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06 9818 4171

Via Velletri 39, Roma

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Via Velletri 39, Roma

The creed

We know how to wait:

We lend time to the fish: frollatura is patience that turns into depth.

We lend our attention to the sea: the menu changes when the catch changes.

We lend our faith to the fire: the embers do not lie.

Raw is truth, the embers are character.

Pescato, frollato, alla brace.

Rome

A whole fish hanging from a hook, held up against the white kitchen tiles.
Three opened fish with their hanging hooks, on a dark steel surface.
Opened fish hanging from hooks inside the ageing chamber, one with a yellow tag.
Close-up of a fish’s head and its red flesh, on a steel surface.
A fish’s head with a handwritten tag tied on with string, on a steel tray.

Frollatura

8–14days of ageing

Frollatura is the time we give the fish. As with meat, we let it rest for a few days before it comes to the table.

It rests on hooks in our ageing chambers, at a constant temperature and humidity.

Over these days the fish loses some of its water: the flavour concentrates and deepens, and the flesh firms up.

Every fish has its own timing, depending on the species and its size. That’s why each one has its own tag, with the date.

Raw, fire, time

Pierpaolo Presta is Rome’s house of dry-aged fish and live embers: a chef’s seafood kitchen where raw tells the truth of the ingredient, fire gives it character and time gives it depth.

Slices of raw white fish with capers, rocket, green tomato and a drizzle of orange oil, in a white plate.

Raw

The truth of the ingredient: sashimi, gran crudo, Tyrrhenian prawns. A starting point, never a shortcut.

Glazed octopus tentacles on the grill over glowing embers, with smoke rising and a pair of tongs.

Fire

Live embers in the kitchen: the house’s defining gesture, its character.

A dry-aged fish on a steel tray, with its handwritten tag in the foreground.

Time

Dry-ageing the catch, declared in days: the rarest technique on the menu, its depth.

Bluefin tuna

We always have it.

«Mediterranean bluefin tuna is a part of me, a deep bond that goes beyond the kitchen. It is passion, respect and love for the sea. A fish I feel is mine, which I choose with care and do justice to every day, relying on small-scale sustainable fishing. Because some ingredients are not just work: they are heart.»

Pierpaolo Presta
Two hands holding three pieces of raw bluefin tuna, above a dark board with a knife.
The side of an opened tuna, up close: pale ribs over dark red flesh.
A cut of tuna up close: pink flesh streaked with white, beneath the dark skin.

Who you’ll meet

Pierpaolo Presta in the kitchen, finishing two plates of raw fish with tweezers.

Pierpaolo Presta

In the kitchen

He’s the chef. His cooking starts from the day’s catch, served raw, dry-aged or over the embers. He cares about the seasons, the work of small producers and the pleasure of sharing what is good.

Giorgia in profile, wearing glasses, at work in the kitchen.

Giorgia

In the dining room

She’s the one who welcomes you when you arrive and looks after your table from start to finish. She’ll suggest the wine and talk you through the dishes, to help you choose. And behind the scenes she takes care of the whole technical side of the restaurant.

The dining room set for service: a long table with glasses and a lit lamp, and the bottle niche on the wall.

Via Velletri 39

00198 Roma

06 9818 4171Open the map

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