Antonio Ziantoni

Brambilla-Serrani

Brambilla-Serrani

Zia

via Mameli, 45 
00153 - Roma
+390623488093

Zia is truly a breath of fresh air in the scene of the capital, which in fact seems much less depressed than what one reads these days. Zia comes from Ziantoni. His name is Antonio and he’s a young chef from Vicovaro, near Tivoli, «30 km away» from the more secluded part of Trastevere. Born in 1986, he’d acquired experience around the world (China, Australia, and also with Gordon Ramsay and George Blanc) and the crucial three and a half years spent at Il Pagliaccio, with Anthony Genovese. You can tell, and taste: there’s an innate elegance, but it must be nourished. It’s like when people say: «That guy had a good education, he comes from a good school», which in this case is the prestigious one in Via Banchi Vecchi 129a.

With a good technical training, Ziantoni is intelligent in his own right. He describes himself and his style with these words: «I love France, their cooking, sauces, and fonds. Then there’s the Pagliaccio factorGenovese is my mentor, but it would be silly to present his cuisine». Why so? «His dishes are more difficult, spicy. I want something easier, more straightforward. For instance: some of my clients go to Heinz Beck’s, they have great food, spend a certain amount. Here they look for a "easier" place, and we also want to attract people who are less used to fine dining. There’s plenty of people who ask me for cacio e pepe pasta, or carbonara!».

More than reasonable, and the palate confirms this. Zia’s cuisine is based on technique, it’s well made, and ranges between complexity and fulness. But it’s decisively valuable. Ziantoni: «After middle school I didn’t know what to choose. I studied to become a surveyor for two years, but I was always passionate about food. So then I changed and attended catering school». A good choice, as confirmed by the “Surprise of the Year” award given by the Guida Identità Golose 2020.

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Identità Golose

This article is curated by Identità Golose, the publication that organises the international fine dining congress, publishes website www.identitagolose.com and the online Guida Identità Golose, on top of curating many other events in Italy and abroad