We can’t resist the very famous chocolate ice cream dessert, the tartufo - or truffle - at Tre Scalini on Piazza Navona, no. 28. Although a bit pricey, they’re also big enough to share. The restaurant itself gets widely divergent reviews; some people love it; some think it's a tourist trap. Our view - just get the take-out tartufo and stop while you're ahead.
Tre Scalini is in a building that housed an inn as far back as 1815, and the Ciampini family created the tartufo (see photo right) in the 1940s.
We found a mild war going on the last time we were there, however. A maitre d’, or owner, or manager, of THE Tre Scalini virtually accosted us as we were going in to get our fix (he's the one with the shock of white hair in the photo at right). He wanted to point out to us that HIS was the TRUE tartufo – not the imposters literally across the narrow pedestrian street, with an equally imposing location on Piazza Navona. And, sure enough, the “imposters” had a sign saying they were selling “Tre scalini tartufo” – but of course their café is not THE Tre Scalini. They've cleverly named their cafe' "Ai Tre Tartufi" (below left), slapped on an 1896 date, and it's at 25 (not 28) Piazza Navona. Here's the website for the TRUE Tre Scalini, tel. 06.68.80.19.96.
So market capitalism, caveat emptor and all that. But we recommend the original, of course.
Dianne
Title: The Tartufo (Truffle) War
Rating: 100% based on 99998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
Author 1:34 AM
Rating: 100% based on 99998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
Author 1:34 AM
