Cat lovers behold! If you have ever wondered whether there was a place where you can enjoy a healthy, and yet delicious meal, with the company of your favourite fluffy friends, Romeow Cat Bistrot is the right place for you. After the success in London, and Paris of this ‘restaurant genre’, I was ecstatic to finally realise that a similar place had opened here in the so-called caput mundi. As much as we are known to be almost last in everything, this time we hold the record when it comes to cat bistrot.
This unique restaurant opened in May 2014, not only as a place to eat or drink, but also as a place to disconnect with the stressful everyday life, and immerse oneself into nature. The owners, Valentina and Maurizio, were two unsatisfied public employees stuck in a job that did not reflect who they are. Thanks to Romeow Cat Bistrot they were able to combine everything they love most: animals, healthy food, and design.
“We had nothing, but we made it by ourselves, overcoming every obstacle in our way. Thankfully we had our passion and the ones that supported us as fuel to get us where we are now,” Valentina says. “And when you do something that you love there is no fear. That is what we hope: that young people just like us will take up on chances to undertake projects/dreams without fear of failure.”
The reasons behind the 
food choices is simple: both Valentina and Maurizio have been eating this way for years, and it is only an added value to their unconditional love for animals. However, as much as we like to think that we have all become foodies, people of the world, and are ready to try anything, the owners know what lies behind those who brag that nothing scares them; that this kind of kitchen can be, in reality, for some of us, a little extreme. Therefore, the restaurant needed that je ne sais quoi, hence the cats.
Every plate is colourful, and meticulously placed. The food is in perfect harmony. I had the pleasure of spending an evening at the restaurant. In a city where meat is the primary food served, the food was just what I was looking for. The cats were amiably sleeping, and every once in a while they would take a walk around the restaurant just to check who was visiting. They were also the perfect distraction for two people on a first date!
I personally recommend the cheesecake. If you had not planned on dessert and your stomach cannot take it anymore, make some room anyway. You will not be disappointed. It is as filling as any other cheesecake you have eaten, except it is not like any you have tasted. The consistency is perfect and it is as light as a cloud.
The little feline inhabitants are six, and they come from an Onlus at Montelibretti called “Luna di Formaggio” (Cheese moon). At the moment the restaurant has achieved the perfect equilibrium; therefore the fear of destroying that balance is high. However, the owners are not completely setting aside the possibility of maybe adding someone else to the furry family.
The restaurant offers a variety of experiences: you have the possibility to enjoy a healthy breakfast, a quick lunch, the right break during work; or you can go for a popular ‘merenda’, just like every Roman does. And lastly you can go for dinner, and enjoy the special and rare dishes. Just remember the cats are always there; prepare yourself for some heavy cuddling.
“And when you do something that you love there is no fear. That is what we hope: that young people just like us will take up on chances to undertake projects/dreams without fear of failure.”
