Frizzo, Rome

My routine in Rome was following :

Wake up at 14:00

Go to the city,

Go to the bar,

Go back to the hotel to write down the blog and then at 08:00 A.M. go to have a dinner, because breakfast was included in the rooms fee and then go to bed. It seems to be ok - at least You have a routine. I can assure you, that it is pretty exhausting…

My day number 2 started at 14:00 and on today's program, there was nothing less than the very famous and the only Jerry Thomas Project.

Since it is a proper speakeasy bar, You need to make a reservation and since it is a proper speakeasy bar 2.0 You need to find an answer to a question. That answer is a password and therefore even your key to enter.

And since I respect a cocktail bars on level 2.0  I cannot say anything really specific…

So I've got reservation at 22:30 and that was a lot of free time for me, so I could spend some time by walking, roaming, wandering and hiking around the very rainy Rome, to take some very mainstream pictures.

And exactly by doing that, I found myself on Piaza Couvert. I don't know how I  got there, but somehow I could smell, that in fact, I am close to my hotel. My smell was correct, so I headed to the direction of my room, since I didn't have any better plans for today…

That changed pretty quickly, because right behind the corner I found some pretty fancy-looking place. Well, before going to Jerry Thomas Speakeasy poject, I may gather some extra unplanned points. I entered with caution though. This place is located way too close to the center to resist the ´´Coral Reef Syndrome´´

Frizzo

Mainly, this is not a proper cocktail bar. It is a restaurant - apperitivo - cocktail bar, which only increased my suspicion…

Entering this place with absolutely no expectations paid off, but everything has its time…

After I entered,  a really cute waiteress asigned me a table and gave me the menu. She explained, that for an apperitivo time (19:00-22:00) there is a promotion, that for 10 eur You can eat as much as you want and 1 drink is included.

I quickly passed through the cocktail list, I found some serious mistakes in their Mai-Tai recipe and I ordered the Evergreen cocktail :

Evergreen

-        Gin

-        Syrup from green apples

-        Fresh juice from green apples

This cocktail is remarkable for many things, except of its taste. This drink in a frozen glass got served in probably the worst way ever… As my table was looking like a moonscape, since there was completely nothing on it, I would love to get at least one small, tiny napkin. Also, it would be great, if my cute waitress would use a plate, to bring the cocktail on. Yeah, I know that here they are not supposed to be called waiters, because it's an apperitivo time and it should work as self-service, but if it is like that, why do You make orders at the tables and why should I get the bloody napkin by myself, if I got the cocktail from a waiter?

And yes, I also know that I was the only one person, sitting on my own. But still, when you bring a cocktail to a guest, it is nice to repeat the name of it. 1st of all, you ensure yourself, that You are serving a correct stuff to a correct guest, 2nd of all it looks very professional, that You remember all the order and finally - it sounds much, much, much, MUCH better than the ridiculous ´´Here You go!´´

Why is this so important to me? Mainly, because it doesn't cost anything. It doesn't cost money or extra time. It costs You only some effort. And exactly on these points You are making decision, wether the whole place is good or bad…

When I was in ½ of my sour, not ballanced cocktail with a garnish cliche of a red cocktail sherry, one guy in the uniform from the actual bar came to my table and said : ,,Ermmm, this has spiced gin… it's good!´´  And he left without any hesistation or waiting for my answer.

,,Ermmmmmmm…. Hi! How are you? I am fine, thanks. ´´ I said to myself... Another proof, that the customer service is not in a full bloom here.  Oh, by the way - it's great that he TOLD me, that there is a spiced gin inside my cocktail. I didn't notice..

After what I've seen, heard and what I could experience, there was no point for me to stay any longer. Without even eating anything, I just paid that drink to this cute waiteress and I left. At least this place increased my apetite for a good cocktail bar, which Jerry Thomas Project represent for 100%