Our Honeymoon: Truffle Heaven at Ad-Hoc, Rome

Is there an ingredient that you are a little bit obsessed with? A condiment that you can't live without? A special seasoning that drives you a wee bit potty? For Mr Sunshine and I, this ingredient is the trusty truffle.

So of course, we could not honeymoon in Italy, the motherland of the truffle without making a visit to a restaurant with a menu especially tailored to the "diamond of the kitchen". Having scoured the internet for reviews, we alighted on the perfect solution and one hot and steamy Tuesday evening in July, we set off in search of a little restaurant tucked away on beautiful Via di Ripetta in the heart of Rome. We were heading to Ad Hoc.

Our evening actually started around the corner from the main restaurant. The owners had invited us to an intimate truffle tasting in their tiny boutique truffle store of the same name.

A little late, due to getting lost along some of the winding roads close to Piazza del Popolo, we joined two couples downstairs in the dark and atmospheric basement of the store.

Here we spent a blissful half an hour, sampling black and white truffle spreads on little squares of bread, and some rich and earthy truffled olive oil, while knocking back as much free prosecco as we could muster.

With tastebuds tickled (and insides a little pickled), we shuffled around the corner for the main show.

Seated in a prime spot by the window, we glanced at the menu and decided in an instant. The black truffle tasting menu, with assorted wine pairings was the only option for a night like tonight.

Our waitress brought us a dish of black truffles, and allowed us to touch and smell them, while she explained their origins and talked about how they would be used in our upcoming dishes.

By this point, I was starving and beginning to feel the effects of the prosecco, so I took a turn around the room to try to distract myself. 

The restaurant itself is like a gorgeous treasure trove of exciting treats. Famous Italian wines line the walls...

An ancient station clock hangs from one corner, just below an ancient exposed beam...

And display boxes are stacked in every nook and cranny. The result is something that is halfway between an old museum of artefacts, and my granny's house, which I think is a rather homely and charming effect!

In no time at all, our first plate of food arrived; an appetiser of truffled pate and beef carpaccio with truffled balsamic vinegar. I am pretty sure we both almost licked our plates clean.





The tasting Hors D'ouvres came next, which included a buffalo ricotta and truffle roulade, beef fillet tartare and truffle oil, and a toasted truffle brioche with duck liver pate and truffles.

I would so dearly love to tell you about all of the elements of these dishes, but frankly I was so hungry by this point that I scoffed the lot without having time to think much about what I was eating. What I can tell you was that it was all incredibly more-ish, and the flavours were incredible!

I can't tell you too much about the wine either, other than that it was a red, it was delicious, and it was knocked back in a couple of gulps. I'm sure we made for a very attractive picture as we tucked into our food and drink with gusto, barely lifting our heads or acknowledging each other apart from to make an occasional grunt of appreciation!

Shortly afterwards, we quickly polished of these gorgeous Grissini too. I particularly enjoyed the sun dried tomato ones which were crunchy but crumbly, buttery and full of flavour.

Feeling a little more ourselves after some food, we were able to take our time over our pasta course, and really enjoy it.  We had two dishes to sample. The truffled carbonara was housed in a crisp parmesan bowl, and the truffle was a beautiful twist on an Italian classic. The tonnarelli with parmesan, butter and truffle was incredibly rich and perfectly el dente. Both were topped with lashings of grated black truffle.

We both really enjoyed our pasta dishes, but the richness of the truffle running through the sauces meant that we couldn't have managed too much more than the small portions we were given.

However, it was the wine that we had with this course which really stole the show. It was a Montepulicano Abruzzo, one of my favourite wines in the world. This one was particularly smooth, delicate and fruity, and once again slipped down far too easily. I think it was safe to say that we were both feeling a little squiffy by this point, as this photo nicely illustrates.

Our 'tasting meats' were duck breast glazed with black truffle honey and roast beef tenderloin with black truffles. By this point, I am ashamed to say that I was experiencing a little truffle overload, and had to pick some of the truffle shavings off the meat. However, without them, both dishes were perfectly cooked, and the subtle truffle taste that permeated the meat still shone through. 

One of my favourite things about this restaurant was how truffle had been used so innovatively throughout the menu, with a touch of truffled honey here, a dash of truffle oil there, and lots of pure, unadulterated truffle grated straight from the tuber.

However, this was nothing compared to the selection of tasting desserts that came next, which were all well-known classics which had been cleverly laced with the delicate flavour of truffle.

Our very final plate of the evening was the best of all. Knowing that we were celebrating a very special occasion, the staff brought us each a plate of desserts with a special message to wish us luck in our future married life.

I polished mine off, along with a final glass of dessert wine.

As we paid up, feeling a little wobbly and discussing how we didn't want to see another drop of alcohol again for at least a few more hours, a paper bag with a special present from the staff was brought to our table 'for our nightcap'. Catching each other's eyes, we laughed and accepted it warmly, thanking our waitress. We knew that as soon as we got back to our hotel room, we would definitely oblige. 

It would have been very rude to refuse a very thoughtful wedding gift, would it not?!

Our Honeymoon: My Favourite Restaurant in the World

I love food, and I adore travel, so it's only natural that when I'm on holiday, the principal thing on my mind is scouting out the best local eateries where I can experience authentic cultural flavours and get my munch on with the locals.

One restaurant I was desperate to get to 'when in Rome' was the famous family-run restaurant Antica Pesa, which opened its doors in 1922 and now has restaurants in New York and our very own Doha. Now, you might remember how much I love this restaurant from my fine dining in Doha series, so I was super excited when our friend, Chef Marco Calcaterra very kindly set us up for dinner on the very first night of our honeymoon at the very location where this small but growing empire of traditional Italian trattorias all began.

Our night started at an unassuming little door along the winding road of Via Garibaldi in historic Trastevere.

Inside the building, a dark and homely interior welcomed us, along with the huge smile of restaurant manager, Alessia.

She showed us the beautiful paintings and frescoes of the Winter dining room, a space which felt more akin to a notable art gallery than an old Roman Inn.

And then we were led out to the light and airy summer terrace, where we were met by Exective Chef and owner, Simone Panella.

Simone introduced the extensive menu to us, describing the traditional methods, ingredients and passion which went into each of the dishes, and with an amuse bouche and a glass of prosecco in hand to wash it down, our meal began.

Mr Sunshine had selected a gorgeous deep and plummy Brunello Di Montalcino from the veritable tome that had been set before us.

This paired beautifully with the salty Bassiano ham with warm Mozzarella in crispy pastry which Mr S had selected from the menu to start, a dish which he has enjoyed many times more in the restaurant in Doha since our return, with the ham swapped out for bresaola.

I had decided to go for the most mysterious starter on the menu, which was simply described as 'taking a trip to the Roman country', and I was delighted when my course arrived at the table in a small wooden box, which was opened to reveal six small portions of traditional Roman fare.

L-R from top left: Pontecorvo vegetables and Caciofiore cheese; Porchetta; Saint Nicola's Lard on soft, white Pizza; Lentils with Bassiano Ham; Dried pork, or 'copietta' with aromatic salad; Smoked Speck with Goats Cheese; Trio of Traditional Cheeses from Lazio.

I relished being able to sample some of Rome's oldest and most revered recipes in bite-sized form, and made a mental note of which I particularly enjoyed so that I could order them again before we left the city.

I am ashamed to say that we opted for the same dishes for our primi, secondi e per finire, but we weren't disappointed that we hadn't sampled more options, for each dish was just as stunning and authentic as our starters had been, and this way we cut out inevitable food envy.

Our primi was traditional Spaghetti Carbonara, made with crisp and thick pancetta and heaps of creamy, eggy sauce.

Then came perfectly-cooked, tender beef with green beans and mash.

And finally, the most perfect créme brûlèe.

Somewhere in between our mains and dessert, there was a power cut on the street, and the twinkling lights in the courtyard disappeared one by one. Rapidly, candles were lit, and the waiters rushed around to check that everyone was OK.

Amidst all of the drama, which meant that many patrons dishes were delayed while they waited for the back-up generator to kick in so that power could be restored to the ovens, our waiter still managed to make time to take us down to the ancient wine cellars so that we could see for ourselves why the restaurant's wine list is so extensive.

He even pointed out exactly where our own bottle of wine sat amongst the shelves and shelves of beautiful Italian reds!

Back in Doha over an Aperol Spritz, Chef Marco of Antica Pesa Doha provided me with an explanation of why I'd returned from honeymoon with the belief that this small chain of trattorias was my favourite place to eat in the world. "We treat our customers like friends", he told me, "and the staff here are friends too. We came out to Doha together and we all want to educate you on what great Italian food is. You come here to have a great time, and you can only have that if we are having a great time too".

"My inspiration for cooking was my Mama. She was cooking for about 25 people every weekend...Most of us Italians from all around the world, we're serious about food. We like to unite with family, and food makes you realise how important it is to get together and enjoy each other's company".

This, in essence is what Antica Pesa is all about; it's an extended family of relatives and friends whose exuberant passion for traditional Roman food is as contagious as their warm smiles and kind hospitality. It is no wonder that the restaurant has built a huge array of loyal customers, including many big names and celebrities, all of which have contributed to almost a century of success across three continents.

For now, Mr Sunshine and I will continue to enjoy the fact that we are lucky enough to have an Antica Pesa on our doorstep.

Next up on the wishlist, Antica Pesa, Brooklyn NYC.

Do you have a favourite restaurant that you have discovered on your travels? What makes it stand out from all the rest?

I am posting this as part of the monthly Travel Link-Up. This month it's all about your favourite things. If you would like to join in, head over to Kelly, Rebecca, Emma or Frankie’s blogs and link-up your post!

We were guests of Antica Pesa Rome this time, but as always, I only write honest reviews, regardless.