Senso Ristorante

  

I like Club Street for its narrow street, the tastefully restored pre-war buildings, the bars and some of the up-market restaurants there. I was told that Club Street was once known for its clubs and trade guilds. During the night, this place takes on a different ambience of hearty laughter of the diners and merry makers and nice music flowing out of restaurants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite restaurants in Club Street is Senso Ristorante & Bar. I have been to this restaurant for at least twenty over times in the last nine years or so and each time I went there, I never looked at the menu and sigh out of boredom. They always had something new because their a la carte menu changes on a monthly basis and the set lunch menu on a weekly basis. The set dinner menu specializes in the cuisine of a particular region of Italy and that is also subject to monthly changes. During the weekday afternoons, this modern Italian restaurant tends to draw crowds of businessmen. In the evening, it draws the after work crowd as well as those drawn there for its romantic ambience. I am always fascinated by the colonial architecture and especially so the courtyard.

 

 

The first dish we tried was the Carpaccio of Mediterranean ‘Bori’ Fish with marinated raw Chanterelles and Mango. Though I am not a fan of certain raw fish, the chanterelles and the mango made it appetizing for me. Chanterelles, are wild mushrooms that shines like an exotic golden flower when seen from a distance. I have seen it being sold in Italy and they are worth their weight in gold. These meaty, chewy and slightly peppery mushrooms along with the sweet tender mango made the thin slice of fish just slide into my mouth. I must say that I tried the Burrata cheese for the first time in my life at Senso. Basically an artisanal cheese, it looked like mozzarella but more creamier, softer, buttery centre and it was served with the Lake Transimeno’s famous beans and deliciously sweet Datterino tomatoes that had unbeatable flavor.

 

 

The Homemade Ravioli Pasta stuffed with braised Veal Shank served with Black Tuscan Summer Truffle was just fabulous and my favorite for the day. The quality of the black summer truffle was good and the aroma was delicate and not overpowering. The stuffing of the ravioli was moist and rich. I could have eaten few more pieces. The Traditional Risotto with Chanterelle Mushrooms and Fresh Basil was very rich, creamy and had an abundance of the earthy taste of the chanterelle mushrooms and the flavor of basil leaves.

 

  

 

Next we tried the Wild Italian Sea Bass on Chickpeas and Green Camone Tomato Ragout served with shaved ‘Melanosporum’ Truffle. The fresh fillet of sea bass was grilled well enough for it to be crisp on the outside and moist inside and the crunchy full flavor of the Camome tomato ragout and the intoxicating and unique flavor of one of the world’s expensive truffle was all too heady for us. It was nice! After all that we still had bit of room to try the Australia grass fed Beef Tenderloin with Smoked Foie Gras and Gorgonzola D.O.P. served with Morel Mushrooms and ‘Dauphine’ Potatoes. Each of the ingredients in this dish complemented the other very well especially the utterly delicious creamy texture and salty tangy flavor of the Gorgonzola cheese with the morel mushrooms! We finished our meal with a delicious, rich Apricot dessert!

 

Senso Ristorante and Bar is the right place for one to entertain clients with pre dinner drinks and then to dinner. The waiters and staff are very attentive and make you feel important.