Have you guys been to a restaurant that when you left you were like ‘WOW”?
That’s how if felt after leaving Fernanda. The food was out of the ordinarily good. The combinations were creative, but not in that way where you feel that the chef is trying too hard. Instead, probably because the dishes were so well executed, it felt like the food was simply the result of truly inventive culinary mind.
But let's back track.
The decor and the location probably also had a little bit to do with my impression of the restaurant. It is tucked away on an unassuming primarily residential street on the outskirts of the Trastevere neighborhood. (In fact, Diego and I showed up at the beginning of the street, convinced we were in the wrong place. We would have turned around, if we hadn’t spotted our friend and Roman local, Davide, that had suggested the restaurant. I kind of felt like was our little secret (a secret I’m now letting you guys in on).
The decor was all simple clean lines with the use of a lot of lightly stained wood contrasted by a few dark accents. This combination helps ensure that Fernanda feels warm, welcoming, and modern.
Davide, who has been to the restaurant a few times, order like two dishes off of the menu. Diego and I opted for the ‘curious artisan’ tasting menu which for 55 euros included:
- Aperitif
- Mussels flatbread filled with salted cod, burnt lemon, tomatoes and wakeme
- Sweetbread with almonds, fermented barley, chard and pulverized strawberries
- Cappelletto pasta stuffed with octopus“in red”
- Spaghetti “B. Cavalieri” with burnt eggplant, red shrimp and pistachios
- Duck with hazelnuts, loquat preserves, spring onions and mizuna
- Pre-dessert
- Foam with black garlic, Keto Reporter beer, and fried root vegetables
If you’re thinking 55 euros isn’t chump change, you’re right it isn’t. But try having a meal of this quality in the States, I can almost guarantee you’ll spend at least three times as much.
So go for it!
While Osteria Fernanda doesn’t have a Michelin Star, the guide has taken notice of this great restaurant. Personally, I think if the restaurant was a little more Michelin "starry”, meaning more space between the tables, a little more formal in their presentation they would have already received a star. (Thus the title of this article) The food was that good.
Be an insider, go to Osteria Fernanda! And promise to let me know what you think.
Osteria Fernanda
osteriafernanda@libero.it
Via Crescenzo del Monte 18/24
+39 06 5894333 - +39 347 445 9593
Lunch: Monday - Friday Lun - Ven
Dinner: Monday - Saturday
Closed on Sundays
The photos of Diego and pasta dish were taken by me, everything else is from the Osteria Fernanda website and Facebook page.
