It was our last Sunday night in Rome and we needed to celebrate. After we had spent our day transporting ourselves on the Roman subway, exploring old basilicas and outdoor markets, piazzas and museums, we were foot-weary and ravenously hungry. A good dose of gourmet Rome was in order and we had settled on a particular restaurant not far from the Trevi fountain by reservation. That’s Amore, a quaint and homey restaurant with a superb menu of cibo delizioso.
Our waiter introduced himself as ‘Brad Pitt’ and kept us completely entertained throughout the evening.
After stepping through the arched doorway, our charming waiter greeted us with a big smile and seated us in a corner nook for two. He told us about a couple that had sat in the same corner a year ago and just recently returned to sit in the same place, married! We were here to celebrate our tenth anniversary. These cozy corner nooks can be magical!
The ambiance and warmth of the room appealed to me immediately. Candlelight flickered off the tables, animating faces and illuminating the creamy golden walls. The low hum of pleasant conversation filled the space. My eyes were drawn to the scattering of several photos covering the walls of famous actors from sixty or more years ago, all in black and white.
After ordering our wine, I wandered about to get a closer look at the photos. Most all of them were of couples in a romantic scene, but some were of ladies in long glamorous gowns. While I was studying them, our waiter tapped me on the shoulder and introduced himself as Brad Pitt. I smiled and told him I was Sharon Stone. With a big grin, he turned and went skipping off to the bar (honestly)!
As I continued to study the photos, some I recognize but others I wasn’t sure of. I have included some of them here in my post. As you read on, see if you can identify them.
Our waiter was very helpful with the menu and the meal selections proved to be as delicious as he promised they would be. I ordered the Spaghetti ai Frutti di mare, a saute of fresh mussels, clams, shrimp, and squid, tossed with spaghetti, olive oil, and garlic, along with a Mediterranean salad accompanied by a superb Chianti. The pasta was just right, al dente, but not too much. I would include a photo but I ate most of it before I remembered to take one.
As the evening wore on and our bottle of Chianti had run dry, we decided on some dessert. We tried the Millefoglie con crema e scaglia di cioccolato, a homemade cake with cream chantilly and flakes of chocolate with cups of steaming coffee. Words cannot express the delightfully fluffy texture and wonderful flavor of this dessert. We lingered over coffee for some time with no need to be anywhere else. Before we left, we toasted with complimentary glasses of limoncello. The evening was all that I had hoped for and more. Enchanting!
These are some of the photos that I saw on the walls in the restaurant. Do you recognize any of these celebrities?
Notice the bottle of Chianti on the table made the old way? This one has a candle in it. But fortunately, Chianti has improved drastically in taste since these days of the woven basket holders.
Audrey Hepburn? or ?
Probably not too difficult to figure these two out!
Our night of Roman Romance felt like swirling through the glitz and glamour of old-time Hollywood. Our waiter, the food, our wine and the celebrities on the wall came alive, dancing before us. Love was in the air. In Rome. That’s Amore!
Have you found romance in Rome? Where is your favorite place to dine? I’d love to hear about it so feel free to share in the comments below.
For more information, click here.
That’s Amore
115, Via in Arcione – 00187 Roma
Top Photo: Claudia Cardinale and Alain Delon from The Leopard
Timeless Italy Travels 
Beautiful post! Love the photos and commentary…you make me feel as though I were right there with you! We will have to try this place when we go to Roma! Hugs, Lori
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It certainly was romantic! Off the beaten track in a tiny piazza…..pretty ideal. Thanks Lori:)
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This looks like a wonderful place – the personality of the waiters makes or breaks a restaurant experience! And it’s always a nice touch when they treat you to a glass of limoncello! Happy anniversary! Cin Cin…
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Many thanks!
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Happy Anniversary. I’m with you in the limoncello being a perfect end to a perfect meal in Roma 😉
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yes…it tastes best in Italy too.
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😜
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The restaurant looks divine, Brad Pitt the waiter looks fab. He would get a lot of good tips with a personality like that and the photo of you and your husband is lovely.
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Thank you Lyn! It was quite the place…:)
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Happy Anniversary to a very attractive couple!
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What a lovely place and beautiful picture of you 🙂 I could recognize only a face or two .. I realize this post is very old but somehow I missed reading it.
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I re-wrote a lot of it so it’s really new:)
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Nice
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Really enjoyed this post and what a perfect, enchanting evening to celebrate your anniversary. The food and place look divine.
It looks like all the celebrities have been identified in the photos except I don’t see which one has the young Sean Connery (007).
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Sean Connery is directly below Gina Lolabrigida “in the kitchen” and closest behind Susan in the restaurant.
(I had to magnify the photo to identify him)
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Good job, Albert! Now we can all rest in peace:)
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I see it now, Albert. Thank you! I was looking in all the wrong places and you’re right, Susan, I can now rest in peace. LOL 🙂
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Pat, i’m so glad that you liked the post. It was an enchanting evening, very unforgettable. Thanks to Albert, another commenter who has identified all the celebrities. I struggled with a few myself. Like Albert said, he had to zoom up to see the young Sean Connery!! Thank you for your input!!
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I did and so happy you shared it with us. The photos captured how special the evening was.
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PS: Additional PHOTO I.D. Bonus:
The photos behind you in the restaurant are:
Gina Lollabrigida (spelling?) in the kitchen
(I don’t know if it’s a still from a movie or a candid)
and
A VERY YOUNG and HUNGRY “007 James Bond” (Sean Connery) obviously
enjoying his pasta!!!!
-Albert
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🙂
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Hi,
Once again thoroughly enjoyed your post. In January I went to That’s Amore, not for a romantic evening meal, but for a decadent dessert after a fantastic shopping, cooking (and eating) experience with restaurant owner Chef Fabio Bongianni and one of his staff at his apartment near the restaurant. This was my second cooking session with him. The other was at his country home (can’t remember the town name now) in 2010 with two other people. Both were great fun. I chose his lessons because he is one of the few cooking teachers who will take one person, and I travel alone.
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Joan, what a fabulous experience you had! Thank you for sharing….I think i’ll put this on my list of to-do’s for my return to Rome in the future. I am so glad we are in touch via blog!! Have a wonderful week!
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Wonderful movie star photos:
In order of your presentation:
Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale, in “The Leopard” (also starring the wonderful Burt Lancaster);
The restaurant candid is, of course, Dean Martin and it looks like Audrey Hepburn but it isn’t…my guess is an attractive Italian starlet of the time;
The photo of Peter Sellers and Director Vittorio Di Sica on the set of
one of the funniest Italian/American films ever made–AFTER THE FOX or aka
CACCIA IL VOLPE, written by Neil Simon! Also starring a very funny
VICTOR MATURE, Martin Balsam, Akim Tamiroff and Britt Eckland (Mrs Peter Sellers at the time);
Finally the last two are SOPHIA LOREN: the second photo with CARY GRANT
is on the set of “THE PRIDE and the PASSION” (also starring Frank Sinatra).
Con molto affetto,
-Alberto Antonio Amedeo Annunziata
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Albert, you are SO GOOD!! I am impressed….you cleared up one or two for me as well…..thank you:) I like having you around…:):)
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