Smash Tag Piazza Bologna: where the smash burger was born in Rome

Every story has a starting point. Smash Tag's begins here, on 9 April 2021, in a thirty-square-metre space on Via Michele di Lando: the first address in Rome dedicated to the smash burger, opened when almost nobody in the city knew what one was. From this corner of Piazza Bologna the brand grew to stores in Rome, Latina, Naples and abroad, but for anyone looking for the original, this is still the address.

The technique is the same as day one: freshly ground beef, pressed onto the hot griddle to develop the caramelised crust that seals in the juices — crispy outside, soft inside. Around it, a soft potato bun, homemade sauces served in the big cup that has become Smash Tag's signature, and the signature recipes: Smash Brown — today among the most ordered dishes in the world on Deliveroo — Smash Yellow, Smash Pink, Smash Black.

The neighbourhood is the right one. Bologna metro station on line B is a few steps away, between Viale XXI Aprile and Via Nomentana, with La Sapienza a ten-minute walk: at lunch it's the quick break for students and offices in Nomentano, in the evening — with continuous hours until midnight — the go-to spot for dinner and after-dinner between Piazza Bologna, Trieste and Tiburtina.

The reviews tell the rest: on Google the store runs above 4.3 with more than 1,400 reviews, from people calling it 'the best smash in Rome' to those praising ingredients that are 'crunchy and juicy at the same time', and those who name the staff's kindness. Come and eat it where it was born, stop by the counter for takeaway or get it delivered with Deliveroo.