Cinquecento Roman Trattoria

Cinquecento Roman Trattoria Restaurant Review:

Cinquecento Roman Trattoria in the South End offers Italian-inspired pasta, meat and seafood to enjoy in a relaxing courtyard under twinkling lights, trees and a huge iron wheel in the warmer months or at a chic corner table upstairs. Sip a crisp Minuetto cocktail with Prosecco, vodka, elderflower, grapefruit and lemon as you nibble rustic ciabatta dipped into a dish of EVOO, and order starters such as fresh PEI oysters and tender grilled octopus with celeriac and Taggiasca olives. Share a salumi platter of cured meats and curated cheese with pickled vegetables and a fruity marmalade of the day along with a carafe of rosé. Meaty grilled baby lamb chops with black lentils in a Marsala reduction are memorable, but it’s hard to resist house-made pastas that range from a rich tagliatelle alla bolognese to spaghetti neri con gamberi (squid ink pasta topped with garlicky shrimp, pomodorini, crunchy pork guanciale, chilis and basil). Fish dishes include sea bass with escarole and wild mushrooms. Panna cotta and a budino lava cake with bittersweet chocolate and whipped unsweetened cream are among must-have desserts. Wines are by the glass, carafe and bottle, and several are on draft; expect plenty of Italian choices. There’s a Negroni flight, too, along with aperitivos like the Morettizotti with Moretti Birre and Ramazzotti. Brunch presents french toast with fig syrup and whipped mascarpone, ricotta fritters and caramelized grapefruit. Free parking is a bonus.