Posted by Rowena Dumlao Rowena Dumlao - Giardina 10/22/2020

47 Circus Roof Garden of FortySeven Hotel: Dining in Postcard View of Rome

If there's a rooftop terrace in Rome that bestows you a comprehensive scene of Rome from your table, 47 Circus Roof Garden will win you over completely. But the surprise of the restaurant doesn't end at the view, because the chef, Antonio Gentile reveals to the diners a spectacular voyage on the table with his creative Mediterranean dishes.

Located on the top floor of the FortySeven Hotel at via Petroselli, 47 Circus Roof Garden is fast becoming a gourmand address in the heart of Rome for both locals and international visitors alike. The open-air museum panorama it lends overlooks the iconic location of the famous film Roman Holidays of Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn. The temple with a rare circular shape of Hercules Victor, the only surviving sacred temple that is made of ancient Greek marble building in Rome while lying next to it is the Temple of Portunus, an ancient Roman temple built in the 3rd or 4th BCE. On the other side of the road is the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin with its distinctive bell tower, a rare example of the architecture in the 12th century in Rome. These monuments have the backdrop of the Lungotevere and Circus Maximus.   

When Luca Nicolotti managed FortySeven Hotel, he wanted a modern and particular design combined with his ambition: to make people eat really well on its terrace and enjoy a pleasant evening overlooking Rome. Open from 18:00 for aperitif then 19:00 onwards for dinner, the restaurant, in its unique environment of elegant outdoor furnishings that seats over 40, is the perfect place to luxuriate in the many beautiful aspects of Rome.   

Resident Chef Antonio Gentile creates a cuisine that celebrates the Mediterranean, seemingly simple but actually conceptualized with great modern technique, keeping the flavors of the ingredients distinguishable and harmonious. The tastes are enhanced rather than lose their identities because he believes that food, like the elements of nature cannot be distorted. He reinterprets a bit the dishes of tradition especially the ones that he carries with him from his origin. His story portrays that of a true passion. Born in the Italian region of Campania in 1986, he moved to Rome to attend the course of "A Tavola con lo Chef" of Antonio Sciullo which he did initially for fun but eventually became his life. Experience after his culinary education was in some of Italy's finest kitchens namely Georges, Faro di Capo d'Orso (1 Michelin Star), Imàgo (1 Michelin Star) of Hotel Hassler, Furore of Furore Inn, Heinz Beck's Apsleys in London, and Red Fish in the coastal area of Rome where he received recognition and awards for his work.

"For me Rome is almost a second home," explains Gentile, "the city where I trained and, in recent years, professionally grown. When Luca Nicolotti gave me the challenge of giving a soul to this terrace, a place of absolute beauty, a restaurant that could be remembered and searched for, I felthonored and I accepted immediately. Here I am surrounded by beautiful, exciting things and my kitchen has been influenced and guided: I cannot offer something on my plate that is less than the sight! "

“The 47 Circus today is the result of a long journey that began years ago. Catering combines the skill of Antonio, a native of Naples and great fish chef, with the great competence of ours consultant chef Gabriele Enrico, who made the cuisine recognizable for an international clientele, thank you to his great experience alongside Alain Ducasse and Gualtiero Marchesi. But the Circus is not just about cooking. The dishes are co-stars of a great moment of fascination, spectacle and conviviality, just like remembers the name of the place itself, a Latin term but recognizable in all the languages of the world. Here at the Circus experience is synonymous with amazement, gaiety, joviality, in the great journey between taste and the history it offers this terrace," explains Nicolotti.

In addition to the à la carte dishes, the chef also proposes two tasting menus (excluding drinks): Ispirazione (€60) that has 4 courses and Degustazione (€75) with 6 courses. In these two tasting menus, the chef expresses his vision of cooking where he expounds balanced and recognizable tastes in his creativity. Prices of the à la carte dishes range from Appetizers (€16), First Plates of Pasta and Risotto (€18), Main Course with Side Dish (€23 to €26), and Desserts (€10). The lunch proposals are lighter of salads and sandwiches have more international twists (€14 to €19). The wine list is handled by Giorgio Graziani, a well-experienced maitre with experience feom Sheraton Hotel and Hotel Bernoni Bristol.

Aperitif while waiting for the sunset is also one of the highlights of the restaurant. The cocktail bar is managed by Barlady Beatrice Olivieri where she creates her signature cocktails embellished with citrus fruits, and fresh herbs grown at the urban garden next to the terrace cocktail bar. The protagonists of the drinks are the 47 labels of dry and flavored gin.