La Pancia Felice In Roma

18/08/2025: Excellent food, excellent service in a very pleasant, chic setting.

04/08/2025: In a Rome of stone and light, a stone's throw from that eternal heart that beats between Monti and the Quirinale, I rediscovered a discreet and refined gem: the Matermatuta restaurant. The atmosphere in the internal courtyard was suspended, thanks to a balmy, bright evening and impeccable service that welcomed without being intrusive, with sincere smiles and an elegant professionalism that can't be learned from a textbook. Then came the pink shrimp tartare. And here every word risks sounding like an exaggeration. But no. It was perfect in texture, fresh as the sea in the morning, delicate yet with a precise character, almost musical in the way it harmonized with the aromas of the dish and the sweet air of the courtyard. It wasn't just good: it was just right. That tartare spoke an ancient and simple language, that of the sea and the art of savoir faire. The restaurant is centrally located yet secluded, like those places that offer themselves to those who know how to look without haste. Inside, warm lights and refined spaces; Outside, a Roman corner that seems designed for slow conversations and toasts that come slowly. The entire staff moves with grace and ease: nothing is mechanical, everything is authentic. And this, in Rome, has a rare value. If I had to describe what elegance means to me, I'd say it's precisely this: a place where everything is carefully thought out but nothing is ostentatious. And in a city where the offerings are endless, finding a restaurant like Matermatuta is like finding a friendly face in the crowd. One of those who, once met, are never forgotten.