So, you’re going to Rome. I’m excited for your trip! It seems that a lot of people are traveling to the Eternal City these days and the city is having a moment (not like it hasn’t had its significant moment in history as the birthplace of the Roman empire, roads, and other wonders of Western engineering). I have come across at least three different people who traveled to Rome this past fall. Also, the cable network Bravo! has a new reality show starting this month called To Rome for Love (looks terrible, but I may have to check it out). Rome seems to be in the air both in my personal and pop cultural life.
But I digress. September 2017 was also when I booked my flight to Rome and explored Campo de’ Fiore, Trastevere, the Pantheon neighborhood, Via Veneto, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, and, of course, the Colosseum. The smaller, lesser-known neighborhoods that I admittedly got lost in but found them to be gems are Regola, Prati, Parione, Pigna, and Sant’ Eustachio. One night my phone died and I got lost in the narrow, winding streets and found myself scared for a very long minute, but then I realized: I was in the middle of historic Rome where taxis and tourists abound! Plus, getting lost is the obligatory solo travel experience.
Since that trip, I’ve had friends ask me for tips on what to do and where to eat. The following is from a letter I wrote a friend who visited in October. And, by the way, September and October are the best times to travel there. Fewer tourists, mild weather, and cheaper flights. Additionally, I also had serendipitous moments during that time. On my second day of the trip I got word that some of my friends from California were visiting for two weeks and we met up for a drink at a cafe in Trastevere. They were quite the foodies so I joined them for some delicious Chinese food in the Esquilino neighborhood and went to a food festival later in the week at Parco della Musica. It was wonderful to travel on my own but also meet up with friends. All in all, I fell in love with Rome. I hope you do, too!
Letter to a friend:
Most of the food places that I enjoyed while traveling in Rome I discovered through 1) a food tour or 2) word of mouth. I booked the “Street Food Tour with local guide” through Viator that introduced me to Antico Forno Roscoli for the best slice of Roman-style pizza (in Campo de’ Fiore), La Locanda del Prosciutto for cured meats and wine (near the Pantheon), Sant’ Eustachio Café for delicious espresso (also in the Pantheon area), and Il Giardino Romano for the famous fried artichokes in the Jewish Ghetto.
And then there were the places I heard about from my Airbnb host or from people I met on my trip. If you’re in the mood for a cozy, family-style type place, where the waiter will take good care of you and recommend his favorite, I would go to Gio Mia near Piazza Barberini. They give you a nice serving of house wine there and the pasta I had was on point.
When I’m looking for a place to drink or eat, I always think of ambiance—either inside the restaurant or the neighborhood. One simple and enjoyable experience is grabbing a gelato by the Trevi fountain at night-time with the rest of the Romans. I learned that one should avoid gelato with the open and exposed basins. While they are great for showcasing the different flavors of gelato for tourists, it is recommended to opt for the gelato with the closed basin as it is more authentic and delicious. For such a gelato, go to Il Gelato di San Crispino only a few blocks away from Trevi where you can enjoy the evening after a long day of playing tourist.
Also avoid eating at piazzas since they are mostly for tourists and the food may not be as good. But, hey, I support it for an aperitivo since who doesn’t like to sit at a piazza and people watch! And, also, why not be a tourist and dine there at least once if you feel game.
Speaking of aperitivo: Go with the classic Aperol spritz or a Negroni. I’m more of an Aperol spritz kinda girl but why not try both. The Trastevere neighborhood is good for this since it’s artsy and great for people watching. I went to Ombre Rosse. Piazza Trulissa is a great spot to chill and see both people and the Tiber river.
For morning, the Italians have a light breakfast–cappuccino and a cornetto filled with peach or pistachio. You can also take the cornetto unfilled. I highly recommend the peach one. You’ll be hungry by lunchtime though. So maybe adding a juice-succo would be a good idea.
And what about the places I wish I would have checked out but didn’t have enough time? I heard great things about Flavio Al Velavevodetto in Monti (Roberto De Niro has dined there so I would most definitely get reservations!). Monti is apparently a foodie neighborhood since it’s not near the tourist spots and is worth exploring.
Also, Trattoria da Enzo in Trastevere. Osteria da Fortunata in Campo de’ Fiore. And Dar Poeta in Trastevere all come highly recommended.
Other things to do besides eating:
- Shopping near the Spanish steps on Via del Corso and Via del Babuino (or window-shopping in my case)
- Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius day trip (through trip advisor/viator)
- Vatican and St. Peters square
- Colosseum tour (through trip advisor/viator)
- Pantheon tour (through trip advisor/viator)
- Basilica de San Clemente (great archaeological site underneath)
Hope you have an amazing time visiting the Eternal City!
Final thoughts: There are so many things that made this trip one of my most memorable and it’s hard to pick what was my favorite moment. I loved hanging out with my friends at the food festival where we tried vegan Italian food, connecting with other Americans on a tour bus from Rome to Mt. Vesuvius and learning about their travels around the world, or sitting below the Sistine Chapel and admiring each panel while listening to the audio explanation.
I would say that one of the most exciting moments happened on the day that I arrived to Rome, specifically when the taxi driver left me in the piazza of the Campo de’ Fiore neighborhood with my luggage because he couldn’t drive through the narrow streets. “This is as close as I can get,” he said. He signaled that I walk across the restaurants and through the narrow streets to find my apartment. And as I walked, I noticed the old-world charm of the cobblestone roads, the pink, orange, and yellow pastels that color the walls of the old buildings, and the people sitting for dinner with a glass of red vino at one of the many restaurants surrounding the piazza. Exhausted as I was from my long flight, I was finally in Rome and I loved it.
Critical Chica 