Ginori 1735 Brings Italian Elegance to Rome’s Hotel De La Ville

Art meets appetite — and for once, it’s not a metaphor. On a recent Roman holiday, I made a beeline for the city’s most stylish new café-slash-boutique hybrid: Café Ginori, the first concept space by storied porcelain house Ginori 1735, just inside the ever-glamorous Hotel de la Ville. The café opened December 8, 2024 with the kind of quietly fabulous fanfare you’d expect from a brand that’s been handcrafting porcelain since the 1700s. You won’t find velvet ropes or an influencer mob here—just quietly exquisite design, extraordinary tableware, and a menu that could hold its own in any of Rome’s buzziest kitchens. Designed in collaboration with Rocco Forte Hotels’ Creative Director of Food, Chef Fulvio Pierangelini, Café Ginori is a rotating feast for both the eyes and the palate — with Insta-worthy tablescapes that shift seamlessly from breakfast to aperitivo hour.

Each moment of the day feels like its own curated experience — and that’s very much the point. Breakfast is breezy, lunch lingers, and dinner turns the space moodier, more cinematic. The entire setting feels alive, like it’s participating in your meal — not just housing it. It’s not so much a café as a gallery of moments you can eat your way through.

Let’s start with the boutique — because of course there’s a boutique (and of course I visited). Upon arrival, guests are greeted by a tightly curated edit of Ginori 1735’s most coveted porcelain creations. Think limited-edition collectibles, timeless pieces from collections like Oriente Italiano, Il Viaggio di Nettuno, and Labirinto — all available to take home, assuming you left space in your carry-on (or like me, you take your big bag with enough space to shop). What’s beautiful about the space is that it doesn’t feel transactional. It feels like a showcase of heirlooms in waiting — things you might pass down, or never stop using.

Then, there’s the food. Chef Pierangelini’s menu is nothing short of theatrical: think scampi with caramelized Sciacca mango, cacio e pepe elevated with lobster, and dim sum with a Roman twist (Dim Sum a Roma, my personal pick — because of course I ordered that). Everything is plated, naturally, on Ginori’s signature porcelain, because nothing says “casual lunch” like truffles served on hand-painted china. The dishes don’t feel overly precious — they feel considered. You get the sense that each ingredient was selected not just for taste, but for how it would look and feel on the plate.

And yet, nothing about the experience is trying too hard. There’s no “concept” menu language or QR code theatrics. It’s all quietly elegant, with a sense of ease that only comes from obsessively thoughtful design.

The setting is equal parts glamorous and modern, layered in Ginori’s Domus décor: embroidered cushions, Oriente Italiano wallpaper, and mood lighting that flatters absolutely everyone. The aesthetic mirrors the brand’s flagship boutiques, with a Roman twist and a side of espresso. You feel like you’ve stepped inside a lifestyle — one that’s very stylish, very Italian, and very into good lighting. The design manages to be immersive without overwhelming you — a rare balance that makes you want to stay longer, sip slower, order dessert.

Café Ginori is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., offering three menus — an all-day selection through 7 p.m., plus separate lunch and dinner service — each laced with daily specials and peak-season ingredients. The vibe is low-key luxe, the kind of place where locals drop in for a prosecco and tourists linger long enough to consider redecorating their entire dining room. The menus reflect Pierangelini’s signature style: restrained but indulgent, rooted in Italian tradition with the occasional, delightful surprise. You’re not overwhelmed with choices, but every option feels like the right one.

It’s worth noting that Ginori 1735, while centuries-old, has become increasingly design-forward in recent years, leaning into fashion, art, and hospitality collaborations to reframe the brand as something lived with — not just admired in cabinets. Café Ginori feels like the next logical step: a physical manifestation of its philosophy, where form meets function, and daily rituals become moments of joy. It’s experiential retail, but elegant. Content-worthy, but not performative.

A quick note on the setting: Hotel de la Ville opened in 2019 and is Rocco Forte’s second Roman jewel (the first being Hotel de Russie). Housed in a renovated 18th-century palazzo atop the Spanish Steps, it channels the Grand Tour era — if the Grand Tour had better lighting and a rooftop bar. Designed by architect Tommaso Ziffer and Director of Design Olga Polizzi, the hotel pays homage to the historical journeys of European aristocrats with a modern, luxurious sensibility. Think deep jewel tones, curated art, and rooms with views that make you forget to check your phone.

So yes, Rome has a new place to see and be fabulously seen. Café Ginori is where you go to eat well, shop better, and leave just a little bit more inspired. It’s the kind of place you casually mention in conversation, knowing full well there’s nothing casual about it. A little secret spot hiding in plain sight — elegant, ambitious, and effortlessly charming.

Visit here for hours, reservations, or to browse the boutique. But fair warning: you may leave with more than just a full stomach.