Roma Description

Gregarious Giampaolo de Santis (Zozzo, Porcellino’s) is living out his dream of opening a neighborhood casual Italian hangout plus an alimentari supermarket – an all-purpose mini shop where everything is made from scratch – in the form of Roma, now open on Kangding Lu. 

When you first walk in, you’re greeted by the alimentari section – a smattering of fresh-made pastries, breads, pasta, jams, spices and gelato, plus a wide assortment of charcuterie – cheeses, meats and pickled or brined nibbles.

Next, you’ll hit the bar, outlined by backlit arches, a common design motif throughout the restaurant that pays homage to the colosseums of Giampaolo’s hometown of Rome. Aperitifs, digestifs and cocktails is what you can expect, plus over 220 bottles of competitively priced wine, with wine by the glass ranging from RMB48-138 and bottles priced between RMB178-688.

The main floor dining sees dark blue plush wrap-around bench seating accented by low-hanging Edison bulbs intertwined with a terrarium-esque display of suspended greenery.

Walk past the expansive open kitchen and the large tree planted at the base of the staircase to move upwards towards another level of exposed ceiling piping and concrete walls illuminated by globular orb lighting. There’s also a wine cellar and tasting room plus two private dining rooms upstairs that can be combined into one for events. The minimalist design curated by Naples-born Juliano Lapate centers around earth tones with crimson detailing, bushy shrubs and a blend of wood and metalwork. 

It’s all very industrial chic.