About Us
Sweet, bitter, sour, salty and umami: the fifth taste.
Our Story
In Japanese, umami means “savoury”, “succulent”, “really good”. With this idea in mind, back in 2012 Monia and Roberto began working out how to turn their passion for food into a restaurant “simple” enough to be within everyone’s reach, yet cared for down to the smallest detail and, above all, with dishes that pair perfectly with craft beer. And so, after more than two years of study – and not only on paper – Umami Beer opened on 1 February 2014.
What kind of restaurant is Umami Beer?
It’s hard to sum up Umami Beer in a single word or category.
- Is it a beer bar?
- Yes: our craft beer selection is quite wide, with 60–70 bottled labels and 9 taps, all constantly rotating.
- Is it a burger joint?
- Yes, we make burgers too. We study the meat, choose the cuts, make our own blends in house and look for the right balance of toppings; once we’ve tasted them, and only if we’re happy, they come to your table.
- Is it a wine bar?
- That too. We have a good selection of wines from small, excellent producers, mostly Italian but from abroad as well.
- Is it a classic restaurant?
- Not quite. But you can also choose meat dishes from the menu, such as a tagliata steak reinvented the Umami Beer way.
- Is it a fusion restaurant?
- Sometimes. We like to blend the ingredients of our region – the stars of our dishes – with the flavours and spices of other culinary traditions, so that each brings out the best in the other.
Above all, Umami Beer is a place to spend a quiet hour or evening with friends, in peaceful solitude or chatting with whoever is hosting that night, eating and sipping something umami: something good.
The people
Umami Beer is above all the people who work here and “put their face on it” every evening.
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Monia
Monia
Born in Varese to an Umbrian father and a Lombard-Venetian mother. Dreaming up Umami Beer, she found in her DNA a mix of culinary traditions that, by way of Sellano, span the whole of Italy from east to west. No wonder you’ll find attorta on the Umami Beer menu, or Piedmontese Fassona tartare with a twist on casoeûla on the side. A former committed teetotaller (but not too committed), in 2013 she became a professional beer taster. She approached wine cautiously but with determination: Champagne and traditional-method sparkling wines are her final choices. A passionate explorer of Asian cuisine.
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Roberto
Roberto
Born in ’76 and raised, food-wise, by grandma Sandra on bread, olive oil and the offal of the farmyard animals she kept. His passion for beer started so early that he can’t quite remember the first time he tasted it. From a young age he nurtured a deep love for food, cooking and drinks, always straddling tradition and the discovery of new flavours. He is a professional beer taster, an AIS sommelier, a food technology graduate and an omnivore (as long as it’s good). Besides cooking, he loves science, technology and engines. Favourite dishes: starters and mains. Favourite drink: it all depends on the dish! Hates: food waste.
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Benedetta
Benedetta
Born in the medieval town of the Gaite (Bevagna), she grew up among olive trees, good food and family cooking traditions. After graduating she realised she couldn’t hold back her passion for cooking, so she took several courses, especially in pastry. Her secret formula? Study, experiment and find the right mix of innovation and tradition. A lover of good food and good drink, when she isn’t making or testing a new dessert at Umami Beer, she tours restaurants looking for inspiration.
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Luca
Luca
He first stepped into Umami Beer as a customer on opening day and has never left since. As calm as the rocks he studied, passionate about beer and spirits distilled from all kinds of grains, every evening he looks for the right alchemical blend to fill your glass. In his free time he plays bass and listens to music – rock, of course.
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Laura
Laura
Don’t be fooled by her slight build if you ever think of inviting her to dinner: maybe she breathed the same air as Taz when she was born, but after devouring her plate – and a bit of yours – the bill will keep on growing. Perhaps unsatisfied with her architecture degree, perhaps searching for the cause of her appetite, she joined Umami Beer in 2018 to hand out advice and smiles in every language. AIS sommelier, unstoppable curiosity, an omnivore with a marked preference for protein: those are her criteria for choosing the right glass to pair.
Come Visit Us
Book your table and discover the Umami Beer experience