Chef Fabio Pecelli Leads Oliva Ristorante of Rome’s First Musica Boutique Hotel

After The First Arte and The First Dolce, The Pavillions Hotels and Resorts group opens its third 5-star boutique hotel in Rome. The newly-opened First Musica is another beautiful addition to the group's hospitality luxury situated at Lungotevere dei Mellini where the steeples and domes of the capital blend with the view of the Tiber River. The position gives you enough distance from the busy bustle of the center, yet, it is just a 10-minute walk towards Piazza del Popolo and onwards to the shops towards Piazza di Spagna.

The original structure built in 1964 as an office complex by architect Mario Dario was transformed into a rare architectural showpiece in concrete, steel, crystal and gold, the principal materials used for the restoration and modernization work done. "The exceptional context of the building, located in a nineteenth-century district and in a central position along the Tiber, but also its intended use, a luxurious five-star hotel, have suggested choices in which the sober elegance of the whole grants space to some scenographic gestures of great visual impact,” says Antonio Marincola, owner of the Marincola Architects Studio, which specializes in the design of luxury hotels and residences.

The opening of The First Musica completes the original project of the Roman Urban Resort, with a boutique hotel service focused on the individual needs of the clients and to offer them an unparalleled experience. As a guest of one of The First hotels, you can also enjoy the services of the other hotels. The First Musica explores the visual and tactile spheres which focus on the auditory and sound experience through a series of dedicated playlists in each area of the hotel. The hotel has a gastronomic restaurant and cocktail bar on two levels of panoramic terraces, as well as a 20-meter swimming pool and a gym. Despite being a boutique hotel, the guests can have the services of a large luxury hotel at their disposal.

Oliva Ristorante and Alto Cocktail Bar
From the panoramic terraces of the hotel, the spectacular beauty of Rome reverberates. From here, the culinary sphere of The First Musica has found its space represented by Oliva Ristorante, located on the fifth floor and protected by glass windows that transform it into a winter garden, and on the other dining space, Alto, which serves cocktails, located on the sixth and seventh floors of the structure. “We want to be different, to be perceptive in dedicating a certain type of service to the customer, a kind of attention not always available in large hotels, and this will happen at Oliva and Alto."

The three floors dedicated to gastronomy is an informal space wherein the design exudes refinement and warmth. It can accommodate up to 50 guests located between the main room and the small covered terrace. "We want to make sure that Oliva's customers can have fun, not only thanks to the cuisine, but also with a very high-level dining room service that will return to being the protagonist with the involvement of the Restaurant Manager and the team to complete the dishes at the table and to 'divide' meat and fish," underlines Fabio Pecelli, Executive Chef. He adds "Alto is the perfect complement to our gastronomic proposal thanks to an agile menu that will allow you to have a long aperitif, available from 18:00 until closing time, to enjoy Roman-style and fried pizzas, the proposals based on oil and olives, the cocktails of our Drink List, without forgetting the whole section dedicated to pastry in collaboration with Velo (the pastry shop of The First Dolce) with Bombe, Croccantino and my most representative dish, the Ovo…Misù, without neglecting the fantastic ice creams and slushes of a Sicilian brand."

Oliva Restaurant is the culinary domain of the hotel where Fabio Pecelli, aged 34 from Rome, directs the kitchen. He proposes a cuisine inspired by components of traditionality but reinterpreted with sparks of contemporary ideas. The dishes, as the chef epitomizes, are characterized by intriguing qualities with recognizability of flavors."Oliva's will be a cuisine that's Made in Italy with classic recipes in a contemporary key. We don't want to overturn the culinary history of our country, but reread it through new cooking methods that can allow us to enhance raw materials of absolute quality. In the open kitchen, the barbecue will play a leading role, which will allow us to give an unmistakable flavor to meat, fish and vegetables,” declares Pecelli.

Roman by birth, Fabio started working in the kitchen at a very early age of 15 then he accumulated fundamental experiences professional growth. From Niko Romito to Hotel De Russie, passing through the Giuda Ballerino (5 years as Sous Chef while the restaurant obtained a Michelin Star), Ristorante All'Oro Pastificio San Lorenzo, and Caffè Propaganda which was awarded by Gambero Rosso for two years as the third best bistrot in Italy and the best in Rome. Finally, his experience took him to Pesciolino Fish Bar at the center of Rome prior to Oliva.

Oliva recounts gustatory stories about Italy and its traditional cuisine where a kaleidoscope of flavors typical of each region are exalted. Tradition, history and technique come together to give life to an oxymoron in cooking: complex simplicity. Behind the classicism of the dishes, there is the respect and meticulous study of our gastronomic culture, in all its varied complexity. "We want to create a great Italian restaurant, a place in which we can offer a cuisine that is direct in taste, which enhances the raw materials and allows the enjoyment of a satisfying gastronomic experience. Alto's menu with faster and fresher proposals (raw fish and international proposals) will be flanked by the pizza of Jacopo Mercuro, owner of 180 Gr Pizzeria, a friend and colleague who has given new luster to the Roman round pizza and who will collaborate with The First Musica to make our gastronomic proposals even more captivating,” underlines Pecelli.

The menu of Oliva has a good number of references to pasta classics like Cacio e Pepe and Carbonara, as well as Vitello Tonnato, Fried Zucchini Blossoms with Cantabrian Anchovies, Crunchy Coda alla Vaccinara, Veal Saltimbocca alla Romana with Field Herbs and Deep Fried Seafood. Appetizers are between €18 to €36, first dishes of pasta and risotto are between €22 to €54, main course of meat and seafood between €32 to €38, and desserts between €16 to €18, and a Grand Dessert for two persons at €28.

Oliva Ristorante
The First Musica Hotel

Lungotevere dei Mellini, 27

00193 Rome, Italy

Tel: +39 0642984022

Website: https://olivaristorante.it/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oliva.rome
Open daily for dinner from 19:30 to 23:00