Eataly Rome, the capital’s new temple of Italian food products, is ready to open to the public at the former air terminal at Ostiense. In a preview for invited guests, gourmet businessman Oscar Farinetti – patron of Eataly together with Carlo Petrini of Slow Food fame – told reporters, “Our aim here is to create the most beautiful place in the world for agricultural and food products, the best meeting place and market on the planet. We are certain that Eataly Rome will beat even our outlet in New York, or Harrods.”

The latest in a chain of food emporia throughout Italy, and present also in the US and Japan, Eataly Rome has taken over the completely restored former air terminal, which it is sharing with the NTV fast train service launched recently by Luca Cordera di Montezemolo. It contains 23 restaurants or snack bars (including one dedicated to Roman fried specialities), a mozzarella plant, 40 educational areas, sales points for over 14,000 renowned Italian food products, and on the top floor a congress centre with eight classrooms for courses.

Its soundproofed pavilion can welcome from 100 to 300 guests for congresses, and up to 500 for receptions. The modular structure can also be divided into three rooms of 100 places, each equipped with all audiovisual resources. The opening to the public is scheduled for the week of 18 June.