On the peaceful Rue Louvigny is one of the country’s best-known Italian restaurants. Giuseppe Parrino sits in a worn office chair on the second floor, above the Roma restaurant. For 25 years he enjoyed being close to his customers and colleagues. Today he is retiring and leaving what he has built over the years to Luxembourg businessman Paul Mreches.
Giuseppe Parrino’s journey into gastronomy began very early. His parents, who arrived in 1975 from a small village in Sicily in Luxembourg via Paris, opened an Italian restaurant next to Glacis. From a young age, Giuseppe knew he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his uncle, who also worked in the restaurant business. “When I was eight years old, I saw my uncle and I knew I wanted to be like him,” he recalls. His passion led him first to the hotel school in Diekirch, then to Lausanne, where he continued his education.
In February 1999, Giuseppe Parrino took over the Roma restaurant on rue Louvigny. It has made a name for itself throughout Luxembourg thanks to its culinary festivals. © PHOTO: Gerry Huberty
His professional journey began modestly in a small restaurant on Place Guillaume II in Luxembourg City, where he began serving 20 customers in 1992. Only a few years later, in February 1999, Giuseppe took over Roma and turned it into one of the most prestigious addresses in the city.
Roma, which opened in 1950 as the first Italian restaurant in Luxembourg, has always been a busy place. But it is during the last twelve years that Giuseppe has given the restaurant his very personal magic. “We have a large clientele,” he says proudly. Customers still tell him memorable stories today, like one customer who met his wife in Roma in 1952.
The challenge of preserving tradition
Giuseppe has always been aware that the most difficult thing in the restaurant business is to maintain a restaurant’s good reputation. “I did my job. And I did it with pleasure. But now I leave the field open for the younger ones.” At the end of July, Giuseppe announced his resignation, knowing that in our time it is not easy to preserve the legacy of such an institution.
Awarded by the Italian Chamber of Commerce, this plaque demonstrates excellence worldwide. At Roma, it was located right next to the front door. © PHOTO: Gerry Huberty
“There are lots of Italian restaurants,” explains Giuseppe. But his concept stands out from the others. To constantly surprise his customers, he changed the menu every two months. Most customers know about festivals. It was especially during the truffle event that they pushed for a place. For Giuseppe, the quality of the dishes is always paramount, because “Luxembourgers are gourmets” and are willing to pay for good quality.
Italian restaurants are legion.
Giuseppe Parrino
Over the past 25 years, gastronomy has developed a lot. Customer demands have increased, and the smartphone has become increasingly important as an evaluation tool. Nevertheless, word of mouth remains an important factor in Luxembourg, although many decisions these days are influenced by aesthetic images on social media.
The soul of the Romans
“As long as the staff stays, everything is fine,” stresses Giuseppe. Many of his colleagues have been employed by him for years, some even decades. This loyalty has become rare in today’s gastronomy.
A particularly strong moment in Giuseppe’s career: when, at the age of 18, he was able to serve the Queen of Denmark during his education. For three days, the students practiced walking correctly in Diekirch. Straight, head held high, but discreet. The table was covered with string so that the glasses were placed precisely. When the delegation got up from the table, the students were assigned tasks. Giuseppe had to fold the napkins into packs of ten. When he got to the Queen’s briefcase, he looked to the left and then to the right and dropped the royal souvenir into his trouser pocket. Even today, the napkin with the Queen’s lipstick reminds her of the beginning of her career.
Giuseppe has always been keen to maintain close ties with his guests. Many of his regulars became friends over the years, and hundreds of them personally congratulated him on his retirement. International guests such as actor Stanley Tucci and Roger Moore have also had a meal at Roma.
A look at the future
Giuseppe found a worthy successor in the person of Paul Mreches, who followed the same path as Giuseppe in Diekirch and Lausanne, but some twenty years later. Paul has known Roma since his childhood when he went to eat there with his parents. Today he continues the tradition and comes up with his own ideas without changing the essence of the restaurant. “Should anything change? No, not at all. But I will definitely add my touch,” assures Paul. Because he is already in the kitchen with the kitchen team. He already had to assure a long-standing customer that despite the change, the lasagne would still taste the same .
Paul Mreches takes over Roma with his staff. He is keen to preserve the essence of the restaurant. © PHOTO: Gerry Huberty
Loyal staff live at Roma. Chef José, who has been present for 24 years, continues to preside over the establishment’s culinary destiny. Nella, who has been making pasta by hand for 42 years, will also be staying. For Paul, it is an honor to continue to lead Roma and ensure that this traditional address does not fall into oblivion.
Farewell full of pride
Giuseppe looks back on his career with pride. “You can only run a restaurant if you put your whole heart into it,” he says. He not only put this heart into the kitchen, but also into the relationship with his colleagues and customers. It is this tenacious commitment that has made Roma what it is today: an institution whose reputation has gone far beyond the borders of Luxembourg.
In the future, the Roma will remain a place where tradition is lived. Paul Mreches will make sure of that.
This article was originally published on the Luxemburger Wort website.
Processing: Pascal Mittelberger.
