Woofing down their meals! £17-a-head restaurant for dogs in Rome sees spoilt pooches dining on hake, ricotta cheese and courgette – washed down with apple juice
- Rome’s first dog restaurant, Fiuto, serves up meals tailored to the pet’s size
- READ MORE: People care about their dogs more than their cats, study confirms
A restaurant serving delicious dishes for humans and their pet pooches has proven to be a hit in Italy’s capital.
Pepe’s meal is so good he licks the plate clean. In any other Rome establishment, slobbering on one’s chicken and mashed potato would be frowned upon – but this is ‘Fiuto’, Italy’s first dogs’ restaurant.
The lighting is soft, lounge music plays in the background, attentive staff show people and pets to their tables and ask whether furry, four-legged customers might fancy a boiled egg with pureed peas and fontina cheese? Or perhaps a simple fish with ricotta and courgettes?
Thirsty pups can opt for a green apple and watermelon juice, or go wild and have a pear, strawberry, or banana one instead.
Doggy diners at the restaurant pay a fee-per-head to enjoy the mouthwatering meals, with prices ranging from €8-€20 (£17).
Two dogs eagerly awaited their meals at Italy’s first restaurant serving dishes for pet pooches and humans alike, Fiuto
‘We drew up the menu with a veterinary nutritionist with whom I determined the ingredients, taking allergies into account, because dogs have many more allergies than humans,’ said head chef Luca Grammatico, who previously worked as a dog trainer.
Pepe, a four-year-old Bichon with a naughty face, licks every last crumb off his elegant black bowl, almost taking the geometric patterns off too.
Pets ‘are part of our family, so why not treat them like family?’ says Sara Nicosanti, as she takes a selfie with Mango, her five-year-old Jack Russell, in the mirror-lined area designed especially for this purpose.
There is not a bark to be heard: guests focus on their designer bowls, sitting on fleece blankets next to their owners’ tables.
Nicosanti, a 36-year-old real estate agent, said she is ‘very happy’ with the choice at the restaurant, which opened just a month ago, because the dogs ‘can have a balanced diet too’, with ‘suitable ingredients’.
‘No spices, no salt and no oils,’ insists Grammatico. Food for canine customers is prepared in a separate kitchen to that of their human owners.
Portions are tailored to the dogs’ size – S, for those weighing two to 10 kilograms, M 11-20 kg, L 21-30 kg and even XL, for the dogs over 30 kg.
‘Fish is very popular because it is a different flavour to their usual food,’ Grammatico said.
Elsewhere, the mood is festive as Romina Lanza, a 40-year-old lawyer, who visited the restaurant to celebrate her dog Rudy’s fourth birthday.
The dogs are free to sit under the table or on fluffy cushions while they wait for their meals in Fiuto
Diner Sara (pictured) took a selfie with her dog Mango (pictured) at the trendy restaurant earlier this week
A dog named Pepe (pictured) waited for a bone-shaped dessert served at the Fiuto restaurant in Rome
Nala, a two-year-old mixed breed, waited for their bowl of food at the Fiuto restaurant, and appeared very keen for a taste
She sees ‘Fiuto’, which translates to sense of smell, as ‘a very welcome initiative’ and brushes off questions as to whether it is right to wait hand and paw on pets, serving them freshly prepared, costly dishes, while people in other parts of the world go hungry.
‘It’s a personal choice, I don’t see anything wrong with it,’ she said.
Neither does Maria Gliottone, a 20-year-old student who discovered the restaurant on TikTok and came with Nala, her two-year-old dog, and Nala’s friend Douglas, a four-month-old Corsican puppy.
‘Those who don’t have a dog think that, but those who do [have one] are more than happy to come here with their companion,’ she said.
Dishes are freshly prepared for dogs in a separate kitchen, including this neatly presented bone dessert
Chef and dog trainer Luca (pictured) prepares dishes for dogs at the Fiuto, and the menu was specially curated with a veterinarian
Portions at the restaurant are tailored to the dogs’ size – S, for those weighing two to 10 kilograms, M 11-20 kg, L 21-30 kg and even XL, for the dogs over 30 kg
Dogs eagerly await their tasty food- which is served up to them in trendy matte black bowls by waiters
Since it opened, the restaurant has welcomed an average of six to 10 dogs every evening during the week and 10 to 15 at weekends, for a price per head of between eight and 20 euros (around £17), depending on the size of the dog.
‘We’ve installed screens (between tables) so that when the dogs eat, they can’t see each other or disturb each other by invading each other’s spaces,’ said Marco Turano.
The restaurant’s three co-founders did not expect the establishment in the heart of Rome’s Ponte Milvio district to be so successful.
‘We are obviously super happy,’ said Turano, 33, as he wrapped up a surprise present – a detangling conditioner – for Rudy.
And while there won’t be candles, he will get a birthday cake of sorts: ‘a cheese biscuit with ricotta cheese and an end note of green apple’.
Mango (pictured), a five-year-old Jack Russell dog, patiently waited to enter the Fiuto restaurant in Rome
A dog named Pepe (pictured) waited to tuck into his bone shaped dessert- which featured a dog biscuit on top
A pooch sat in-between its owners legs after they both enjoyed freshly prepared food that evening
The remarkable looking dish looks like it could feature in a high-dining restaurant- but the plate of food is for lucky canines
Chef and dog trainer Luca (pictured) prepares dishes for dogs at the Fiuto using high-quality ingredients
Social media users have taken to Fiuto’s social media channels to share their thoughts on the concept- and many are impressed
The happy diners aren’t alone; many have taken to Fiuto’s social media accounts to share their thoughts on the unique concept – and it’s garnered a positive response.
One said: ‘Awesome! I am a dog trainer and I have 3 dogs; I would like to try it!’
A second wrote: ‘We can’t wait to try your delicacies.’
Another said: ‘We can’t wait!’
A fourth said: As soon as I pass through Rome, I’ll definitely be there! This is such a lovely idea.’
Another wrote: ‘What a beautiful idea though… so we can also go out for dinner.’
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