Rau' - Emotional Food

Setting aside for a moment that English speakers will be leery of having emotional food, readers will be happy to know that this is a typical translation error. The owners meant emozionante, which means exciting - not emotional. But ignore this and head to Rau' for delicious, fresh, typical Neapolitan food in a polished and modern, yet comfortable, setting.


My dining companion and I had a three course meal consisting primarily of seafood. Our appetizer/starter (pictured) was a huge array of fresh seafood: prawns, one coated in pistachios and the other in almonds, cod with lemon and parsley, baked mullet (or goatfish) with the classic Neapolitan friarielli (which are the young leaves of rape - rassica rapa subsp. sylvestris var. esculenta, to be precise), and a tartlett of anchovies stuffed with said friarielli (if you couldn't tell, Neapolitans love these and they're incredibly good for you with antioxidants, flavonoids and yummy goodness). The starter alone would have sufficed for me, but we dined on.


The primo (usually a pasta dish) was pasta with beans and muscles. Thankfully, we shared this. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the beans and muscles formed a moist, yet slightly gooey, sauce. Exactly how one wants to have pasta e fagioli!


For our secondo (a meat/fish dish), we shared rombo (turbot) that was roasted with potatoes (typical Neapolitan dish). The fish was super fresh and the finely cut potatoes complemented it perfectly.


We did not have dessert, unfortunately, but did have a crisp Campania wine that our waiter recommended.


Service was impeccable, attentive, but not intrusive and charming. The bill came to EUR70 - not cheap, but one doesn't expect that for good, fresh seafood in Italy.


The restaurant is located in the buzzy Chiaia neighborhood, so postprandial drinks and entertainment are at hand. Be sure to look effortlessly stylish and you'll fit right in.