Where To Go In Rome
I’m not surprised by how crowded Rome is these days even though we’re months away from the height of the high season. My friends who work in hospitality here tell me that hotels are booked solid until November (!) with August pretty available. More restaurants and cafes are staying open during August in the Historic Center now. However, I still don’t recommend Rome in August, especially if it’s your first trip. It’s too hot and the locals who don’t work in tourism/hospitality clear out. Did I mentioned how hot it is?
I’m receiving so many emails and DMs regarding where to go/what to do in Rome. I wrote a post where to eat HERE and where to drink HERE.
Below are my suggestions:
The Galleria Villa Borghese. This is the museum I suggest people go to if they don't have time to visit the Vatican Museum (or even if they do). It's small. There’s a two hour limit. You have to make reservations and can do so online. The permanent collection is fantastic. It’s in a beautiful villa in one of Rome’s prettiest parks. I recommend spending time in Villa Borghese Park too.
Museum Palazzo Altemps - near Piazza Navona, unless a student group is on a field trip, this museum is rarely crowded. Tiny but interesting. Wrote about it HERE.
Outside of the Centro Storico is Montemartini. Very unique space. Wrote about it HERE.
Another favourite (and often overlooked) museum is Galleria Doria Pamphilj - get the audio tour. It’s narrated by a member of the family.
Museo dell Ara Pacis - The exhibits change but the altar created for Augustus, 9 BC, is upstairs. The building, designed by architect Richard Meier, was quite controversial as it’s one of the few newish/modern buildings in that area and people said it looked like an air conditioning unit.
Capitolini Museum - One of the oldest museums in the world, you will find a lot of history and pieces from Ancient Rome. The views from Piazza del Campidoglio, and the cafe of the museums, are great. This is where City Hall is located.
There are over nine hundred churches in Rome, some favorites:
San Clemente - it's worth the fee to go down to the ground level to see relics from when it was a pagan temple
Santa Maria del Popolo - the Caravaggios
Santa Maria in Trastevere - the mosaics
San Luigi dei Francesi - this is the French Catholic church in Rome. More Caravaggios
Santa Cecilia in Trastevere - located on the quieter side of Trastevere
Sant’ Agnese - in Piazza Navona
Santa Maria in Maggiore Basilica - that ceiling
Saint Peter's Basilica - note, there can be long security lines
San Carlino alle Quattro Fontane - this small church is a Borromini masterpiece and many people walk right by it
Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza - another Borromini masterpiece. Sometimes there are free concerts in the courtyard
Basilica Santa Anna Maria in Ara Coeli - located next to Piazza del Campidoglio (there are a lot of steps) this church is the church of Rome, Senatus Populusque Romanus. I went to a midnight Christmas Mass here and it was very moving.
Not a church but a cemetery. Cimitero Acattolico, also known as the Protestant Cemetery, is where many famous poets, artists, writers, etc., who were not Catholic and/or Italian are buried. The grounds are beautiful. Shelley himself said so and he was buried here after he drowned in the Bay of Lerici.
Of course:
The Trevi Fountain - gets crowded... go very early or late
Piazza Navona - the Bernini fountain!
Piazza Farnese - it’s very close to Pz Navona. Palazzo Farnese is the French Embassy and there are two pretty fountains in this piazza.
Views from the Giancolo HIll - The fountain is breathtaking too
Doria Pamphilj Park - Along with Villa Borghese, this is one of the largest parks in Rome
The Pantheon - get there early or before the cruise ship lines.
The Colosseum/The Forum - It’s a good idea to get a guided tour, especially for the Forum
The Old Jewish Quarter - Second only to Venice, this is one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world. Of the 1023 citizens deported to Auschwitz, only 16 survived. Keep an eye out for the Sampietrini stones covered with a brass plates with their names in front of their homes. This is where the infamous Turtle Fountain is located.
The View from the top of the Spanish Steps - on a clear day it’s quite pretty and I love the Bernini fountain at the bottom of the steps in Piazza di Spagna
Interesting neighborhoods outside the Centro Storico:
EUR - for the history and fascinating architecture. Read more HERE.
Garbatella - read more HERE.
Walk along Via Appia Antica. Car traffic is limited on Sundays to the few people who live on the Appia. Read more HERE.
SHOPPING:
Check out the stores on Via Babuino (high end) and in Monti (mid-to high). Both streets have clothing and design stores.
For design, Via Margutta has some great shops, like the store BLEND (which changed its name from Flair).
Chez Dede on Via Monserrato is wonderful and one of my favourite stores in Rome. The whole street is great for shopping.
Many of the international luxury brands, Prada. Gucci, etc. are on Via Condotti and its side streets.
A Local’s Roman Aperitivo (cocktail) List
I’ve lived in Rome for over ten years. When I first moved to Rome, it was said that a hotel bar was the only place to get a decent cocktail. Rome was all about wine and spritzes. I thought that was a bit of an exaggeration back then and it’s definitely not true today.
A Hugo at Ciampini.
One of my favorite things about living in Italy is the aperitivo. There’s not an equivalent in the States as it’s not a Happy Hour. The word aperitivo comes from the Latin word “to open.” An aperitivo gets your stomach “open” for dinner. The Aperitivo started in the Piemonte region in the 1700s. There were certain spirits/drinks one would have before dinner. In general they were on the bitter side, low in alcohol, and some nibbles were served as well.
Now you can have all types of drinks (or something non-alcoholic) but what hasn’t changed is the social aspect and the nibbles. It’s the perfect after work meeting. Even if you’re home alone or it’s the weekend, an aperitivo is a great way to mark the end of the day.
Aperitivo is not to be confused with Apericena. That’s when a bar has a large buffet that’s included with your drink price. It’s very popular with students and anyone who’s on a budget.
I love meeting my friends (or going by myself) to the places below. Most of them have outdoor seating. There are some very popular spots that are not on the list because I haven’t been in ages or the crowd is very young. This is a grown folks list. Cin cin!
I used to go here all the time when I lived by Campo dei Fiori. Located in Piazza Navona, this is one of the few places in the area that both locals and tourists go to. It’s a beautiful piazza. I’ve been going for over ten years and I always see some of the same people there. It’s like Cheers! Service can be a molasses level of slow.
This cafe is behind the La Galleria Nazionale Museum. It’s a hidden gem with a fantastic patio. If you go after school lets out, you might have trouble finding a seat outside. Lots of local Parioli high school students are fan of this spot too.
I never went to any of the restaurants on Piazza Navona when I live nearby. Now I do. Camillo restaurant opened in 1890. The children of the previous owners took over and renovated the restaurant reaching out to locals. Camillo is a great spot right on the piazza. They have a wonderful cocktail list and you cannot beat the view.
CIAMPINI (Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina)
There are two other cafes in this piazza. If Ciampini is crowded, I will wait. Fantastic drinks and the waiters are lovely. It’s a pretty piazza as well.
ERCOLI (Parioli)
This is in my neighborhood but there’s a new one in Trastevere too. They have a serious cheese selection. My friend and I will split one of the mini cheese boards.
LA BUVETTE (Via Vittoria)
Located near the Spanish Step this is one of the few places that still has a loyal local clientele. They add different drinks to their cocktail menu depending on the season.
This is the only spot that doesn’t have outdoor seating. There’s a small bar inside the restaurant and they make great cocktails. Love the interior design. It’s chic and cozy.
Another one of my favs when I lived in the Centro. I went there a few months ago to meet a friend from Los Angeles and the drinks were still excellent. It can get very crowded so I used to go on the early side.
Speaking of crowded, get here early if you want a table outside. This spot is located in the Prati neighborhood not far from the Vatican museum. Excellent drinks and you can get trapizzino here too.
Located on top of the Fendi palazzo, this terrace has beautiful views and excellent drinks. The sushi restaurant is downstairs.
HOTELS:
Romans/locals don’t go to hotel bars. You see it more in cities like Milan, NYC, Los Angeles, Paris, London, etc., but these places do draw a local crowd too.
A Paloma on Hotel Locarno’s rooftop
Photos: Me and my iPhone
The outdoor garden backs into Villa Borghese Park. It’s an oasis in the middle of a busy city. The mini sliders are delicious! It’s pricey but the garden is so special.
The terrace bar has beautiful views, especially during the sunset. Stefano the bar manager is wonderful. Fantastic cocktails. Pricey too.
This is the hotel I stayed in during my first trip to Rome. At that time there wasn’t a roof terrace. The terrace is great and so is the bar and patio on the ground floor. There’s a working fireplace on the ground floor.
This hotel had a major renovation. The bar area is beautiful. A great spot for a cocktail near Termini.
This hotel opened last year and is ann excellent addition to the neightborhood. It’s in Parioli close to Villa Borghese Park. Great cocktails list.
HAVEN’T BEEN BUT ON MY LIST
Drink Kong was just included on The World’s 50 Best Bars list. It’s not surprising as Patrick Pistolesi is one of the best mixologists/bartenders in town. He used to be the bartender at a place down the street from me when I lived in the Centro. I haven’t made it to Kong yet but my friend Erica Firpo has interviewed him for her podcast Ciao Bella.
This hotel recently opened near Via Veneto. The W in Los Angeles was one of my spots so I look forward to checking this one out.