Zucchero: Fabrizio Fiorani's new boutique at W Rome

Inside W Rome, part of the portfolio of 30 hotel brands of Marriott Bonvoy, opened on the 6th of December not far from Piazza di Spagna, there's a novelty that will be appreciated by all lovers of creative and contemporary pastry-making. It's called Zucchero X Fabrizio Fiorani and it's the first sweet boutique of the Roman pastry chef.

Born in ‘86, Fiorani's career could lead one to think he was twice his age, as he has worked in some of the most important establishments in the world, (Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence, La Pergola in Rome, and then at Bulgari's in Tokyo and Osaka) and which has granted him many awards like the Best Pastry Chef award in Asia in 2019.

Chef Fabrizio Fiorani

Since 2020 he's been managing the pastry-making at Duomo, and at W Rome he shares with the same Ciccio Sultano the management of the sweet and savoury offer of the entire hotel, plus this very personal showcase which is open also to non-guests.

The shop inside W Rome

«Opening in my hometown is a very important goal for me – says Fabrizio Fiorani enthusiastically -. I thought about this choice seriously, then I understood that there was nothing like going back home. The friendship and partnership with Ciccio Sultano is now an unbreakable association, both personally and professionally. I started working on this project six months ago and now I'm happy with the result, even though my motto was to always do better, polishing and perfecting the smallest detail».

The pastry-shop counter

The offer is inspired by the motto of “Italian contemporary pastry-making”. «There's no need for extravaganza to please clients. We often complicate our lives, but if something is good, the sensation of pleasure arrives straight to the palate – Fiorani continues -. For instance, we offer guests of the hotel a breakfast with croissant, pain au chocolat, maritozzi and baked cheesecake with raspberries of the highest standards, many cakes, compatible with allergies too, like the one with hazelnuts, with no butter and no eggs, with wholewheat flour. W is a very inclusive brand, and we never say no. On site, there's the attentive chef Cesare Murzilli with a team of 7 who fully represent us».

Happy Pills, happiness in 5 chocolate "pills"

«The cakes for restaurant Giano were selected with Ciccio, Cesare and Nicola Zamperetti, executive chef of the hotel – says Fiorani-. We go from the Tiramisù with glasses, a coffee sablé filled with mascarpone cream, presented on a support shaped as a nose, to match flavour with fun, and have people smile. And then there's Oil, salt, wheat, three ingredients that arrived from Mesopotamia which have always been the staple of every diet in the world. It's a crumble made with ancient wheat varieties from Sicily, a light vanilla cream, a sauce and an ice cream of salted caramel and extra virgin olive oil, hiding the logo of the restaurant in Ragusa Ibla. Among the most beloved desserts, the best cannolo siciliano of your life: a traditional wafer rolled out and fried in peanut oil, which allows for consistent a gold colour and quality, a filling of pure cow's milk ricotta with no aromas, paired with a quenelle of sorbet of almonds from Avola and a hot soup of prickly pears».

The hotel's lounge bar

From the gourmet restaurant to the boutique, where you can find displayed single-portion and miniature cakes, cakes, lots of chocolate, dragées and biscuits.

«There are all sorts of pralines, like the half sphere with the outside of milk chocolate filled with gianduja cream, cookies with flakes of dark chocolate, a very soft and alcohol free lemon cake – says Fiorani -. Plus there are my Happy pills, 5 “pills” served in a blister pack, pure happiness in less than 10 grams of chocolate, in different flavours, dark chocolate, white chocolate and vanilla, raspberries, pistachios and caramel. And then, some jars with breakfast biscuits and dragées, like almond pralines with dark chocolate or candied ginger covered in white chocolate».

Tiramisù with glasses, a signature cake from Fiorani. You can taste it at restaurant Giano, managed by two-starred chef Ciccio Sultano

There are also various single-portion cakes available, which will constantly change in flavours and colours. «You can currently find a super classic one with a soaked sponge cake, cream of mascarpone and mousse, all aromatised with vanilla, my tribute to Pierre Hermé's Tarte Infiniment Vanille».

Cesare Murzilli, pastry chef at W Rome

Two soft gelatos, of which one with alcohol, are always available: now there's vanilla and a Gin Mare sorbet. It will be possible to order larger cakes – for 6 or more people – like the contemporary Apple Cake with crumble of ancient Sicilian wheat and cinnamon, apples cut very thin in layers that become creamy during the baking, or the Tart with pistachio frangipane as base, pistachio cream and pistachio pralines. For the holidays, there's the panettone classico Milano with the aroma of organic Madagascar vanilla, also made by the pastry lab at hotel W Rome.

Translated by Slawka G. Scarso