Il desiderio preso per la coda

Il Desiderio Preso per la Coda is a hidden restaurant located in Rome’s old town centre amongst the little alleys. The hidden aspect really makes of this place an undiscovered treasure, unknown by many. However, the idea of the restaurant arose in 1986, where the owners Anna, Corrado and Maurizio decided to open a restaurant gallery.

The décor of the restaurant is very cool and simple. There are only a few tables therefore you must remember to book in advance; the decoration on the walls is very minimal with only a few paintings. The dishes they serve their food in are Italian ceramic with different coloured patterns adding an artsy touch to their venue. Here and there you will see bits and bobs scattered around also adding a fun and interesting touch to the restaurant.

The atmosphere of the restaurant is also reflected in its menu, which seems to vary by the day. Supposedly known for the vegetarian options the chef creates varied dishes with a mixture of ingredients you would never expect to work yet go together perfectly. This varies from the appetizers all the way down to the deserts. You can clearly see that there has been put a lot of thought into the food in order to create a unique menu, different from the traditional Italian food.

For example one of the best appetizers I ate was the polpettine alle cime di rapa, which is a vegetarian meatball; the taste was incredible. Furthermore I tried the caponata, which is a sort of vegetable tartar and yet again the cooking of the vegetables was on point.

I always find choosing a main the hardest thing in the restaurant, because there are so many delicious options to chose from that I would love to try the whole menu; however I guess that means I will have to return to try the rest. I ended up by choosing risotto with gorgonzola cheese, pear and parmigiano. This is what I mean when I said a “strange mixture of ingredients that go well together”. I absolutely love adding fruit to my main dishes, they add a sense of freshness to the plate. In fact, the pear and the gorgonzola cheese really complimented each other and I couldn’t have been more satisfied with my choice.

I did however taste a couple of other dishes such as the baccalà with a potato purée. The fish was incredibly delicate and other ingredients didn’t overpower the flavour, which was a real positive.

Furthermore I tried the tagliata di manzo with purée and chianti wine sauce. The beef was tender and the chianti sauce was absolutely delicious.

Having had a look at the online menu I see that there are numerous other options that weren’t available when I went such as fig and radicchio risotto or spigola with artichoke mousse and grilled octopus. The second best thing about this restaurant (following the intriguing menu) is the very reasonable pricing. Risottos price at 11 Euros whilst the fish around 15 euros. You can easily have a main, a desert and a glass of wine for a maximum of 25 Euros per head.

The desserts also left me wanting come back for more. They serve “millefoglie al cucchiaio”, which is their own adapted version of millefeuille. Also the chocolate fondant served with whipped cream is an incredible choice, as the contrast between hot, melting chocolate with the cold whipped cream is definitely a top way to finish your meal.

Considering the restaurant is quite small I would recommend booking a table before going, therefore you can make your reservation through their website: Il desiderio preso per la coda.