Roman Restaurants: Ristorante Clemente

Ristorante Clemente
# Piazza della Maddalena 4
Rome, Italy
(06) 683-3633

The restaurant is apparently helmed by a female chef, and has a nice salubrious location on a square right off the Pantheon. The menu isn't terribly long and has a nice focus on fresh seafood - always a plus for me. It's a good bistro choice near the Pantheon and has some interesting and unusual entrees - a change from the occasionally too traditional cuisine of Rome.



We began with a salad of squid, octopus, mixed greens, and grapefruit, which was quite nice. The squid was cooked perfectly and did not turn into vaguely seafood flavored rubber as it is wont to do. I also enjoyed the acidic turn of the grapefruit. Could have been prettier but not looking a gift horse in the mouth, so to speak.



For my entree, I selected the grilled tuna with tomatoes, caper, and vinegar - a very simple dish. This was well executed, though I had been expecting something perhaps a little flashier. It was simple, light, and not over-done.



My dad had a pasta with octopus and tomato. The pasta was nicely al-dente, and the sauce had a good marine flavor, with tender bits of invertebrate included.