From Tuscany with passion

Gioacchino Guarnacci, Nino for short, was born in Castelfranco di Sopra in 1897, in the province of Arezzo. One of the most beautiful villages in Tuscany and in Italy.
Straight after the First World War, it was impossible to find a job in Castelfranco and Nino travelled from the north to the south of Italy trying out many different trades. He arrived in Rome, with his brother Mario, where they began to work as employees in the restaurant business.

They soon realised that this would be their future, and used their talent and determination to open their very first restaurant.

They opened in via Rasella in 1933 Success arrived quickly and in 1939 they also opened a restaurant in Via Borgognona.

The restaurant immediately boasted a large and varied clientele that soon turned into loyal and long-standing friendships.

 

The personalities of Nino and Mario

Nino and Mario had different personalities, the former more enterprising and flamboyant, the latter more reserved and judicious. These differences did not hold them back and, quite the contrary, brought organisational opportunities and advantages to the firm:  they complemented each other with a shared responsibility of mutual esteem and deep understanding, with the aim of achieving a common passion.

Nino, an extrovert, intuitive, with exceptional communication skills and a friendly manner made an art of this trade. Those who met him recall his sociability and his generosity. Qualities that allowed him to establish a friendly relationship of mutual respect with the clientele. Without feeling intimidated by the famous celebrities or noble representatives of Rome’s high society who flocked to his premises, he welcomed and treated everyone as if he were the master of the house and not a simple host.

Boasting beauty by nature, he furnished the restaurant  without cutting corners, choosing beautiful and prestigious furnishings that still characterise the classic elegance of the Restaurant even today.

He also had a window transfer made showing a hunting scene to divide the entrance from the kitchen where you could – and still can – see the kitchen and the cooks at work.

Probably NiNo was the first to design an open kitchen in the history of catering

It is difficult to list how many well-known celebrities from the entertainment, art and public figure worlds ate at Nino’s, so we’ll mention just a few: Dino De Laurentiis con Silvana Mangano, Carlo Ponti and Sophia Loren, Rizzoli, Dino Risi, Michelangelo Antonioni, Roberto Rossellini, Alberto Sordi, Anna Magnani, Audrey Hepburn, Vittorio Gassman, Marcello Mastroianni, Lucio Dalla. And also the artists Guttuso, Manzù, Vaccari, Tamburi, Vaccari.

 

Present day

The years go by, and Nino’s story continues thanks to the love and dedication of the family.

After Maria, Egidio and Anna stepped away from the restaurant – having for many years safeguarded and nurtured it in the spirit of its founders – the baton passed to the next generations, who with enthusiasm and commitment carry forward the family spirit that has always animated Nino. Lawyers, engineers, sommeliers: each has brought their own expertise and sensitivity, enriching the management with new ideas while always remaining fully faithful to tradition.

In recent months, the young members of the fourth generation have also joined, full of passion and drive. Their energy is reflected in the way we welcome our guests and in the care we put into our presence on Instagram, where we try to show what happens at Nino, including behind the scenes.

All this, however, without ever forgetting Nino’s authentic character and unmistakable personality, which have taken on an iconic role on the Roman scene.

Our staff continues to play a fundamental role and has always been an integral part of the family. With professionalism, attention and kindness, they accompany our guests and make every visit a pleasant and genuine moment: it is also thanks to them that Nino’s atmosphere retains its welcoming and warm spirit.

 

The clientele

It is varied and international: couples, families, professionals, tourists, politicians, actors, journalists.

Our loyal customers are dotted all over the world and every time they are in Rome they come to visit us as if it were an unmissable part of their journey; they tell us how many years they’ve been coming and what their favourite dishes are, always encountering the same warm welcome and same wholesomeness of the dishes.

We take this opportunity to thank them sincerely for their loyalty and affection