Roma NIDO’s Best of

Rome is Chiara’s city, so enjoy!

Have a drink:

Bar dei Musei Capitolini inside Villa Caffarelli, the palace on the right when you go up the Campidoglio stairs: there is an unknwown terrasse with an original view on Rome.

Vinando, wine bar in super charming Piazza Margana

Close to the Colosseo, Caffè Propaganda, via Claudia 15 or Panella very good finger food with your drink, starts at around 7PM, via Merulana 54

In super trendy Rione Monti : Ai 3 scalini, bottiglieria, good wine selection, Via Panisperna 251, or at Urbana 47 that serves good local products, via Urbana 47

Bar della Pace or bar del Fico, right by Piazza Navona

In Trastevere, any bar in via della Scala is nice

Hotel Locarno, in a nice Art Nouveau style hotel right by Piazza del Popolo

La pizza : The pizzeria is a place where every roman goes : it is good, simple and democratic ! Usually the round one (very thin in Rome) is served for dinner. At lunch you have la pizza al taglio, by the piece.

Our favourites are:

Da Pasquino: Piazza Pasquino right by Piazza navona ; the pasta is also really good.

La Montecarlo: Vicolo Savelli (www.lamontecarlo.it), great for groups of people, an institution

Dal Paino: 34 via di Parione

Li Rioni: 24 via dei SS Quattro, close to Colosseo (Pizza Margherita : 4,80Euros !!!), very roman

I Gelati, ice creams :

Gelateria: via della Seggiola, 12. Very secret address close to Palazzo Farnese

Gelato San Crispino: via della Panetteria 42 close to Fontana di Trevi. Also in Piazza della Maddalena 4 by the Pantheon

Gelateria Ornelli: via Merulana close to Santa Maria Maggiore

Il Palazzo del Freddo owned by the Fassi family, this is an institution in the neighbourhood, 63/67 via Principe Eugenio, close to San Giovanni

Hype Restaurants:

Gusto is one of the first neo bistrots in Rome, with good products and also a very cool store. Piazza Augusto Imperatore 9, right by the Ara Pacis.

Caffè Propaganda, very cosy place, we recommand the Tris di carciofi : for those who love artichokes Rome is the best place, via Claudia 15.

Said : this old chocolate factory, located in a very popular district of Rome, San Lorenzo, has been converted to a restaurant /tea room but also a very good chocolate store, via Tiburtina 135.

Urbana 47 : in super cool Rione Monti, creative cuisine with Km0 local products.

At Pigneto, in this very popular neighbourhood, you can have a walk to see this alternative Rome and have diner at very good and cosy Pigneto 41, via del Pigneto 41.

Le trattorie (popular home made traditional roman food) del centro Storico:

Our favourite: Zi’Umberto in Trastevere: Piazza Giovanni della Malva, 14/B

Trattoria Der Pallaro: Largo del Pallaro 16, by Campo de’ Fiori

Da Settimio al Pellegrino: Via del Pellegrino 107 : simple home-made food by Campo de Fiori

Osteria del sostegno: Via delle Colonnelle 5 : traditional roman cuisine by the Pantheon, very good carciofi alla romana, decoration is not very exciting

Armando al Pantheon: Salita dei Crescenzi 31: traditional roman cuisine by the Pantheon

Cavalier Gino: Vicolo Rosini by the Parlement, traditional roman cuisine

Da Giggetto: Via del Portico d’Ottavia 21, try the famous jewish roman food, especially the carciofo alla Giudia, a delicious deep fried artichoke and the Sparacelle (untranslatable, it is a kind of salad you can only find in Rome with anchovies sauce).

Trattoria della stampa: Vicolo dei Maroniti 32, traditional roman cuisine Osteria de Nerone Via delle Terme di Tito 96, traditional roman cuisine by the Colosseo

More sophisticated roman cuisine:

Pier Luigi: 144 Piazza de’ Ricci. Nice outdoor area by Palazzo Farnese

La gensola: Piazza della Gensola 15 in Trastevere, good fish

For a walk in the Centro on Saturday morning, we recommand to start by Palazzo Farnese, the spectacular french embassy, one the most beautiful palaces of Rome (you cannot visit it). Right by the news stand there is a nice bar at the corner where you can sit in the sun, have a cappuccino e cornetto. Then you have to go see Campo de Fiori, a long square where there is a market every day. If you want to experience a really roman tradition, go buy some pizza al taglio inside the Forno (bakery) that is on one corner of the square, you will recognize it by the crowd. Romans do not like the concept of standing in line so you just have to struggle to order your pizza or bread. If you survive this experience, you can be proud en feel more roman. Then have a walk in this beautiful area, in streets such as via Giulia, via di Monserrato, go in the courtyard of Palazzo Spada where you can see the nice perspective of Borromini.
When you cross Corso Vittorio Emanuele, go see beautiful Piazza Navona, try to see the little Church santa Maria della Pace,Via del Governo Vecchio, via dei Coronari… In that area, you can have a quick lunch in Piazza Pasquino : either at Pasquino or L’insalata ricca. Then go towards the Pantheon and try to visit famous Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza by Borromini. Have a good coffee after visiting the Pantheon (good exemple of roman concrete, they invented it !) at Tazza d’Oro, an institution. In that area, try to pass by Piazza Sant’Ignazio where buildings are displayed as a theater stage, it is the triumph of the roman Barocco. You are not far from Piazza di Trevi, accross via del Corso. When you are in Campo de Fiori, you can also choose to go on the other direction and cross the river Tevere on Ponte Sistso to visit charming Trastevere. Try to pass by Piazza santa Maria in Trastevere and more popular Piazza San Cosimato. Try to go up charming Via Garibaldi to get to the Gianicolo hill and have a fantastic view on Rome.

The other must-see in Rome are of course the Forum and Palatino, the Colosseo, Trajan markets. Outside Rome, don’t miss Ostia Antica and Villa Adriana in Tivoli.

Don’t miss San pietro and the Vatican Museums but it can take the whole day. There is a very good program for kids, with head-phones, it’s a 2/3 hour tour of the sessentials. Always try to book tickets on the internet to avoid long lines.

You must see Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish steps, and all the streets around that lead to beautiful Piazza del Popolo. That is the high end shopping dristrict, not super exciting. Galleria Borghese and Palazzo Barberini are also magnificent.You can see very nice ancient Rome art in the beautiful museums of Palazzo Massimo (near Termini) and Palazzo Altemps (right by Piazza Navona).

Visit the hype area of Rione Monti, in particular via del Boschetto, via Panisperna and via Urbana : that was the area of La Suburra where the poor people lived in the ancient Rome, now it is the coolest place to be !

We also recommand a pretty museum : the Centrale Montemartini, an old power station that as been converted to an ancient Rome museum. The white statues are sitting in front of the blue grey machines, it is charmingly surrealistic, like a de Chirico painting. Via Ostiense 106. In that area you can also visit Eataly, the great store dedicated to italian food (piazzale 12 ottobre 1492).