Pipero al Rex

We had an amazing meal here at the recommendation of our airbnb host who also happened to be a local food blogger. We went for the chefs tasting menu which was 13 courses of amazingness for 100 €. Mr pipero himself stopped by several times to make sure everything was to our liking. the place is very intimate with only about 6 tables so the service is spot on. Definitely a memorable moment in our roman holiday.

Ultimately great Michelin-​awarded restaurant. It is my sad that it has just one star. Perfect and amazing tasting menu based on just chief’s choice. If they ask you whether you want to follow their choice or not — rely on them. Unbelievable experience. Great and very tasty wine, very rare though — Bolgheri Sassicaia 2008 and delicious desert. Thank you guys got this unexpected and amazing experience.

All though the food was decent and the atmosphere warm and friendly, owner Alessandro has much to be desired when it comes to ETHICAL INTEGRITY! We were there with a group of 6 people and ordered three bottles of wine. we ordered a 2004 Bruno Giacosa Falletto Riserva (YES Riserva), SEE PHOTOS!!!
He attempted to steer me away from that bottle and we really weren’t sure if he was going to bring it. He did not show us the unopened bottle first. He proceeded to place the bottle and decanter at the other end of the table. Nice enough guy, so we thought little of it and trusted him and finished a course of dinner and the white wine. He then brought our third Tuscan wine and poured it around the table, all while the Giacosa was decanting, however still had not let me smell and taste it.
I then asked to taste the Giacosa. He brought a glass and poured the wine and then quickly left. I smelled and tasted the wine while he was away, shared and discussed with my wife that I did not believe this was Riserva Level Barolo and definitely not Giacosa. She then tasted and agreed. It was too young, not aromatic, earthy or any of the qualities of a 10 year old high end Barolo. We are both avid Piemonte wine enthusiasts and had just come from Barbaresco and Barolo the week prior. We drink, own and enjoy dozens of piemonte wine producers, including Giacosa often and for two decades.
While Alessandro was away we proceeded to now inspect the bottle. Remember he set the bottle at the other end of the table. I took the bottle and smelled the neck, it smelled cleansed and sterile. I then poured a little of the remaining contents into my bowl, the wine was clear to light pink in color and had dry sediment. I tasted it and it was actually WATER! Despite the label being the correct Red Riserva Faletto bottle, the DOCG label around the bottle neck was worn out almost washed looking (SEE PHOTOS), and the foil was oxidized or slightly rusting at the cut areas. Remember, he didn’t show us the bottle before he opened, so this was the first time we inspected it. It was very apparent that this bottle was not just opened.
Alessandro returned, he asked how everything was going — I responded that this is not Giacosa. He rebutted and said «of course it is». We proceeded to debate this for a few minutes and then I asked him to watch as I dumped all the remaining contents of bottle onto the white tablecloth. He was speechless for a few seconds and then stated that he «rinses the contents so it wouldn’t stain our clothes if it spilled.»
I responded by asking for the cork that was also not brought to the table. He said no problem and again disappeared in the back for at least 15 minutes, bringing back the alleged cork. The cork was fat and short and had Bruno Giacosa printed on it. However, the cork did not have the vintage or vineyard printed on it, was white to pink in color (no darkness at one end but uniform in color), still very wet (despite being opened an hour prior), was short and fat, and smelled like White Wine (likely Giacosa Arneis). He immediately took the cork away, so I didn’t get a photo. A Barolo Giacosa Riserva cork for decades is at least a centimeter longer than this one, always has vintage and sometimes vineyard, would have been a gradient pink to dark red in color and much thinner, due to 10 years of moisture saturation, and had zero red wine notes when smelled. I told him these things and pointed out the issues with the bottle.
At this point Owner Alessandro offered to get us different wine and not charge us for the bottle. I thanked him and asked for another bottle of the same wine, he said «that that was the last one.» He knew he’d been foiled multiple ways. I told him we were good and would like our entrée brought and we were ok just finishing of the other Tuscan Red. We uncomfortably finished our dinner, declined dessert and asked for the check. He brought the bill, didn’t charge us for the Giacosa, we paid and left. Alessandro stopped me at the exit and had another unopened bottle of the Tuscan wine as a gift for our problem, almost as if he was trying to buy us off! We declined and left.
Alessandro the owner of this restaurant, doesn’t understand what ethics are and Michelin should quickly reconsider their designation. It was very clear that this was a standard practice for diners at this restaurant as he had the scam down fairly smooth.
THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND BAD REVIEW I HAVE EVER WRITTEN IN MY LIFE!!! We are foodies and wine fanatics and dine often all over the world and always trust those servicing us. Please understand there was no confusion, no possible way the Giacosa was real, no language misunderstandings, or other facts, the owner Alessandro is DISHONEST! This is not about the money, this is about integrity.
We read a few other reviews since and noticed that he is also selling and actively recommending cheap wine at high prices. Thanks for reading!

I had read a number of reviews about this place before going to Rome, and was really looking Forward to eating there.
I must say that it lived up to all expectations. Both the food and the service were first class, and the attention to detail was amazing. We had the tasting menu with paired wine, and every mouthful was better than than last.
I would highly recommend Pipero

We wanted to visit a Michelin starred restaurant during our stay in Rome and came across Pipero al Rex which was just down the street from our hotel. Our reservation was at 8pm and we had the whole restaurant to ourselves for the first hour. We left our menu up to the chef and it was amazing! The menu was imaginative, fun and very delicious. Definitely a highlight of our trip!

Found out about this place from the Michelin website, as I could have walked past this place 100 times and would never find it hidden away in the second floor of the Hotel Rex. Reservations are a must here, and they were surprised to find tourists here.
This is a foodie’s heaven, with an amazing tasting menu and wine pairings that are tailored to each guest’s individual preferences. The place is small, only about 10 tables and there were no other tourist. They offer interesting unique twists on italian classic cuisine. Some of the dishes included pasta with caviar, a poached egg in truffle sauce, pigeon and not to mention the dessert sampler! Why choose when you can have it all! Come prepared for a long and delightful dinner with amazing service.