Bistrot64 — Restaurant in Rome

Third and last of the Michelin star restaurants tested during our trip to Rome. Probably the most successful even if we always find something to say! I'm a little perfectionist on the edges!

First of all, we are at the limits of the columns of Hercules, in the north of Rome, well above Villa Borghese.

As for the setting, we are more in the concept of bistronomy since the walls are covered with Parisian metro style tiles, marble tables without tablecloths with wooden settes, service casual. Far from the baroque of the Trevi Fountain. Sound atmosphere a little loud. It's pretty but without particular character. This is a decor that can be found in hundreds of restaurants around the world.

Two tasting menus chosen by the chef, Kotaro Noda: "Just Us!" 5 services at 50 euros or "Experience" at more than 10 services for 90 euros. Or menu "Simply yours", 5 dishes à la carte at 50 euros. Accompaniment of wines at 35 and 45 euros.

We quickly pass the amuse-bouche, slice of dry bread decorated with plots of vegetable mousse and elegantly placed on a tree trunk. Probably a conceptual expression of the marriage of the artisanal and meticulous work of the man confronted with the savage brutality of Nature. Or the chef only found it nice. Nice and good bread ball-shaped.

First service. And recognize that it attacks very hard: a scoop of oyster ice placed on a huge ice cube containing some herbs. It's absolutely excellent! The flavor of the oyster is concentrated, powerful. For a start, it promises! Only downside, the two zests of lemon yuzu candied on the ball. For me, they are too much, although I understand the message for the tradition of citrus with the mollusc. Tradition that I do not respect. I've always been convinced that the oyster was self-sufficient. I do not tell you when I see vinegar or sausage coming at Arcachon (France)!

We continue in blow one's mind with two raw langoustines, served in a wine glass, decorated with a quality soy sauce and chopped mint and other condiments. We turn like a wine and we drink! Simple, funny, effective. Easy to remake at home. But avoid the basic Kikkoman!

Then the Carbonara without pasta! But there remains the bacon! We are saved. A little less exciting. But the chef must have an obsession with pasta without pasta since the following are actually filaments of potatoes! On a bed of mashed butter and infinitesimally scented anchovies.

And maybe the chef should indeed avoid working this product because his cold Tagliolino on tomato bed and dominated by a spoon of caviar are the weak dish of the whole series. The caviar is drowned in the mass and the excellent tomatoes do not save the dish. (FYI, Italy is the second largest producer of farmed caviar in the world, after China.) Let's hope that the sequel will not be a fall from Charybdis to Scylla.

He catches up brilliantly with Sardinian fregola with basil pesto, covered with a cuttlefish carpaccio, wrapped in an improbable film of pink jelly and totally transparent. Awesome, delicate. Respect!

The next dish is even better. A fillet of cod all dressed in black. A stir-fried flour lace, a delicate mushroom mousse, the fish covered with a thin layer of squid ink. But it is not simple sauce, it is gently gelled to surround it. A work of Sisyphus! We will conclude the salted part with a pigeon perfectly cooked, accompanied by a half onion almost candied and slices of orange vinegar. These are IMPERATIVELY to taste with a piece of pigeon. Sweetness and vinegar harmonize perfectly in the mouth. Otherwise, it's horror!

What are we left? The desserts. Apart from the small kindness to pass the time, both desserts have left me a little hungry. The first coffee because it is a drink I hate. So I will not judge. The second is frightfully dry, a kind of crumble with a dry biscuit too. A little pity after this fantasy of tastes. The selection of the wines is very good, even I thought that it might be more interesting to test a warm tasty sake with oyster ice rather than a classic white wine. Check...

PLEASE READ BEFORE BOOKING

A Star That Has Dimmed: A Disappointing Experience at a Michelin Restaurant in Rome

When stepping into a Michelin-starred restaurant, expectations are understandably high. Unfortunately, this restaurant in Rome fell far short of what one would expect from such an establishment. From start to finish, it was a disappointment across the board, in terms of food, service, and atmosphere.

Snacks Lacking Salt and Texture The experience began with snacks that lacked the basic balance of salt. The same was true for the lentils, which were paired with sparkling wine that did not complement the dish at all. The snacks not only needed more seasoning but also a better texture to make them interesting. This set a bad tone for the meal from the start.

Artichoke and Eggplant Misfire Next came a dish featuring artichoke and eggplant, both of which were disappointingly bland and texturally off. The sauce was far too bitter, overwhelming the subtlety of the vegetables. It was a dish in desperate need of balance and finesse.

Pasta: A Glimmer of Hope The pasta was a rare bright spot in an otherwise lackluster meal. It was well-cooked and enjoyable, though I personally would have appreciated a bit more freshness—perhaps some lemony vegetables to cut through the richness. However, the wine pairing struggled to carry the dish, diminishing the overall experience.

Cod Dish: Fine, but Not Memorable The cod was well-prepared and properly cooked, and this time, the wine pairing worked well. However, while this dish was competent, it was not enough to redeem the meal. The standout here was the red wine from Etna, which was actually the best part of the entire experience at bistrot64

Pre-Dessert and Dessert: Underwhelming and Uninspired The pre-dessert was icy and bland, which was surprising given Italy's strong tradition of excellent gelato. It was dull and uninspired, falling far short of what I expected. The dessert itself was even worse—an unbalanced dish with no texture to speak of, tasting only of cream. It was missing any element of crispiness or contrast, making it forgettable at best.

Service: Unengaged and Unprofessional The service was perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the evening. From the moment we walked in, it felt as though the staff didn’t want us there. There was no pride or joy in presenting the dishes, and it almost seemed like they were avoiding interacting with us because they knew the food wasn’t up to standard. Not once did anyone ask us how the food tasted, nor did they inquire if we were satisfied after any of the courses. When we finished the meal, no one checked if we wanted anything more or even asked how we were doing.

Worse yet, when we tried to get the bill, the staff ignored us, busy with their phones, even though there were only two tables in the entire restaurant. Plates were cleared without a word, despite the fact that we hadn’t finished several of the courses—another glaring sign of their indifference.

Ambiance: Confusing and Disconnected The ambiance was equally confusing. The music selection was completely out of sync with the setting, leaving us unsure of what kind of mood the restaurant was trying to establish. The interior lacked personality, and it was hard to understand what type of cuisine or dining experience they were aiming for.

In the end, it is baffling that this restaurant still holds a Michelin star. The expectations it builds up are far too high for the lackluster experience it delivers. The service was unprofessional, the dishes lacked balance and flavor, and the entire experience felt poorly executed. Michelin should seriously reconsider this star, as the restaurant is not living up to its prestige, and that is a disservice both to the guests and to the restaurant itself.

My advice to the establishment: focus on what you do well. Pasta. Stick to Italian cuisine and consider revamping your wine pairings to better suit the dishes. Only then can you begin to rebuild what...

Bistrot64 is an utter disgrace and massive disappointment, especially after seeing Stanley Tucci's glowing documentary. The acclaimed Japanese-Italian fusion chef has abandoned ship, and it shows in the train wreck of a dining experience. Do yourselves an enormous favor - AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS and go to the either Greco Romano next door or Rimessa Roscioli instead if you're in the area.

We tried this place out despite the bad reviews and went in with an open mind. We tried the al-a-carte menu; The mandatory 3-course minimums are strange, as one is not seeing dessert options until the end. The amuse-bouches were flavorless bites trying too hard. The veal starter was the only bright spot - beautifully cooked with nice saucing.

After that, it was a parade of disasters - an insanely saucy, bland cacio e pepe without any proper pepper kick, amatriciana was similarly swimming in a watery, depthless tomato sauce using cheap bacon instead of guanciale (there by not adding any smokiness to the dish). The pork secondi looked like it was plated by a child - the protein cut into ugly chunks sitting next to a pile of greyish-green sludge meant to be a veggie puree shaped like a pig, doused in an unnecessary, oversalted miso sauce that had to be scraped off. Somehow the beef secondi was even worse - chewy, overcooked meat accompanied by limp, rotting greens that belonged in the trash (see photos for both the pork and the beef dish!.

Dessert provided no redemption - a poorly executed white chocolate something that exemplified their utter lack of understanding of balanced flavors and textures. Use of ONLY white chocolate in a dessert is weird considering that it’s very sweet and you need some sharpness to cut through the sweetness and it had NONE. The consistency was weird of this white chocolate — it was hard and not smooth mousse like, extremely sweet and had a bad after taste from cress milk (also seemed unnecessary to this dish).

Service was inattentive and uncaring, as if they knew the food was dreadful. At €200 for two with wine, it's not a great bang for your buck. Do yourselves a favor and skip this place, especially if you watched the Tucci documentary expecting good Italian cuisine. Spare...