Tonnarelli, extra virgin olive oil and Lazio wines on Via dei Serpenti

Towards evening, Via dei Serpenti changes pace. The shops of Monti pull down their shutters, the outdoor tables fill up and the smell of tomato sauce drifts out of the door at number 110. This is Osteria Oliva, an intimate place where the evening unfolds slowly.

The osteria opened in 2016 on the ground floor of Condominio Monti, the early 20th-century building that BZAR hotels has turned into a boutique hotel, a short walk from the Colosseum and the Imperial Forums.

When it comes to pasta, the kitchen makes no compromises. Carbonara, amatriciana, cacio e pepe and gricia: the four Roman classics, all made with tonnarelli, just rough enough to hold the sauce. The rest of the menu follows the seasons and the market. Right now that means gnocchi with oxtail ragù, a dish that in Rome tastes of Sunday lunch, tagliolini with baby octopus ragù and lemon essence, and beef tartare with hazelnut mayonnaise and pecorino.

Tonnarelli with pecorino and guanciale prepared in the kitchen of Osteria Oliva in Rome
Beef tartare with hazelnut mayonnaise and pecorino at Osteria Oliva in Rome

Starters and mains arrive in the middle of the table, as the line printed on the menu suggests: “sharing is loving”. If you’d rather not choose, go for the tasting menu: starter, pasta, main course and dessert for €35, the same for the whole table. Finish with the homemade desserts, tiramisù or torta caprese with lemon custard.

Then there’s the olive oil that gave the place its name. You can start with freshly baked bread and three extra virgin olive oils, tasted one after another as you would with wine, to discover how much they change from one region to the next.

Tasting of three extra virgin olive oils at Osteria Oliva in Rome's Monti district
Croquettes, tartare and BZAR red wine on an outdoor table at Osteria Oliva in Monti

The wine list stays local, with Frascati and Cesanese from Principe Pallavicini, both also available by the glass. For something from further afield, there’s Franciacorta, Brunello and Amarone.

The osteria is open every day for lunch and dinner, and works just as well for a dinner for two as for a night out with friends or a business lunch. And when dinner is over, the evening doesn’t have to be. A few floors up is Spritzeria Monti, on the roof of the same building, with a romantic view over the rooftops of Rome. If you’re staying at Condominio Monti, all you have to do is take the stairs.