It was a few years back on a rainy night that we wended our way to Palazzo Manfredi and dinner at the Aroma Restaurant.
A lot of hotel stays and superb dining experiences later, we still had a memory of that time and also of our meeting with the elegant Bruno Papeleo, General Manager.
Now we were back in Rome, guests at the Palazzo Manfredi, a Relais Chateaux five star property. In the 17th century it became a villa of the Evangelisti family.
It passed on to the Venerable Confraternita dell Ss Trinita dei Pelleegrini e dei Convalescenti. Totally rebuilt in the 18th century, the building then became a hunting lodge.
In 2002, Count Goffredo Manfredi, a famous Italian businessman and construction magnate purchased the villa. All thanks to him for the creation of this 16-room gem of a hotel.
Chef Giuseppe Di Iorio has been Aroma's master head chef since the sublime restaurant opened in 2010. It is located on a picturesque outdoor terrace that offers at all times an unparalleled and almost hypnotic view of the Coliseum.
Perfecting a menu that merges his mastery of traditional Italian cooking with his zeal for fresh ingredients and new ideas, the inventive chef Di Iorio was awarded his first Michelin star in 2015.
He is a man with zest for good food and a light touch it making it out of this world extraordinary.
His cuisine is definitely "not just pasta," but if it is pasta you crave there is that too, delicious and inventive and features classic Italian dishes. The 40-seat Aroma Restaurant is settled in nicely on the Penthouse of the elegant Palazzo.
We had a bit more time to spend this time around with G.M. Bruno Papaleo, who if anything is more on top of his game than ever.
His insights into the hotel's marvelous chef and the environment around Palazzo Manfredi, were succinct and on target:
The cuisine in Aroma," Papeleo explained, "is Mediterranean with small touches of the regions of and around Rome.
The setting is very historic, and the area is a nice, quiet place, like a small village where everyone knows everyone else. From some of the hotel rooms, you can see the changing rooms of the gladiators.
There is a touristic crowd around the Coliseum.
But the tourism doesn't extend into the Domus which is where we are.
Palazzo Manfredi is a glorious gem - 16 individually created rooms in an elegant five star hotel. All different from each other. Views are everywhere – the Coliseum, the Colle Oppio (Emperor Nero's Gardens), and the streets of the local neighborhood. Rome – at its best.
G.M. Papaleo's terrific touch is everywhere from the sublime Palma toiletries, to the friendly, attentive, capable staff. It is all of one piece – service with a smile and among the best we have had in years.