Times and trends constantly reshape the restaurant offerings and habits of those who enjoy them, especially in a field increasingly filled with new openings as seen in recent years in Rome. In a cityscape where the average customer seems to prefer informal places and non-binding table stays, the identity of a fine dining establishment risks fading into obscurity if it doesn’t resist the intent of some skilled players to shape venues with a more comfortable and current nature without losing their essence: the Ristorante Pulejo is a shining example of this.
Davide Pulejo, a chef and advocate of the eponymous restaurant, perhaps starts advantaged in this process due to the experiences validated in his formative journey: starting very young at Convivio Troiani; passing through metropolitan and Nordic know-how between Texture in London and Noma in Copenhagen, then the Roman institution of the first Pipero under the kitchen guidance of Luciano Monosilio and individual consecration at Alchimia in Milan, earning a Michelin star in a city in many ways opposite to the Roman scene. A journey that already denotes a baggage of evolving visions for a triumphant – as deliberate and desired – return to the Capital with a dining establishment in his image and a “starred” confirmation in 2022 to seal its objectives.
Contact & Communication
The restaurant – located in Prati, an increasingly thriving neighborhood – offers and maintains a strongly identity-setting layout, both in the welcoming finishing, furnishings, and service, and in the stylistic meter reproduced in the kitchen. Warm environments, marked by wood and sinuous architectures, allow the relaxation of the dining room team to transpire in a completely embroidered square on the guest. The chef moves graciously among the tables, preserving this mood in every gesture, driven by firm convictions such as an expressive pedestal: meticulous attention to communication, both internal to the restaurant and conveyed through media channels and press with an appropriate staff; emotional and concrete recognizability in the construction of dishes; constant investment in the range of elements to define their space, from the sartorial design of tableware to a cyclical updating of every detail aiming towards a constant growth directed towards the future.
A protocol of ideas with a rigid mental attitude that finds its counterpoint in lightness during the meal stages: danced with relaxed elegance both by the serving staff – thanks to the professional charm of restaurant manager Eugenio Galli (assisted by Leila Agosta) – and by the tangible personality in the menu tastings. Exercises that clearly convey the blend of influences collected around the world, the refined verve, and the humorous roots of Pulejo, while also denoting a tone of smoothed and direct pleasantness as a tool for an almost familiar readability.
“Relaxed inspiration & acute linearity”
The stylistic imprint bursts forth from the very first moments of the amuse-bouche, often a pleonastic condemnation for this kind of tables, but not in this case: Steamed artichoke chips, cream of artichokes cooked under ash and mint; Thai tartlet, smoked mackerel, dill mayonnaise, mustard oil and wild salad; Fried spheres of polenta taragna filled with creamy Abruzzo buffalo mozzarella, toasted beer yeast and wild fennel; Potato focaccia with red turnip yogurt, sweet and sour turnip, and tuna ventresca marinated in sumac; Diplomat with chicken liver parfait, raspberry gel, and sorrel. Full, lively, engaging mouthfuls capable of summarizing the contaminations of traveling cultures stemming from the chef’s background. The remarkable breadmaking includes corn-stretched grissini, semi-whole bread, and hypnotic salted brioche to dip in sumptuous Bruna Alpina milk butter whipped to perfection.
Ceasing the nonsense, swiftly turning to the core of flavors: first with the harmony of ever-changing bites and noble richness on the Milan-Copenhagen route of the Cannolicchi in gremolata with mussel powder, finger lime, and a vibrant bone marrow-based sauce; then with the extraordinary Veal heart sweetbreads cooked masterfully in butter, matched with smoked oyster mayonnaise with beech wood, Centocchio leaves, and a formidable veal jus with polarizing textures. Pulejo’s long-time sous-chef, Alex Lomazzi, boasts an extensive repertoire from renowned Parisian establishments, and the tempered handle in France is strongly felt in the finishing of this penetrating tasting experience.
In the same gustatory impact trail, the umami breeze surprises with the Chestnut flour tagliatelle, velveted in koji broth with smoked sea urchin butter, pure sea urchins, pickled seashore fennel, and roasted chestnut grated to mimic a precise earthy/starchy spectrum of bottarga. Eugenio Galli unveils from the cellar – managed by the skilled Gianluca Tronci – a photonic pairing for this pair of dishes: a Grüner Veltliner Reserve 2015 Trocken Felser Berg from producer Wimmer-Czerny with a character as unique and accomplished as ever.
Enhancement of hospitality in every form(at)
Towards the conclusion of the savory section, two paths of Pulejo’s past and present converge: the historical signature that links the city of Milan to the Roman traditions of Risotto MI-RO’, saffron-mantecated with a royale of oxtail positioned in the middle; followed by the lacustrine-carnivorous intersection of the Manzetta Beneventana allo yakitori with fresh peas, Favetta strawberries, mornay sauce, grilled scallion, and smoked Comacchio eel, to be paired with a fortifying beef consommé infused with Port, juniper, and dog rose.
The finale pays tribute to the skills of pastry chef Mariuccia Ceglie, as well as to the convivial spirit, graceful and full of joviality that permeates every expressive trait of this eatery: Tarte tatin made with celeriac (caramelized due to the traditional apple), served with Fior di latte and vanilla ice cream; followed by a delicate puff pastry Brioche, chantilly cream, and strawberry-grape sorbet. Both desserts encourage guests to playfully spread creams and ice creams on the surfaces of the sweets, enjoying them with their hands in an impulsive interaction. Bringing sweet closure to the emotional essence that governs the impulses of the entire place, and which finds a new pop revival in the recent opening of a new venue signed by the chef: Isotta Trattoria Cortese. If the prospects and intentions are as promising as anticipated, we can’t wait to try it out and follow the developments of the Pulejo group. Pulejo: starry class with an intimate taste.
