BellaCarne, kosher restaurant in Rome

In Rome's ghetto, still the heart of the capital's Jewish culture, BellaCarne restaurant is a landmark for tasty strictly kosher cuisine, tradition, good taste, innovative insights, a design environment and lots and lots of kindness.

Rome's Jewish Ghetto is one of the most picturesque corners of the capital, and one of my favorite views is right there where the gardens of the Temple of Apollo can be glimpsed from the Portico d'Ottavia. Go there at sunset, when the sky colors the clouds pink, what will appear before your eyes will make you feel part of a vintage postcard, stopped in a suspended time.

But let's try to understand why Jewish cuisine is so deeply rooted in Rome and why so many of the most traditional dishes originated in these very alleys. Rome's ghetto is considered the oldest in the Western world. It was Pope Paul IV who ordered its construction in 1555, revoking all rights granted to Roman Jews and originally providing it with only two entrances to enter and exit. Life for the Jews was very hard and was subject to a series of obligations and prohibitions: "the obligation to reside within the ghetto and to always carry a distinctive sign of belonging to the Jewish community," prohibition to engage in any kind of trade except rags and clothes and to own real estate. The Jews made a virtue out of necessity, becoming, thanks in part to these prohibitions, shrewd clothing merchants and skilled businessmen in the field of loans, and preserving their culinary traditions, enriching them with local ingredients and turning them into true icons such as zucchini concia, artichoke alla giudia, and fried cod fillets, to name but a few.

Here in the ghetto there are many restaurants, almost one in a row. Some very famous like Giggetto's, Yotvata's, the Ghetto Tavern, others are newly born and have more contemporary styles. My benchmark, however, is undoubtedly BellaCarne. Here, in my opinion, the innumerable souls of the Roman ghetto meet: strictly kosher cuisine, tradition, good taste, innovative cues, a design environment and lots and lots of kindness. BellaCarne is an old Jewish community saying, a pet name directed at children as a sign of tenderness, usually accompanied by the classic pinch on the cheek that we have all received at least once (and that I personally hated). 

Never was the name more appropriate because here you really do feel pampered. The kitchen is 100% kosher, the beautiful grill is on view just to the left as you descend the entrance steps, the interior rooms neat, the wine is mevushal, there is an ablution corner...in short, a few steps and you find yourself immersed in a completely different and extremely fascinating culture. 

In the dining room, owner Alberto Ouazana takes care of every detail with calm precision, the service streamlined and fast. The menu is extensive, with a lot of space devoted to appetizers ranging from the already mentioned super romani fritti such as carciofi alla giudia or battered cod fillets to sigarot, chickpea hummus, falafel, delicious spiced chicken wings, and even taboulet salad or calf's head, just to name a few of my favorite samples. 

It is intriguing to read among the first courses the legendary Amatriciana but here the guanciale is obviously not pork but beef, the taste is definitely different but still a well-executed dish. On the main courses one can indulge between rotisserie and grill with an avalanche of dishes that are real delicacies: beef roast beef, asado, bone-in rib-eye steak, fireplace-roasted tagliata, but also classics such as sweetbreads or the lamb and artichoke casserole and the anchovy pie with endive romana. It is forbidden to leave without tasting a slice of their almond and sour cherry pastry tart and chocolate cake. They are a delight accompanied by Arak or a mint tea. 

BellaCarne Kosher Roma
Via del Portico d'Ottavia, 51
00186 Roma
Tel. +39 06 6833104
info@bellacarne.it​
https://www.bellacarne.it/menu/
https://www.bellacarne.it/prenota/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bellacarne
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellacarne/

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