Da Ezio – Le Scalette

Within a ten block area of Piazza Buenos Aires (Via Po and Viale Regina Margherita a little east of the Villa Borghese), I have discovered quite a few good to excellent seafood restaurants. So when a local recommended Ezio Alle Scalette, I was more than game to try, hoping to find another gem. The restaurant itself is quite a visual spectacle with large water tanks, some with lobsters, others with a wide array of clams, mussels other shellfish, one with eels and even one with some small sharks. There is also a huge display of fresh fish and crustacians resting on ice. You are invited to pick out the seafood of your choice from these tank or from the expansive ice tray and they will prepare it. If you’re not so, inclined, there you can also order from their rather extensive menu.
After a discussion with the very congenial manager (?), I elected to do a little of both. I started with a menu item, a fish tartare. The menu did not specify a particular fish. But whatever it was, it was quite tasty. For my entrée, I was invited to make a selection from their large display. Facing this massive collection of raw fresh seafood items is a bit overwhelming, especially as most of the Mediterranean fishes and crustations are unfamiliar to me. I picked out several interesting (langostino-​looking) shellfish and my very friendly server suggested a couple of small fishes, also unfamiliar to me. All in all it was fun and exciting and I waited for the results.
Unfortunately the show didn’t live up to the billing. When my selections were served, the results proved to be quite mixed. The best of the lot were the two fish which were perfectly cooked, obviously fresh and flavorful. But beyond that, the rest of the dish was disappointing. The shellfish items were overcooked and so were dry and flavorless.
The final insult came with the bill. Making a selection from the raw bar is ordering off the menu and so there was no prior indication of the price of one’s selection (or at least I did not notice any). My dinner for one (tartare appetizer, selection from the ice tray, and a bottle of mineral water. no wine) came to almost 100 euros. I come away thinking that even had my entrée been better prepared, the cost for what I ordered would still have been exorbitant. With so many excellent seafood offerings in this neighborhood, this will not be a restaurant will return to for a second try.