When you enter Casa Mangiacotti wine bar it is as if you have joined a family. The bar is run by the three Mangiacotti brothers: the oldest one started this business eight years ago and, at that time, Pigneto was more unknown and a bit of a rough area. Now, however, Pigneto is a lively neighborhood in which I’ve chosen to live.

The wine bar has the style of a typical Italian deli shop: wine bottles, salumi,  formaggi and several products made with olive oil are displayed behind the counter. Michele Mangiacotti personally researches and selects all the product of his shop carefully, which are mostly from small organic farms all over Italy.

The masterpiece of Casa Mangiacotti is a traditional homemade bread: la Puccia, a kind of pizza bread filled with ingredients of your choice: burrata, soppressata, pecorino romano, mortadella, etc.. Another specialty I would recommend is il Tagliere: a mix of salumi and cheeses selected by the house. The customers can eat in the spacious, gravel-strewn garden at the wooden table and chairs, that create a calming atmosphere, enhanced by the lounge music Michele and I love to listen to.

Casa Mangiacotti is an institution in the area; people working at other spots mentioned by us Roman Spotters often come to this place to have a glass of wine and a chat with Michele, a man that has represented the authentic soul of Pigneto for many years.