In Rome the cardinals eat 'poor' food, but can't resist an ice-cream

WHETHER chomping on local fare such as pasta carbonara or veal cutlets wrapped in ham, Catholic cardinals, who are meeting in the Vatican this week to prepare for the conclave, have "simple" tastes, local restaurateurs say.

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A few steps from St Peter's Basilica, where tourists pack into typical Roman restaurants and tacky souvenir shops, Federica Gianmaria waited Tuesday to welcome her lunchtime customers.

“We've been here for 60 years, this was my grandmother's restaurant,” the 35-year-old said, standing in front of the glass-covered terrace of Arlu.

“The cardinals saw me grow up, you could say,” she added. “They come here not just because you eat well, at least that's what I hope, but also because we've created a friendly relationship, like a family.”

She says she even hugs the cardinals when they come to dine.

And like the late Pope Francis, they have simple tastes, enjoying typically Roman staples like saltimbocca - the veal cutlets whose name literally means “jumps into the mouth” - burrata cheese, and pasta with carbonara sauce.