Prego! Rome, Italy
The Eternal City; seat of the Roman Empire, steeped in 3,000 years of history, and the location of our recent five-day European jaunt.
It’s a city full of incredibly evocative ancient ruins including the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the Pantheon, a testament to the power, technology and ingenuity of an ancient civilization. Add to that the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Vatican City and the Sistine chapel, plus all the pizza and pasta that you could ever want. Here you have the recipe for an extraordinarily memorable city break.
Dream
Hotel Eden, Via Ludovisi 49: Our home away from home during our stay was this magnificent 5-star hotel, rated by many as the best in Rome. It sits atop a hill overlooking the city, nestling beside the Borghese Gardens and just a short walk from the top of the Spanish Steps.
There are 98 rooms, luxuriously decorated with a pastel color palette and lavish marble bathrooms. Our very comfortable room had two small balconies with views towards the controversial Altare della Patria in the distance, sometimes known to locals as the Wedding Cake or Typewriter Building.
The hotel has two restaurants on the highest of its six floors: the Michelin-starred La Terrazza, and the less formal Il Giardino. Breakfast every day at Il Giardino was a fantastic experience, heightened by the extremely welcoming, friendly and attentive service of Francesco and the rest of the team. Food and coffee was absolutely first-rate and the panoramic views out across the city towards the Vatican were quite breathtaking. One of our best breakfasts ever with the best rooftop view of Rome!
In addition to the two restaurants, there are two bars; the Il Giardino bar on the top floor, and the spectacularly decorated La Libreria in the lobby. Elegantly adorned with gold paint, luxe furnishings and with a secret bookshelf bar, La Libreria was a great place to grab a glass of wine or a coffee and enjoy a bite to eat.
Service throughout the hotel is extremely professional and friendly, particularly from the knowledgeable and very accessible concierge team.
Dine
Ristorante al 34, Via Mario de’ Fiori, 34: Traditional restaurant just off the Via Condotti very close to the foot of the Spanish Steps. Good pasta dishes with typically Roman service.
Emma’s, Via del Monte della Farina, 28: Large, modern restaurant with very good Roman-style thin-crust pizza, recommended by our hotel as the best pizza in central Rome.
hostaria Costanza, Piazza Paradiso, 65: Classic Roman dishes served in a dining room set within the remains of an ancient theater, with vaulted ceilings reminiscent of a cave.
Dar Poeta, Vicolo Del Bologna 45, Trastevere: Small, well-known traditional pizza restaurant set in a narrow street in Trastevere.
Ristorante Tullio, Via San Nicola da Tolentino: Popular, relatively upscale and somewhat formal restaurant near Hotel Eden.
San Marco, Via Sardegna, 38: Another modern pizza/pasta restaurant within walking distance of Hotel Eden.
La Buca Di Ripetta, Via di Ripetta, 36: One of our two favorite restaurants during our trip (along with La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali), it is located on Via di Ripetta, just off the Piazza del Popolo, just a short walk from the Spanish Steps. With a Vespa set in the center of the cosy dining room, this restaurant is recommended for its very good, authentic carbonara. Also of note is the traditional Roman appetizer combo platter including deep fried artichoke and zucchini flowers, and a very good tiramisu.
La Bruschetta, Via Sardegna 39: Traditional old-school pasta restaurant within walking distance of Hotel Eden.
La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali, Via della Madinna dei Monti, 9: Welcoming restaurant set in a narrow alley close to the Colosseum. Another of our favorites.
Salotto42, Piazza di Pietra, 42: Small, fashionable cocktail bar set between the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon, in the shadow of the spectacular Temple of Hadrian. In the evening, this popular nightspot becomes crowded, with patrons spilling out into the beautiful Piazza di Pietra beside the temple’s towering illuminated columns.
Gelato San Crispino, Via della Panetteria, 42: Famous artisanal gelato emporium eschewing the tourist tropes of brightly colored ice cream prominently displayed in open containers. Instead, the gourmet gelato is prepared without the use of artificial colors, preservatives or chemical emulsifiers, and is housed in covered stainless steel containers. Seasonal flavors include strawberry honey from Sardinia, and eggnog with marsala de Bartoli.
Sant’ Eustachio Il Caffe, Piazza di S. Eustachio, 82: This famous, Roman coffee shop and roaster with traditional-style espresso bar, was founded in 1938. Its central location, close to the Pantheon and Piazza Navone, made it a regular pit-stop during our frequent long walks around the city.
Do
Walk Around Town: As you might expect, there is lots to see in central Rome, and the narrow, circuitous often cobbled streets are best explored on foot. We frequently found ourselves walking for many hours exploring the sights, and to this end, packing comfortable footwear is essential for any visit to the city!
Tour of the Roman Forum and the Colosseum: We booked the tour via our hotel concierge at the Hotel Eden, with Imago Artis Travel. Our incredibly knowledgeable tour-guide Agnese, a former Egyptologist, was the perfect chaperone to lead us through some of the most stunning ruins in Rome. Our first stop was a private look inside the Temple of Antoninus and Foustina, an ancient Roman temple adapted as a Roman Catholic Church, which stands on a high platform at the edge of the Roman Forum. From there we descended into the Forum, for a walking tour of the many points of interest, and on to the stunning Colosseum. This was an incredible unmissable experience.
Tour of Vatican City including Sistine Chapel: Our second guided tour was with the same tour company and we were lucky enough to have the same guide as before. On entering the Vatican Museums we were bombarded with masterpiece after masterpiece from the likes of Raphael, Michelangelo, da Vinci and Bellini. Our tip is to stop for a coffee at the Caffetteria Centrale before rejoining the throngs creeping along the narrow corridors and staircases leading to the Sistine Chapel.
Walk to Hand of Truth with Forum overlook: Start this walk by heading Southwest uphill on Via di San Pietro in Carcere from Via dei Fori Imperiali, in between the Forum and Altare della Patria. As you climb the hill heading towards Piazza Campidoglio you pass a great overlook of the Roman Forum on your left. After spending some time surveying the Piazza, exit using Via del Campidoglio, the narrow alley beside Palazzo Senatorio. Head downhill for another spectacular overview of the Forum on your left. Continue downhill towards Piazza della Consolazione and continue on to Piazza della Bocca della Verità. There on the left wall of the portico of the Santa Maria in Cosmedin church is the famous marble mask known as the Mouth of Truth.
Spanish Steps: This iconic Roman landmark consisting of 135 steps on three levels, rises from the Piazza di Spagna up a steep hill to the Piazza Trinita dei Monti and the Trinita dei Monti church. Originally completed in 1725, the steps underwent a 1.5m Euro / $1.7m restoration project during 2015-16, financed by the jeweller Bulgari.
The Pantheon: This is one of Rome’s best-preserved and most impressive ancient buildings. Constructed during 113-125 AD, it sits in Piazza della Rotonda, and is open to the public, free of charge. Visitors enter via the portico flanked by 39ft tall Corinthian columns into the rotunda, which is covered by a huge, coffered concrete dome measuring 142 feet in diameter (the US Capitol dome measures 96 feet in diameter) with a 30ft oculus open to the sky above. This huge dome remains the world’s largest unreinforced single-pour concrete dome, 2,000 years after its construction. This is a must-see.
Trevi Fountain: The iconic Trevi Fountain, completed in 1762, is the largest Baroque fountain in the City and is formed predominantly from Travertine stone. In 2014-15 it underwent the most thorough restoration in its history, funded by fashion brand Fendi at a cost of 2.2m Euro. The fountain has featured in many famous movies including Three Coins in the Fountain, and Roman Holiday. It is estimated that 1.4m Euro or $1.5m is thrown into the fountain every year!
Trastavere neighborhood: Trastevere is located on the West bank of the River Tiber, about a 20-minute walk south-east from the Vatican. Historically working-class and home to sailors and fishermen, the area is a maze of narrow, cobbled streets and alleys lined by ancient houses, with the Piazza Santa Maria at its heart. Today Trastavere is renowned for its many small trattorias and bars, which at night are frequented by locals and tourists alike.
Borghese Gardens: This lush, green, city park, an English style landscape garden of around 200 acres, runs from Piazza del Popolo to the top of Via Veneto. The park contains numerous points of interest and attractions, including the Galleria Borghese – with a collection including sculptures by Bernini and paintings by Caravaggio; the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna – with a collection of 19th and 20th century paintings featuring Italian artists; and even a replica of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater built in 2003. It is a great place to go for a quiet stroll or run; an escape from the electricity of the city’s busy streets.
Images from Rome
