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It's taken a while for Roman foodies to accept the ida that the best chef in the city is German - but there's no ignoring the evidence. The Michael Schumacher of Italy's culinary scene, Heinz Beck has presided over the panoramic restaurant of the Rome Cavalieri Hilton since 1994, and in all that time he has never missed a sitting. Rome and the Vatican are laid out below this Monte Mario perch, and the chaotic street theatre of the centro storico is replaced by an impeccably choreographed dance of waiters. With its low ceiling and polished wood panelling, the elegant main dining room has a touch of the captain's cabin about it. Beck's cuisine is light and can be playful, but it is rarely showy in the style of, say, Ferran Adrià or Heston Blumenthal. The taster menu (€170 for six courses or €195 for nine) is a good introduction; in autumn 2007 it included seasonal creations such as artichoke-stuffed ravioli in a sauce of red shrimps and grey-mullet roe and a duck-foie-gras escalope with toasted hazelnut purée, amaretto foam and fig marmalade. Desserts are spectacular (if you order the Gran Dessert, you can sample a selection) and the wine list is encyclopedic - although mark-ups are predictably steep. It's open only five evenings a week, and there are just 55 covers, so book ahead.
Via Cadlolo 101, Rome (00 39 06 3509 2152; www.cavalieri-hilton.it). Open evenings only, closed Sun, Mon. About €300 for two without wine
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