Rome
My first trip to Rome was short which means it definitely won’t be my last trip there! I went with my friend Jess for only 4 days back in 2018. Despite the short duration, I covered a lot of ground and ate so much pasta it was out of control but I honestly wouldn’t have done it any other way! Italy is truly good for the soul and the weather toward the end of September was beautiful (a little warm but not unbearable!).
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WHERE TO STAY
HOTEL NH COLLECTION ROMA PALAZZO CINQUECENTO
I stayed in two different hotels in Rome (I know, for such a short trip that seems crazy!). I had one night by myself before Jess arrived and because I have come to really love NH Hotels and it was close to the train station, I stayed there the first night. The hotel itself was amazing – the rooms are huge, the staff is lovely and they have a great terrace/bar area. It’s a little far from most of the main attractions though, so I think I’d only stay here again if I needed to be near the train station. They have a few other properties in Rome so definitely check them out depending on where you need to stay but if you want something super central, check out the other hotel below. Aside from location I 1000% recommend (in addition to all of their other properties – they’re all over Europe and they have not disappointed me yet!).
Literally in the heart of Rome, this was an older hotel compared to the NH Hotel but the staff was great and it was just a lot more ornate/had classic Italian decor. Highly recommend because the staff was also awesome and it was around the corner from our favorite gelato place (more on that below!).
WHERE TO EAT
TAVERNA TRILUSSA // @TAVERNATRILUSSA
It’s really hard to get a reservation at so either have your hotel call, show up and put your name down on the list or if you live that Amex concierge life, give them a call but you don’t want to miss this place! The pasta is super fresh, they serve it in the pans they make it in and they have a great outdoor space. It’s on the west side of the river.
We shared a charcuterie and cheese plate and got the fried zucchini flowers. The zucchini flowers are an absolute must. For mains my friend got pasta with amatriciana sauce and I got the cacao e pepe. Dessert was the crème brulee.
Via del Politeama, 23/25, 00153 Roma RM, Italy
We ate here on our last night in town and they had a lot of traditional Roman/Italian dishes with an amazing modern twist, a really cool, chill atmosphere and a great crowd. I recommend making a reservation because we were really lucky to get a table walking in on a Saturday night!
We ordered the focaccia with ricotta, sundried tomatoes and zucchini flowers. It was to die for. Then we also ordered their catch of the day carpaccio and it was delicious. For the mains we shared the first and last pastas on the tiny menu (on the recommendation of our waiter) – one had a light sauce with figs and the other was a smoky tomato pasta
Via delle Zoccolette, 22, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
OSTERIA DA FORTUNATA // @OSTERIADAFORTUNATA
This is the restaurant where the old Italian women hand roll the pasta in the window each evening. It was amazing.
We ordered the prosciutto and melon as a starter and my friend got the cacio e pepe and I got pasta with the amatriciana sauce and they were both delicious.
Via del Pellegrino, 11/12, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
IL MERCATO CENTRALE // @MERCATOCENTRALROMA
This place was kind of a random stop for me but I was starving when I got in and it was near my first hotel/near the main train station. That part of town isn’t the best/most exciting so I wouldn’t plan to spend a ton of time in the area. I ate at the Trapizzino place but there are a lot of great options if you want to sample things!
Via Giovanni Giolitti, 36, 00185 Roma RM, Italy
CUOCO & CAMICIA // TAGGED PICS ON IG
Super quaint restaurant that came recommended from a good friend that I absolutely loved. The staff was super friendly and I arrived about 10 minutes before they opened and they let me sit inside out of the rain. I ordered the calamari and squid ink pasta and they brought me a few extra bites of apps and dessert!
Via di Monte Polacco, 2/4, 00184 Roma RM, Italy
Two of my three gelatto stops were at Giolitti because it was THAT good.
Via degli Uffici del Vicario, 40, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
LA CASA DEL CAFFEE TAZZA D’ORO // @TAZZADOROALPANTHEON
Went here for coffee one day. It’s a little busy and touristy but great coffee.
Via degli Orfani, 84, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
RISTORANTE DA FRANCESCO // @DAFRANCESCOROMA
Great pizza place where I stopped for lunch one day – I had the buffalo mozzarella and black truffle.
Piazza del Fico, 29, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
FRENI E FRIZONI // @FRENIEFRIZIONI
Bar with a great patio and happy hour (and aperitivo if you’re into that!). We went here to kill time while waiting for our table at Taverna Trilussa
Via del Politeama, 4, 00153 Roma RM, Italy
TERRAZZA LES ETOILES AT THE ATLANTE STAR HOTEL // @TERRAZZALESETOILES
Great rooftop bar with views of the Vatican, we went after for a light bite and a drink.
Via Giovanni Vitelleschi, 34, 00193 Roma RM, Italy
taverna trilussa 
ristorante da francesco 
pianostrada 
view from terrazza les etoiles 
giolitti 
cuoco & camicia 
il mercato centrale 
osteria da fortunata
WHAT TO DO
- The thing I loved most about Rome was just wandering and taking in the sights and the people. I also popped in and out of a bunch of stores on all the streets. They have everything from super high end to local leather and home shops.
- See the Colosseum both during the day and at night. Because it was such a short trip, I only saw it from the outside but at night it was really beautiful all lit up
- Trevi Fountain – it’s a madhouse tourist destination, but worth at least one visit because it’s really pretty. Make sure you toss a coin in backwards and make a wish!
- Tour the Vatican – we started to do a guided tour but then ditched it because it was taking forever and wasn’t very interesting. If you really want some sort of guide, do the audio tour. It’s huge and you could spend all day there if you wanted to!
- Spanish Steps – we went at the end of the day and serendipitous caught the most amazing sunset. It was very busy but had beautiful views of the city
- Explore the ruins – you can either pay for entry or there are a few roads that wind around them if you want to enjoy from afar
- Buy a leather jacket! This might have been my favorite part of the trip. My friend Jess was set on getting a leather jacket and after checking out a few shops we found a great one on the same side of the river as Taverna Trilussa. Address is Via Del Moro 47 Roma and the guy who helped us is Fabio (the store manager). It’s a small shop with leather goods and the sign above it says Benheart. Everything is hand made and you can tell they take a lot of pride in their craft. They embossed our leather jackets with our initials which was awesome. They have a larger selection of guys stuff and you can also customize a belt! Pick your width, buckle, thread and also get it embossed.
BUCKETLIST
Most of my Rome bucketlist items revolve around food (don’t act like you’re surprised!)
- Ristorante le Mani in Pasta – one of the restaurants we couldn’t get into but my friend was able to go the night I left. She said the carbonara is to die for! Definitely recommend a reservation.
- Niji Cafe – a speakeasy near Ristorante le Mani in Pasta
- Pizza places: Da Remo in Testaccio, Da Baffetto near Piazza Navona or ai Marmi
- Perilli in the Testaccio area for classic Roman cuisine
- il Drappo, via dei Coronari for sardinian cuisine
- Gigetto al Portico d’Ottavia
- Da Franco al Vicoletto
- Osteria Margutta
- Bar del Fico
- Supplizio for quick bites
- Brassai
- Trattoria Da Enzo al 29
- Borgo Ripa
- 8 millimetri-bar
- Campo de’ Fiori for the morning market or aperitivo with an Aperol spritz
- Ditirambo – classic Roman restaurant near Campo dei Fiori
- Rimessa Roscioli for the wine tasting dinner
- Tonnarello
- Pastificio – tiny shop by the Spanish Steps for lunch. They make like two types of pasta per day. You order, at the counter and are given your pasta in a plastic container along with a tiny plastic cup of wine.
- I pizzicaroli – little wine bar that makes the most amazing meat and cheese platters. Located on one of Rome’s cobblestone alleys
