Giano Restaurant

Seeking “trendy new places” that are genuinely good in the Eternal City is usually as futile as searching for Andy Warhols at the Vatican Museum—and yet. Those craving a break from nose-to-tail Roman menus will be thrilled with the vivid modern Sicilian flavors of Giano located on Via Liguria.

The main thing to know about Giano is that it’s the first Roman outpost of the unstoppably creative Sicilian chef Ciccio Sultano, who holds two Michelin stars at his restaurant Duomo in Ragusa. But though Giano’s menu includes a few of his signature hits, the food here is not overwrought and the prices are fair given the stellar ingredients and the kitchen’s laser-sharp focus.

The glamorous wood-paneled dining room with playfully clubby vibes and plush seating is a perfect setting for a classic negroni. Sip it while perusing the menu that reads like a paean to Sicilian almonds, citrus, and seafood. A good place to start is the white grouper carpaccio with wild fennel and orange, or the silvery flash-cooked sardines curled around an agrodolce Sicilian-Arab filling of pine nuts and raisins.

Currently the most thrilling pasta in Rome? Sultano’s legendary spaghetto taratatà, named for the sound of rattling sabers. The toothsome pasta is sauced with lemon, ground pine nuts, and shaved tuna bottarga, and is served with a flourish of grouper tartare under a crunchy topping of bread crumbs. After splitting a main course featuring rich tuna belly or Nerodi black pig from a heirloom Sicilian breed, enjoy the dessert “menu” presented as cute Polaroid photos of the sweets on offer. Yes, you’ll want Sultano’s scandalously rich ricotta cannoli served with a sorbet of Avola almonds.