Imàgo — Restaurant in Rome

Located on top of a fancy hotel with a long tradition of famous people passing through. A stunning view of the city and sunset. Proper attire required. But not stuffy. The atmosphere is a mix of high class very attentive service, and friendly conversation. The staff were just the right amount of engaging and interested in feedback.

We planned to get the classic menu, it looked the best on the website when we booked months ago. But they recently introduced a new summer menu. Upon inspection it was a no brainier to switch. Things like lobster and corn, pasta with lavender, sea cucumber and rabbit leaped out and caught my attention.

They encourage you to take pictures, feel free to move about the dining room. Again: stunning view. The first and last things I noticed about the experience was my comfort. The chairs are captains chairs. Comfortable for both leaning back and taking in the view, and for leaning forward and dining.

The dining experience started with the feeling of being wooed. Champagne cart, three Amuse Buche. One of which was plain and simple focaccia with tomato and basil. It looked just like what you find at every corner store and local restaurant in Italy. For this reason it stood out. And it tasted like having this dish for the first time. Like the best Italian food, it was simple but perfectly made.

The new menu has four "Acts". In total, counting the "Sweet Cart" from which I was offered unlimited access, the entire meal consisted of 26 courses. We were warned in advance that the food would come relatively quickly from course-to-course. This sounded ok. And for my taste it worked perfectly. No lulls in the action or my palete. Also, not a single large dish. This approach gets a lot of points from me.

My favorite dishes were the sorrel, almond and blueberry salad and the 'summer salad' which elevated the bar early on. Then the raw sweet prawn with apple and perfectly carved out, marinated lettuce pieces. The raw beef was to die for, but I recommend eating it without the Bearnaise sauce or only a tiny bit at first, otherwise you might miss the delicate beef flavor wonders. The rabbit ravioli was a risky maneuver from the chef, with carrot and ginger, balancing a hint of Asian flavor against classic pasta. It paid off. The one that stole my heart and surprised me the most was the 10-year aged Parmesan pasta dish with pollen (from Bees). I never knew pasta could have so much Umami (and without a single mushroom or cured pork piece).

There were only 2 of 26  I was not impressed with. The spaghetti with figs offered a sweet surprise, but the lavender and basil were bitter and the sweet and bitter did not get along for me. A daring experiment worth trying, but maybe not quite right. I noticed that the table next to us did not like theirs. Then the lobster with sweetcorn. I was really excited to see this on the menu - two of my favorite ingredients, and the popcorn pineapple juice I had already had me excited about corn themed dishes. But it simply failed for me. This perfect piece of lobster tail with a delicate crispy batter was lost in a creamy sauce that not only did not fit, I did not taste like sweetcorn. It has a mustard like note that was not complementing the lobster. On the side was a delicious little sandwich bite, but whose main flavor was onion. Lobster plus onion plus not exactly sweet corn.... just did not gel with my palate.

I'm offering my least favorite items as constructive feedback, because everything else about the food was more like a two Michelin star experience and flavors. Very high caliber dining. I just want to mention that I think that 20 Euro per juice - even with brilliantly creative flavors like pineapple popcorn - is too high. I only realized when the check came that I added 80 Euro just by drinking four wine-glass sized juices.

Overall I am so glad I visited this restaurant. It was a full experience with fantastic service. The wine list was longer than a work of Shakespeare....

SPOILERS! Without a doubt, the best meal I have ever had in my entire life. What a treat! Every course had you giddy with anticipation as to what was coming next. Everything was fireworks in my mouth! Sitting down to a bottle cap opener was a first. How uniquely inventive. Then the miniature beer mug for some street food that included tiny pizza and hand made chips in a sealed Imago bag. From the Imago logo on everything including the ice cubes, to the glitter in the paper, nothing here isn't thought through or left to chance. Chef Andrea Antonini is a genuis! Honorable mention to the most delicious desert to ever touch my tongue! The strawberries and 'hand placed' meringue petals was over the moon amazing. Of all the Michelin restaurants I have dined at, none compares to Imago which stands a distant 1st place to every other. Hats off to the amazing service staff who were exceptionally attentive without once being intrusive. What exceptional choreography and communication. The souvenir of our visit to Imago was a beautiful and unique touch. Oh yes, there's also an amazing view of Rome if you ever lift your head from your plate or open your eyes while savoring the heaven that Imago serves. If there were ever a restaurant worth flying out of your way for, this is it! I cannot...

Imàgo is everything a Michelin starred restaurant ought to be.

Service that goes above and beyond. The staff is so kind, very happy to talk about the restaurant, and include many complimentary touches with the dining experience. If you’re lucky, the chef will stop by your table at the end and chat.

Imàgo has a defined culinary style, but not one without intrigue. Each dish makes your palette initially gasp in surprise and then settle into bliss. In a city of historical relics and ruins, I felt I was eating a resurrected Italy, bursting with traditional flavors and contemporary touches. The substance of Imàgo is quintessentially Italian, but the form is high modern art.

The dining room has the perfect ambiance and spacing of tables, it feels private despite other guests being nearby. Eating culinary art and gazing at the romantic Roman skyline is a must for any food enthusiast.

My only sadness in leaving Imàgo was that I can’t return immediately, but distance makes the heart grow fonder. This has blown all other dining experiences, from Las Vegas to Paris to New York, away and taken first...