Far from fancy dining, a traditional Italian osteria usually strips it down to comfort food and wine in an informal, homely setting. At ROMA Osteria & Bar, the dining concept comes to life with a modern spin to match with the urban bustle of SCBD district. Situated on the ground floor of Sequis Tower, the UNION group’s latest venture envelopes pieces of traditional Italy, bearing Neapolitan pizza made by world champion pizzaiolo Pasqualino Barbasso, along with an endless list of aperitivo liqueurs and cocktails.
Roma opens right through the bar, a dimly-lit part of the restaurant where a towering liquor cellar and leather couches easily intimidate. But the impression quickly lightens with the sight of a large wood-fired pizza oven at the centre of the room, stealing people’s attention with the view and wafts of baking pizzas. Along with the sunlit dining area, Roma also impresses with its Romanesque architecture cues, seen through the establishment’s cross-vaulted wooden ceilings that give off a grand yet warm ambience.
But what’s more Italian than the food and drinks? Helmed by Chef Luca Pezzera (the chef behind The UNION group’s Caffe Milano and Bistecca), one can start with aperitifs like Aperol Spritz or Italian classic Garibaldi (Campari and orange juice) to accompany bar bites like the Wagyu & Parmigiano Reggiano Croquette.
For cuisines, go ham on Roma’s signature Neapolitan pizzas with the Bresaola, a tomato-based pizza topped with air-dried beef, arugula leaves and shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, or for the turophiles, the Quatro Formaggi with its layers of four-cheese combination pizza. The menu extends to choices of pasta and sweet desserts to top the taste buds, so make room to dwell in more quintessential Italian flavours.
Now reopened for dine-in, the establishment continues to embrace “life’s simple pleasures of eating and drinking well”. And in true Italian fashion, ROMA Osteria & Bar serves this maxim in spades.