Dar Poeta

You will not find true Italian fare at Dar Poeta. This implies an absurd idea that there's an entire country filled with flavors like these, but it's unlikely that anything can parallel the magic coming out of this small kitchen in the Trastevere area of Rome.

Right when I thought that the authentic brick pizza oven with blackened edges and a marble slab entrance couldn't get more stunning, I was shown up by a pot of some melted, creamy nutella concoction in a glass display case.


Taking advantage of the size of our 6-person group, we tried to order as many different items from the menu as possible, starting with the bruschette. For 2 euros each, you can choose your bruschetta or tell your server how many you'd like and have them surprise you. We went for the "mixed" option and ordered 12.

From classic tomato basil to olive tapenade to my personal favorite -- gorgonzola with honey -- Dar Poeta seemed to have all their bases covered, and then some. The overwhelming display of thick slices of toasted bread topped with a variety of colors and textures only cost us 4 euros/person.


A moment of silent gawking is necessary to review through the pizzas.

Lingua De Foco
tomato, mozzarella, piquant salami, chili pepper
7€

Dar Poeta
mozzarella, zucchini, salami, garlic, chili pepper9€

Ruspante
mozzarella, potatoes, mushrooms, cooked ham
9€ 

Funghi
tomato, mozzarella, mushrooms7€

My Plate
priceless

Sinking your teeth into these specialty pizzas was nothing like eating your basic pie. This was an entirely new pizza-dining experience that I couldn't get enough of. Try to guess which plate was mine at the end of the meal:

We ended the night with a large ricotta cheese and nutella calzone (11€), but a smaller version is also available at half the price.

The ricotta was mixed into the nutella, functioning as a thickening agent rather than affecting the flavor. I'm a huge proponent of powdered sugar, but in this case it may have been a little overkill as I accidentally inhaled some on my first bite.

The inside was delicious, but the breading-to-filling ratio seemed a little off: about 3 to 1. Considering how special this chocolate-ricotta combination was, I would have assumed there'd be a greater effort to showcase it, but overall it was a unique treat and a sweet way to end the night.


In sum, Dar Poeta is not your typical pizzeria experience, for it is far too delicious to be considered ordinary. Failing to dip your toe into the Dar Poeta pizza pool would be like committing Roman dining suicide. Here are the numbers you need to know:


Pizzeria Dar Poeta - Vicolo del bologna 45 - P.I. 01642890568 - 00153 Roma - Tel. 06-58.80.516 - E-mail. marco@darpoeta.com