Pipero has moved to a new location since we were last there.  This new place covers 3 levels and is quite elegant and modern looking.  Lots of art and photos decorate the spaces and classical music plays in the background.  Spot lighting makes the area for food well lit and arty light fixtures add additional lighting.  There are a couple of small windows.  The large tables are widely spaced and set with long white clothes and large white napkins.  Service is attentive and helpful and makes you feel like they are glad to have you in their one star Michelin restaurant.  We sat upstairs where we could see some of the main floor action and look out the window to the night lights.  The floor below street level contains the bathroom, a room with a large table and some wine storage.  I saw Chef Luciano Monosilio come out of the kitchen to observe the floor but he didn’t make the rounds of the tables.   That is left to owner Alessandro Pipero and he is the consummate host.  The menu contains 6 or 10 course surprise tasting options and a la carte options.  Pipero invited us to put our meal in his hands and we did just that.  This place should be on your list to visit when in Rome.  

 

We started with a glass of Italian sparkler and the staff quickly brought square bread/crackers and olives for snacking.  The square crackers had a hole in the center where they could be stacked on a peg. They also brought a cut baguette and some olive oil.  All nice but be careful not to fill up to fast.

 

 

Next was a crisp topped with tomatoes, anchovy and oregano.  It was pretty and tasty.  The ultra crisp bottom worked nicely to hold the ingredients and a crunch to your bites.   More bread arrrived, this time being natural bread and focaccia.  Again both nice but I left most of it on the plate.

 

A “Fisch Cake” was made of aged yogurt, carrots, lemon cream and fish.  On the top was a large pile of fish eggs that added a nice punch to each bite.   The layer right above the crust was a grainy fish layer topped with creamy layer mixed with lemon.  It all blended nicely and was good.

 

Lobster, white asparagus and parsley were topped with some horseradish powder.  The lobster was perfectly poached and the sauce had just the right richness.  It was a wonderful melding.  A lovely dish and the waitress told us it is new to the menu.  It should stay around a while.

 

Rabbit was served with shiitake mushrooms, liver and parsley.  The parsley was in the form of jelly spread on a crisp and some of the liver was in a pile next to the rabbit white another bit was smeared on the plate.  Lots of strong flavors on this plate as well as multiple textures but they all combined into goodness.  It was best to mix it up and eat lots of pieces together.  Another great one here.

 

Gnocchi allo scoglio, or seafood gnocchi, had 4 colors of gnocchi with fish and fish sauce.  The gnocchi were light and tasty and I couldn’t discern a different taste in the different colors, so guessing it was just a visual thing.  The fish was gallinella, which I was not familiar with, but it was a heavily flavored fish like a rockfish.  The sauce tasted like the shells of something had been poached in it – it was very tasty.   A different and fun course.

 

Lamb ravioli with mint, beans and pecorino was next.  The lamb and beans were stuffed into the pasta packages and then covered with a rich creamy sauce.  It was a fun looking dish but also very good.  Each little ravioli burst with flavor.

 

Pork rib, rice and fish sauce also had a little barbecue sauce on it.  A round of cream of  lobster was on the side as was a mix of 2 kinds of rice.  The pork was ultra moist and I loved the barbecue like sauce.  It went well with the rice too.  All worked great together and it was another flavor explosion plate of food.

 

The pre-dessert was a lemon curd covered with an almond foam and dusted with licorice powder.  The curd had bits of lemon in it that lit up when mixed with the sweet, creamy foam.  Another perfect blending of tastes and textures.

 

Cardamon ice cream, saffron, licorice crumbles, orange cream, a pine nut sheet and almond crumbles made up the dessert.  This was an amazing blend of tastes and it really worked.  I’m not usually a fan of so many ingredients in one dessert but this worked so well I’ve changed my mind.  This was a delight to eat.

 

 

Final treats were almonds with white chocolate, hazelnuts in dark cocoa, fusilli pasta with chocolate and a cream filled beignet covered with chocolate.  All tasty with a good quality chocolate that melted quickly on your fingers.  The beignet was a favorite but the nuts were both quite good.  We also had a grappa that was poured from a 5 liter bottle.  The bottle had its own stand that rocked for pouring.