Il Margutta of Rome, 40 Years of Experience in Vegetarian Culture

Posted by Rowena Dumlao - Giardina 4/12/2019

Il Margutta of Rome, 40 Years of Experience in Vegetarian Culture

It was in the year 1979 when Claudio Vannini conceptualized Il Margutta in Rome. Starting from a small restaurant specializing in macrobiotics, a diet that balances the yin and yang elements of food based on the philosophy of Zen Buddhism, it quickly evolved into the vegetarian culture. Being centrally located in the good part of the capital and having a very interesting concept of cooking, aside from an excellent local following, its patrons hailed from different parts of the world like world-renowned yoga masters, followers of Indian gurus who impose vegetarian diet, writers and artists.

  Ten years later, Claudio's wife, Tina, stepped in and they both embarked in expanding Il Margutta to three vegetarian dining spaces in the capital, a bar, a bistrot and a restaurant which is today, summarized in the current format. The concept is to offer Italian vegetarian cuisine which also branches out towards vegan and raw food formats. Il Margutta also devotes exhibitions of artists, giving attention to the emerging young talents.

Their philosophy is nourishing ourselves with ingredients that respect the environment and animals. Eating is much more complex than just feeding ourselves with calorific food mechanically, where it requires a deeper gesture of constant dialogue between food for the body and nourishment for the spirit. Always the bearer of vegetarian and vegan cuisine, Il Margutta promotes a healthy, fair and sustainable food culture.

  The kitchen is headed by Chef Mirko Moglioni, a lecturer at Coquis, a culinary school in Rome. He has built himself a solid experience in the Roman cuisine in the kitchens of Al Ceppo and Antico Arco. He has gained international experiences at Il Buco Restaurant in New York City and another restaurant in Cannes. Why the green kitchen? He believes that vegetarian cooking requires remarkable creative commitment of mind and profound knowledge of the products.

At Il Margutta, the day starts early from breakfast and Italian style brunch at the Bio Bar with a buffet of more than forty kinds of food using organic products with fresh fruit extracts and other natural drinks. For lunch and dinner you can find ample creative proposals of food and wine based on the season. Tea is served in the afternoon as well as cocktails starting at 18:30. Themed as Green Aperitif, the food and drink proposals are intertwined with taste and awareness using organic and kilometer zero ingredients.

  The menu at Il Margutta is changed every season while the wine list is changed five times a year to give way to other wines that merit to be paired with the dishes of the chef. From appetizers, pasta, risotto, ample salads to the main dishes, the dishes are reasonably priced between €11 to €18. There are also four kinds of tasting menus with varying number of dishes and proposals from the chef. The Light and Detox Menu has four dishes at €35, Il Margutta Menu has 4 proposals at €40 including a bio sparkling drink and amuse bouche, Vegan Emphasis Menu has 5 proposals at €50 and Dolce Vita Menu at €60 has 6 proposals, both of which include an amuse bouche and bio sparkling drink as well. 