Opening in the heart of Rome is the famous actor and director Claudio Amendola‘s restaurant Frezza, located right on the street of the same name that connects Via di Ripetta with Via del Corso, a stone’s throw from Piazza Augusto Imperatore, in the Campo Marzio district.
An eatery, which as guessed by the tagline “Cucina de Coccio,” pays homage to Roman cuisine, to its most enjoyable and authentic soul.
Claudio Amendola’s Love for Roman Cuisine
“Via della Frezza has a huge potential, it was a long time that my partners and I, with whom I run a business outside Rome, wanted to open a place in the center to engage with the Roman scene. I think this street will become the real hub of the city,” the actor points out.
Actor, director, and television presenter Claudio Amendola, in fact, is not new to the restaurant business: in 1990 he opened his first restaurant in Rome and in 2010 the Osteria del Parco in Valmontone, which is still active. On the strength of his experience in the industry and as a great lover of Roman cuisine, the actor is now ready to embark on this new Capitoline adventure. Also in the works are plans to take the Frezza brand to other Italian and foreign cities.
Frezza: Roman-ness, an inescapable vocation
Frezza restaurant reflects Amendola’s deep connection with his hometown: “Romanity is an identity, a belonging, a pride. It has always accompanied me in my career, I am identified with this city and, even in the kitchen, everything will be centered on Romanity.” An imprinting from which cannot be disregarded and which is already emphasized in the choice of the brand, created by Repubblica Gastronomica – a company specializing in food&beverage that was entrusted with the conception and development of the visual identity -, in the dishes on the menu and in the restaurant’s décor.
Frezza: the venue
Located at 64-66 Via della Frezza, the restaurant is ready to welcome customers in two large rooms totaling 150 square meters and 50 seats inside, to which will be added those outside. Marble tables, wooden benches, white tiles, plaques and references to Roman cuisine stand out on the walls along with colorful crocks that embellish some corners. An essential and well-kept location that expresses the desire to create an informal environment where customers “can feel comfortable and eat well.” Upon entering the first room, one catches a glimpse of the bar counter and a glass wall that extends into the next room, where the open kitchen and bakery are located.
Frezza: the kitchen and Roman pizzas
Creating the menu is Chef Davide Cianetti, Frezza’s consultant and executive chef at Numa al Circo and, even earlier, at Pierluigi and Dal Bolognese restaurants. “Davide was introduced to me by an associate of mine and I immediately liked his idea of traditional and real Roman cuisine. Frezza’s menu will be an ode to Romanity, its most classic dishes and Roman pizza,” Amendola points out.
The chef has devised a menu that praises classic Roman recipes, dishes steeped in tradition, with attention to form and execution, enhanced by excellent raw materials. The Frezza restaurant’s Cucina de Coccio is enhanced, in the first and second courses, within characteristic terracotta dishes.
The Roman flair is already delineated in the appetizers with the Bruschetta Cicoria e Guanciale, the Burrata and artichokes alla Cafona and the Tagliere di salumi e formaggio del territorio selezione Dol. In the Fritti section, there is no shortage of Supplì, Cod Fillet, Pumpkin Flower, Mozzarella in carrozza and the tasty Bombe salate, a leavened dough that welcomes inside coda alla vaccinara, Roman-style tripe with mint and pecorino cheese, eggplant alla norma and cacio e pepe with artichokes.
Roots firmly in tradition in the first courses that include Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe, Rigatoni all’amatriciana (one of Claudio Amendola’s favorite dishes), Spaghetto fresco alla carbonara and Linguine alla Puttanesca.
Cucina de Coccio also celebrates Roman main courses: offerings range from Polpettine al sugo, Involtini alla Romana (slices of beef with mint and pecorino cheese cooked alla pizzaiola), Pollo alla cacciatora, Coda alla vaccinara, Broccoletti affogati con salsiccia and Baccalà alla romana, to be accompanied by seasonal and typical vegetables from the Lazio region. To end on a sweet note zuppa inglese, Dolci della Nonna, homemade tarts, and Ciambelline al vino. The culinary proposal is also enriched with succulent off-menu dishes that vary from day to day.
Also starring on Frezza’s menu is the strictly Roman pizza, made by chef Cianetti with stone-ground flours and thin dough rolled out by hand to create a low, crunchy round.
Divided into Rosse, Bianche and D’autore, Frezza’s pizzas captivate the palate with classic flavors such as Margherita, Fiori di zucca, Quattro Stagioni and more authentic flavors such as Porchetta e broccoletti, Puntarella with fior di latte mozzarella, anchovies, burrata and puntarelle and Fichi with fior di latte mozzarella, spinach, dried figs and goose ham, a tribute to kosher cuisine.
Frezza: the wine cellar
The wine list with over one hundred references highlights the excellence of our country from Sardinia to Piedmont, obviously reserving a place of honor for Lazio. A careful selection, made by restaurant manager Riccardo Bonanni, to ensure that the labels can be appreciated by experts, amateurs free from any oenological notions and international clientele.
Equally interesting is the aperitif drink list, which includes great classics such as Spritz, Negroni, Mojito and Gin Tonic to which are added six signature cocktails to tickle the fancy of the most passionate. The names of the new cocktails are linked to history, the beauty of Rome and its different neighborhoods: they range from the Temple of Vesta, to the Pantheon, via The Garden of Oranges and Piazza Venezia.