How to enjoy Rome

Colosseo, Roma

With nearly nine years since my last visit, I was pretty rusty on Rome. Since I had already seen the major tourist sites, this quick trip was about trying to spend a few days living like a local. Some ideas:

Appartamento:

We rented a small but charming apartment just off the Campo de Fiore and a short walk from the Piazza Navona. It was a great central location - we walked everywhere and our only time in a car was to and from the airport.

Caffee:

The most famous espresso in Rome is from Sant'Eustacio caffe, a modest coffee bar with lots of take-home treats available for tourists. We arrived early and watched tables of local businessmen huddle over their tiny espresso cups. I had a great cappuccino and immediately wanted a second. The church in the Piazza di Sant'Eustachio appeared to have a reindeer on its roof. Further research revealed that Saint Eustache, a 2nd century Christian martyr, is the patron saint of hunters and firefighters. Besides presiding over the 16th century church, his cross and stag symbol is immortalized on bottles of Jagermeister.

Pranzo:

Our two lunches were both fabulous and offered very different Roman experiences.

Cul de Sac is a charming indoor-outdoor cafe on the Piazza di Pasquino, a short walk from Piazza Navona. We were tightly packed into outdoor seats on the cobble-stoned street, watching cool European kids slouch by in Converse sneakers as they browsed the great shops on Via del Governo Vecchio. A quick peek inside revealed an inviting long and narrow restaurant with cozy booths hugging the walls. Our meal was fun and delicious - just the long, lingering Roman lunch we were seeking.

Al Pompiere is a short walk from the amazing Great Synagogue of Rome in the Jewish Ghetto. After a morning spent wandering through Trastevere, we took the Ponte Cestio bridge over the Tiber River and walked through Isola Tiburina to explore the Ghetto. Al Pompiere is known for two delicious dishes: Carciofi alla giudìa - Jewish-style fried artichokes - and lemon pasta. The entrance, off a small alley, leads to a second floor restaurant that felt like a quiet oasis after the chaos of a busy morning. We sat by a window overlooking a school building and watched uniformed children's heads pop out of classroom windows as we sipped our vino bianco into the afternoon.

Aperitivo:

We took our time on a walk through the beautiful Villa Borghese gardens, which felt to me like the very best sections of New York's Central Park. Below the gardens, steps lead down to the Piazza de Popoli, and from there we stepped into the fashionable Hotel de Russie for aperitivo. A Bellini for me, a Negroni for my husband, and nuts, olives and tasty snacks in the outdoor courtyard garden with great people-watching and even a roaming cat! The hotel, which sits between the Spanish Steps and the Piazza de Popoli is also dangerously near the luxury shopping along Via Condotti.

Cena:

One of my favorite dinners of our whole trip was actually in a butcher shop. Rosciolo, an upscale enoteca and salumeria, offers dinner seats right along its butcher case as well as in the back of the store and downstairs in a private cellar. We had a delicious meal, very kind and attentive service, and it was hard not to be absorbed by the thousands of bottles of wine lining the walls. Local patrons arrived around 9:30pm into this vibrant scene. The shop also offers an extensive takeaway menu, perfect for a picnic inside or out.

Cinema:

Before you head to Rome, I highly recommend watching the Italian film The Great Beauty, last year's Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Film.

Ciao!