Right in the touristic centre, but proudly gourmet
Newly open at the very heart of the city, between via del Corso and the Trevi Fountain, Anavà’s mission is ambitious: bring the most authentic cuisine at the centre of the Capital and provide a quality gastronomic offer to all those travelling to Rome for pleasure or business, as well as to the locals living in the area who never compromise when it comes to food and taste.
Located inside the Hotel Je Rome, by The Ner Collection, Anavà is open from breakfast until dinner and it is committed to an authentic and sophisticated Italian cuisine that stands apart from the traditional trattorias nearby.
“Italian cuisine with its traditions is my playground: I get in, look around, and invent new games. At Anavà, we want to offer something more creative and fun,” says Chef Danilo Mancini, a young and talented cook who is already promising in terms of creativity and innovation. Danilo enjoys deconstructing flavors and reinventing them in his own personal way, putting different techniques at the service of simplicity. Because in his vision, there are no easy dishes – only dishes crafted with intelligence and precision, capable of evoking emotion through balance and clean flavors that tell a coherent story.
From Primi to Dolci: A Journey of Culinary Illusions
As the name of the street it is located on suggests – Via dell’Umiltà (Humility Street) – Anavà’s spirit is humble in treating staple ingredients with maximum respect, highlighting flavors and utilizing all elements whenever possible. The restaurant embraces a no-waste philosophy that transforms what others might discard into culinary poetry.
The menu at Anavà is a journey through rich, layered sauces – small concentrates of memory where Danilo rediscovers the profound meaning of cuisine as an artisanal craft, far from mass production, still capable of surprising. The chef’s idea is to encourage the guests to share and experience together different types of plates, from the Mozzichi e Bocconi (Starters plates) to the first and second dishes. The offer features traditional plates as well as dishes revisited from the ’70s and ‘80s such as pennette alla vodka or the famous shrimp cocktail served in a coupe glass.
Chef Mancini plays with textures and shapes: Pollo alla romana, for instance, is a delicious bonbon that encases flavorful chicken in a glaze of roasted peppers, served on a sauce that imparts all the depth this traditional Roman dish carries. The Parmigiana is reinvented as a gelato stick, enclosed in a crunchy breading and accompanied by candied tomato and basil cream. Then there’s Biscotto – an appetizer disguised as dessert, borrowing its form from the famous “Cucciolone” cookie and filling it with a savory heart of fresh cheese and mascarpone cream, accompanied by a chicken and buffalo liver pâté, garnished with sweet-and-sour onion to close the contrast.
The Cocktail Bar Offer
The same creative spirit can also be found in the drinks menu: for an aperitif or after-dinner drink at the Anavà cocktail bar, the icons of mixology take center stage, accompanied by creative twists conceived by the bartender Alessio Di Stefano. The inspiration comes from studying the great classics such as Bellini, Negroni, Espresso Martini, and reinterpreting them in a contemporary vision, using through top-quality ingredients, modern mixing techniques, and homemade preparations.
Tasting Menus: the Full Journey
In addition to à la carte selections, Anavà also offers two tasting menus: Revival (5 courses at €55) to revisit the great classics of 1980s cuisine, and Anavà (7 courses at €85) for a deeper immersion into Chef Mancini’s cuisine.
In a neighborhood filled with tourist-oriented restaurants, Anavà stands as a bold statement: that the historic center of Rome deserves, and can offer genuine gastronomic excellence and innovation.
INSPIRATION
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