As we hit summer, many of us are jetting abroad on holiday or taking city breaks across Europe’s capitals. So we thought now might be the perfect time to send across some recommendations for Rome. Our founder Athina visited not too long ago and is really excited to share her recommendations. You will ofcourse know that Rome is a city filled with rich history and culture. It goes without saying that these are the likes of The Colosseum, Vatican and Trevi fountain to name just a few must sees. But we won’t be focusing on these tourist highlights in this post. Nope, instead, we’re dedicating it to great bars, areas & restaurants.
If not planned well, Rome can be a bit of a tourist trap when it comes to places to eat. And, after all you want to get it right as Italy has some of the best food in the world. So here are some suggestions for any interior loving tourist in need of a guide to Rome.
The Best Piazza’s
Piazza’s in Rome are bustling hubs. You’ll find plenty of these open public squares dotted around the city, most likely packed with locals having a drink on the streets. Surrounded by bars, fountains and public buildings they are a great people watching spot. Below are a few of our favourites to explore.
Piazza Navona: A great lunch spot. This is a large square in the center of Rome, and it’s home to three beautiful fountains: the Fountain of the Four Rivers, the Fountain of Neptune, and the Fountain of the Moor.
Restaurant to try: Il Corallo for good food off the beaten track
Campo de’ Fiori: This is a lively square in the historic centre of Rome, and it’s a great place to find food, drinks, and souvenirs.
Restaurant to try: Pizza Emma, one of the best pizza spots in town & filled with locals.
Piazza Trilussa: For the young crowd who like to spill onto steps with a drink in the evening
Piazza San Callisto: Possibly one of my favourite spots for a walk & drink in the evening for the youngish crowd. Grab a drink, sit on the fountain steps & watch the people go by. If you’re lucky, Bar S. Callisto will have some live music going on outside which you can enjoy with a beer or wine..dreamy!
Areas To Stay / Wander
TRASTEVERE:
A great place to stay if you’re a first time tourist to Rome, as it’s considered the real ‘heart’ of Rome with lots of places to eat & drink, bustling crowds, fairy lights, late night music & nightlight as well as shops & piazzas.
Restaurants & Bar Suggestion: Vin Allegro, a little wine bar off the beaten tourist track that does the best goats cheese, honey & truffle crostini.
Otello – A tourist hotspot but great vibes, yummy food & in the perfect location for a weekend dinner if you’re looking for a buzzy atmosphere. Expect to queue!
MONTI:
One of my favourite areas in Rome for a little bit of light shopping & apperetivo. Definitely has a relaxed, charming & hipster vibe to it with it’s cobbled streets, independent shops & bars where many locals sit on the steps of a fountain and chat. The Monti District, or Rione Monti as it called in Italian, is one of the most scenic neighborhoods in Rome. It’s wonderfully located in the city centre between between the Colosseum and Termini station so is a great place to stay if you want to be a little bit out of the bustling area of Trastervere.
Restaurants To Try
Circolo Vittorio
Da Tonino
Jerry Thompson’s bar – speak easy bar with indoor smoking allowed, good luck finding it…
Cybo
Frigidarium – gelato, with a big queue
Vino Olio
La Canonica- bit of a tourist hotspot, it’s ok food but the atmosphere, location & people watching spot is great.
Places To Stay
Hotels
The Hoxton https://thehoxton.com/rome
Nerva Boutqiue https://www.hotelnerva.com/en/
Soho House https://www.sohohouse.com/houses/soho-house-rome
Cute Airbnb’s
https://bit.ly/3Nrqw4c
https://bit.ly/3oY47Cn
If you liked this post, be sure to read our other city guides – we’ve covered, Paris & New York so far, with others like Copenhagen & Athens to follow in the near future…
All photography by Theo McInnes
