Lazio · Private chefs · London
Roman private chef in London
A chef from Lazio cooking the food of Rome in your kitchen: few ingredients, exact technique, and the pasta dishes everyone thinks they know.
The cooking
Four pastas, three ingredients, no shortcuts
Roman cooking is direct. Pecorino romano, guanciale and black pepper are the base of four famous pastas: gricia, carbonara, amatriciana and cacio e pepe. With so few ingredients, technique is everything: the temperature of the egg, the starch in the pasta water, the moment the cheese goes in.
Rome has other traditions too. The quinto quarto cooking of Testaccio, the old slaughterhouse district, turned oxtail and offal into slow braises. The Roman-Jewish kitchen of the Ghetto gave the city its fried artichokes. Beyond the city, Lazio adds porchetta from Ariccia, the wines of the Castelli Romani and the pasta of Amatrice.
Signature dishes
What a Roman chef cooks
Carbonara
Guanciale, egg yolk, pecorino and black pepper. No cream.
Cacio e pepe
Pecorino and pepper emulsified with pasta water into a sauce: the hardest simple dish to get right.
Amatriciana
Guanciale, tomato and pecorino, from the mountain town of Amatrice.
Carciofi alla romana
Artichokes braised with wild mint, garlic and olive oil.
Carciofi alla giudia
Whole artichokes fried twice until they open like a flower, from the Roman-Jewish kitchen.
Saltimbocca alla romana
Veal escalopes with prosciutto and sage, finished with white wine.
Coda alla vaccinara
Oxtail braised for hours with tomato and plenty of celery.
Maritozzi
Soft sweet buns split open and filled with whipped cream.
Sample menu
A Roman dinner party in four courses
An example only. Your chef writes the real menu with you, around your guests and the season.
Through the year
Seasonal notes
Winter is the season of puntarelle, crisp chicory shoots dressed with anchovy, garlic and vinegar, and of hearty braises such as coda alla vaccinara. The romanesco artichoke peaks from late winter into spring, so a December dinner may feature other vegetables instead.
Summer in Rome is lighter: courgette flowers fried with mozzarella and anchovy, and pasta with fresh tomatoes. Your chef cooks with what London markets have and imports what counts, such as real guanciale and pecorino romano.
How Venti works
A dinner party with nothing to do
Tell us the occasion
Date, number of guests, allergies, budget. By message, any time of day.
Meet your chef
We match you with a chef born in Lazio and send you their menu to shape together.
They cook, you host
The chef shops, cooks, serves and leaves your kitchen clean.
Venti is opening in London this winter. We are matching our first chefs for this winter, so join the waitlist to be first in line for a Roman dinner.
Questions
Frequently asked
What does a Roman dinner party at home include?
You agree a menu with a chef from Lazio, usually four courses: antipasto, primo, secondo and dolce. The chef shops for the ingredients, cooks in your kitchen, serves your guests and leaves the kitchen clean. Wine and drinks are your choice.
Can a Roman dinner be vegetarian?
Partly. Cacio e pepe, artichokes, puntarelle without anchovy and fried courgette flowers are meat-free, though pecorino romano is traditionally made with animal rennet. Tell us your guests' needs and the chef will suggest a menu that works.
Can the chef cook around allergies and dietary needs?
Yes. The 14 major allergens are confirmed with you before the menu is final, and dishes are adapted or swapped where needed. Tell us early about any allergy, intolerance or dietary rule.
How does booking work, and how many guests can we have?
Venti is not open yet: we are matching our first chefs for this winter. Join the waitlist and tell us the date, number of guests, allergies and budget. From a dinner for two to a larger party, we confirm what works for your kitchen and the chef before anything is agreed.
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