Dar Poeta Rome

After announcing that we were heading to Rome for a short stay, both friends in Montreal and Italian natives jumped at the opportunity to recommend Dar Poeta. After a day of wandering the city, we stopped in at the Trastevere hot spot – even in the heavy rain, a line started to edge outside the front door with eager couples and groups of friends settling in to wait for a table.

House Red Wine

With a bit of luck, we got in quickly and snagged a spot at the back, next to the (very hot) kitchen. From where we sat, we could see the chefs working, expertly flipping pizzas pies and sliding them in and out of the wood oven, dressing and plating them, all within seconds. Soon after, we were presented with a menu and our eyes were immediately drawn to the beverage section – half litre of house wine for 4 Euros? Yes, please.

Scanning the long list of pizzas, we settled on two: the Dar Poeta and the Sampietrino. While this seems like a little less than we normally order, I have to say that we struggled over convincing ourselves not to order other dishes (everything looked and smelt amazing from where we sat). One of us (the more rational/practical one) won out and we erred on the side of caution, saving space for the highlight of the meal.

Sampietrino: Mozzarella Cheese, Zucchini Cream, Mortadella, Buffalo Mozzarella

These pizzas were, hands down, the best pizzas either of us have ever eaten. Ever. And I’m not a huge fan of pizza to begin with (hard to believe, I know) but tasting these have made me a firm believer. Coming straight out of the oven, they were hot, with the cheese quickly melting into the ingredients on top, making everything stick together in a hot, delicious mess. The dough was soft but supple, with a good amount of elasticity. The crust was crisp, but not too crunchy. In other words, perfect.

Dar Poeta: Mozzarella, Salami, Garlic, Hot Peppers

The Sampietrino was a more mild pizza, packed with tasty cheeses of mozzarella and buffalo mozzarella, thinly sliced mortadella and slathered with zucchini cream. The Dar Poeta was heavier and more aromatic, with small chunks of salami peppered across the pie along with zucchini, hot peppers and the pungent taste of garlic. We ate every last crumb, leaving nothing behind.

Calzone with Ricotta Cheese and Nutella

Unable to resist dessert, our waitress sold us on the ricotta and nutella calzone. More bread, yes. But more delicious, amazing bread, filled with melted chocolate and cheesy goodness. Just thinking about it is making me drool a little… Take a look below for the money shot.

In the end, this was one of the culinary highlights of our time in Rome. So glad we got a chance to try it – big recommendation to anyone visiting.