I know that there are more important things to write about when talking about restaurants than the amount of sun that shines through the window. Quality of the food, for instance? But let’s just take it for granted that I wouldn’t be recommending any restaurant if the food wasn’t pretty great.
Some background: I’m lucky, since I have a beautiful office. It’s large, I have it all to myself and it’s on the ground floor of the building where I live (A two-floor commute. Beat that). While I love my office to death, it doesn’t get a lot of sun (ground floor, remember?)
As you’ve probably figured out, a lot of what I call ‘work’ involves going out to restaurants. So, when I go out to lunch (which I do often) I really really really love it when I find a sunny place. Which in Rome isn’t easy. If I think of all my favorite, classic places (Perilli, Nino, Campana, Sora Margherita, Enoteca Corsi etc.) there are basically no windows. Traditional Roman restaurants are windowless.
Which made me so happy to discover a few new places that are flooded with light. I’m talking sun lotion and shades. Now, maybe I’ll change my tune come summer, but for now, in the cold of winter, being able to sit at a cozy table, have great food and be bathed in sunshine is my idea of heaven.
Conter opened in August and is located on the corner of Via Merulana and Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano. That means the sunlight floods the place from late morning until about 3. Besides being sunny, the restaurant is the most adorable place I’ve seen in a long while. Marzia Greco, who is the manager, also did the design, and everything is pitch perfect. Mis-matched chairs, vintage signs, shiny coffee maker. Very cozy.
The menu isn’t huge, but is interesting, since it veers away from Roman standards (I love carbonara as much as the next girl, but everyday?) . Their speciality is pagnottelle. Evidently this is old recipe mentioned by Artusi. They are small rolls, made out of Kamut flour, that are hollowed out and then filled with delicious stuffings and heated in the oven. Pagnottelle of the day when I was there: Amatriciana; Zucca e Gorgonzola; Ragu Bianca; Porcini, Patate e Taleggio. I ordered the last, which was just oozing with cheese and fragrant with mushrooms.
My friend Sarah had Sartu di Riso, a very cute little rice number that was just perfect and centered in a lake of molten taleggio.
Eugenia was a bit overwhelmed by the size of her Polpette di Verza, which were much more meat than cabbage, but still really good.
We all shared a crisp, fresh salad of radicchio and pear, sprinkled with pumpkin seeds. 
The menu changes all the time, so I’ll definitely be going back. To get a bit of sun at the very least, and try another pagnottelle for sure. 
Conter
Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano 64
06 886 58745
Open 8am-12 midnight
Thanks for scouting this out, Elizabeth! I will surely swing by here for a sunlit lunch. After the holidays, that is!
Auguri,
E xx
Me, Jess and Katie walked over here for coffee today and the minute you hit that corner- it seems as it it’s an entirely different (sunnier) city! Even today- the most freezingest day ever.