El Porteño Gourmet and the Terrazza Flores (RM)
In Rome, the first fine dining restaurant of Argentine cuisine in the Eternal City, born from the dream of the Bernardez brothers to recreate the magical atmosphere of Buenos Aires in the 1940s and offer the best cuts of meat cooked by master asadores.
El Porteño Gourmet comes to life in 2023 in the central via Dell’Umiltà 36, in the context of the 5-star hotel of the same name, located a few steps from the Trevi Fountain, which, on the sixth floor also hosts Terrazza Flores by El Porteño, the rooftop bar with a wonderful view of the Quirinale and the Vittoriano managed by the same group.
Holding Dorrego Company, a cult of lifestyle hospitality since 1995, was born, in fact, from an idea of the Argentine brothers Alejandro and Sebastian Bernardez, together with Fabio Acampora, to give life to a temple of the taste of the most authentic Argentina and of the “porteña” cuisine typical of Buenos Aires (from the slang name of the natives of the capital, porteños, precisely).
Our restaurant is a bastion of the “Porteña” identity, made of tango, strong passions and good food.
(Sebastian and Alejandro Bernardez & Fabio Acampora, founders)
The restaurant, unique in Rome, hints back to the most iconic dance halls of the Argentine city, a small “jewel-museum” dedicated to two of the identifying symbols of the country’s culture and the passion of the Bernardez brothers: the game of Polo and Tango, a reference for an entire nation and an Intangible Heritage of Humanity for UNESCO since 2009.
As with all the El Porteño restaurants of the group, the interiors are the result of meticulous research by the 3 owners in their homeland, so much so that all the furniture and materials come directly from overseas. As we see in the most scenic room of the restaurant, the “Sala del Polo”, characterized by a large glass ceiling, a mosaic floor of cement tiles typical of the houses of Buenos Aires, many memorabilia related to this game on the walls, and an old cupboard full of vases made with colored electric wires.
The restaurant’s beating heart is the open kitchen: the stage for the inevitable ritual of the parrilla, or slow-cooked meat, strictly on the grill. It is here that the expert “asadores” take turns preparing fine cuts of Argentine meat to perfection: from Bife milonga to Bife de chorizo, from the various cuts of Entraña to Asado.
The menu also features all the other Argentine specialties, such as empanadas, the typical baked panzerotti offered with different fillings, as well as dishes closer to Roman cuisine, such as pasta and salads, to please all palates. As the Roman restaurant manager Sergio de Santis tells us that all the Argentines based in Rome, from soccer players to the Pope (for take-away), have become loyal customers.
The cellar, recreated as a wall of bottles that reaches the ceiling, offers refined Argentine wines such as Malbec and Torrontes, fine Italian and international reds and whites, as well as selected sparkling wines and champagnes.
For a perfect experience, before enjoying a dinner at the El Porteño restaurant, you can go up to the sixth floor and have an aperitif at the Terrazza Flores, an “en plein air” lounge with a view of the rooftops and the most iconic monuments of the Eternal City: the Quirinale, the Altare della Patria and the dome of St. Peter’s that can be seen in the distance.
In addition to classic cocktails and various tapas options, the menu includes the famous Especiales cocktails, exclusive to the venue, that play on South American influences: such as the Flores Tommy’s Margarita (with agave syrup and Tequila infused with Butterfly Pea) or the Dulce de Leche Espresso Martini (with vodka, coffee liqueur, espresso and a spoonful of dulce de leche ice cream).
For a special evening, with unique suggestions that bring back stories of great passions and strong flavors.
The Secret
Umiltà 36, the luxury hotel of Shedir Collection that hosts El Porteño Gourmet, was born from the renovation of the historic building that was once the headquarters of Forza Italia. The private room next to the open kitchen, on the left, was, in fact, once Silvio Berlusconi’s office (a famous Italian entrepreneur and former prime minister).
Useful Info
El Porteño Gourmet
Via Dell’Umiltà 36 (piano terra)
00187 Roma
Tel. +30 06 83393401
Terrazza Flores
Via Dell’Umiltà 36 (sesto piano)
00187 Roma
Tel. +39 06 90289995
Starters: from 15 euro
Meats: from 16 euro
Pastas and Risottos: from 16 euro
Cocktails: da 18 euro
Bites: from 9 euro