La Ciambella of Mirka and Francesca

La Ciambella is a restaurant located on one of the many suggestive streets in Rome, just a stone’s throw from the central Largo di Torre Argentina.

Although ‘Ciambella’ may also translate as ‘doughnut’, the restaurant is named after the street it is on which, in turn, is named after the some 10-meter high, semi-circular ancient Roman ruin that is all that remains of the Baths of Agrippa.

When we entered we were welcomed by the volcanic and charming Mirka Guberti who earned her stripes working first at Divinis in Bologna before coming to Rome to work at Pascucci al Porticciolo in Fiumicino and then at Cristina Bowerman’s Glass Hosteria and La Regola in Piazza San Paolo alla Regola with Marina Perna. The atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable thanks also to the lovely natural light that filters in through the skylight in the main room. A transparent section of floor allows you to see some of ruins of the baths and you get the impression, as you do in other parts of the city, of walking through history. This is not some tourist trap but a welcoming and versatile bistrot open from morning to night, with the kitchen operational from noon to 11pm.

We finished with dessert and here again Francesca was at the top of her game. Her crème brulée had a crispy crust and the filling had a perfect thickness and was soft and speckled with fragrant vanilla seeds. The individual-sized chocolate cake with a ball of ice cream was pure comfort food and this is the only restaurant in Rome to offer homemade ice cream from Frigo, Bowerman and Fabio Spada’s famous travelling ice cream trucks.

The winning combination of this restaurant is its simplicity, professionalism and dedication that make it one of those places where you immediately feel at home and time flies. A place to keep coming back to again and again.

ENJOY THE READING FROM GASLINI ALBERTI: BADIA DI MORRONA E PODERI DEI BRICCHI ASTIGIANI