but empty that time of the morning. Signs in the car park said that you couldn’t park after mid-day but, whatever, we were there for our prima colazione. The Bar Piranha occupied the ground floor of a single four-story building and was set back from the road with a wide pavement between the bar and the road. The building was, perhaps, 40 years old and the bar considerably more modern – perhaps less than five years old – renovation of an original bar or a new commercial ground floor? It was not clear. The bar reflected a modern image of space, glass, metal and silver/black décor. Tables/chairs were black. The counter stretched north-south as you entered projecting length/distance. The first part of the counter featured glass panels through which a display of brioche could be seen. There was a large covered outside seating area that could handle perhaps 40 people. Seated there during the day there’s the passing traffic and a turning into the entrance of the car park immediately opposite. Of an evening you would be left with the picture on the wall - this gruesome (aka Hollywood) image of a scared-looking woman looking down at you (with a glass half in/out of her mouth where she’s drinking something) - piecing eyes - presumably given the piranha fish that are closing in on her. No, it made little sense in reality. Outside the everyday life of a small rural community in Lazio and inside this make-believe image of terror somewhere on a South American river. Well, it made little sense to us. We asked the barista making/serving us our coffee that morning just how the name had originated. She made passing reference to an … ‘aquarium that used to be here’ but did not elaborate further. Whatever.’ Inside the bar there was probably seating for another 40 people but, that morning, the two dozen customers including our group had chosen to drink/eat/socialize outside. The different tables/groups looked like locals – everyone familiar one-with-the-other. Lots of greetings. Lots of them were smoking. There were 11 of us and we were clearly not locals. Our five little kids 3-8 and running around in English helped determine that. The kids crowded around a baby in a pushchair minded by nonna - we asked - with the baby clearly delighted with all the attention – laughing and shaking her arms and legs with enthusiasm. And not just our kids, but more than half the people coming and going into the café stopped by the baby. Other people’s tiny babies – irresistible. Coffee & brioche were delicious; the kids drank water. We paid around E35 for our breakfast … so, E3/each. Coffee was hot, tasty and refreshing and the brioche were fresh and easy to eat. Service had been friendly, efficient and quick, the barista making the drinks and the cameriere servicing the tables. The Bar Piranha comes highly recommended. Peter Steele 12Aug24