Rome Road Trip: Where To Eat, Drink & Visit in the Italian Capital
I continue to tell people great things to see, eat, and do in Italy's capital. Now it's your turn — but not before I talk a bit about Milano.
I planned to make this post all about Rome as I embarked on a trip through Piemonte to sip and learn more about barbera wine after spending two days in Milan. I would, however, be remiss if I didn’t write about Italy’s fashion capital at least a little.
I spent the last couple of months casually researching and asking friends (thanks Jasone!) for tips. I pulled things together, yet kept things loose. My hotel, NH Collection Milano Porta Nuova, would prove a great location to easily explore. I made a dinner reservation at Rataná (highly recommend) for my first night. I bought one of those no-brainer skip-the-line tickets to the Duomo. And I had an aperitivo reservation at Principe Bar inside the classic Principe di Savoia hotel. That’s it. I had notes, lists, ideas … but nothing concrete. The rest would be off the cuff.
My first afternoon and evening, I strolled about despite my post sort-of-slept overnight flight. But the next day? That was, in a word: epic. I set out around 9:30 a.m. toward the Duomo, through the quiet Sunday streets of San Marco and Brera as the occasional runner or dog walker passed by until I hit the piazza housing the world famous opera house, La Scala. I made my way through Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, into and through the Duomo [fun fact: it took nearly 580 years to complete the construction of this architectural marvel], hit various other sites (was very sad I couldn’t get tickets for either The Last Supper or Leonardo’s Vineyard) and meandered the streets.
As I was in Milan on Rosh Hashanah, I eventually walked down to Navigli to perform tashlich, the ritual to cast off my sins of the previous year in flowing water. Afterwards, I sat at Sabbia d’ Oro (thanks Jackie!) for a spritz and pizza, then rode the metro back to my hotel. I made it to Principe Bar where I finally had a Negroni (OK a riff) I enjoyed (grazie Daniele at Principe — more on that in the future, but he was brought in to overhaul their cocktail program after working at 1930 cocktail bar). To close out the day, I had an impromptu dinner at Il Solferino (amidst many in town for Milan Fashion Week). I may have logged 24,315 steps, but who is counting?
OK, so enough about Milano — let’s talk Roma! 🇮🇹
My Rome Travel Guide
Roma! The capital. The center of the Roman Empire. The place where you can wander and eat and wander and drink and wander and stumble upon countless ruins. And then repeat that day after day. Rome has become one of my favorite cities I’ve visited in the last, well, ever. Apparently, I’m not alone.
The beauty of Rome, or any major city, is your best days come about when you don’t schedule everything. Sure, have some plans, make some reservations. But you’re best served when you let your day unfold and let things just happen. It does get super hot there in summer (it was 100 degrees every day when we went) so think about visiting in the fall.
Here are some of the better things that came out of our trip to Rome. This won’t be an exhaustive list, but I will say the Atlas Obscura app (here’s the list I made) once again proved itself incredibly useful as we would not have seen any number of sites from Hadrian’s Temple to the Pons Fabricus (the oldest Roman-era bridge still in working use) to Galleria Sciarra.
Rome Eats & Drinks
This section is definitely the most populous because, I mean, eating and drinking in Rome?
Nonna Betta
Set in the heart of the Jewish Ghetto, Nonna Betta was the first place Drew and I properly ate (not counting our first breakfast waiting to get into our Airbnb in Campo de’ Fiore) and it was fabulous. We were both still woozy from not really sleeping on the plane, but as soon as that first Aperol spritz and those infamous and delicious Roman fried artichokes landed, they just hit right. This place, like the Ghetto, has history. The stories behind the family — a handful of the 2000 Jews to survive the Holocaust, representing 500 years of Jews living here — bring the food to life. There’s love behind the cooking here and you can taste it.
Pasticceria il Boccione
A few doors down in the Ghetto sits this bakery that dates back to 1815. Your best served to go first thing in the morning when its famous crostata — pastries with burnt tops filled with soft sweet ricotta and wild cherries or chocolate as well as their hard cookies topped with fruit and nuts called pizza ebraica — are in abundance. Note it’s closed from Friday afternoon through Saturday for Shabbat. After visiting the bakery (or Nonna Betta), walk east down the street, around a bend and have your mind blown as you find the Portico d’Ottavia. I’ll just leave it at that.
Roscioli Salumeria
Rome has zero shortage of incredible restaurants, but in this city, Roscioli stood out to me as the best. The ambiance is lively (if you can reserve the wine cellar for your meal, it looks pretty incredible), but no matter where you sit, you’ll have a fabulous meal. If you eat one thing here, make sure it’s the burrata con conviale, yes creamy delightful burrata topped with Osetra caviar and a healthy drizzle of herbaceous olive oil. But you won’t eat just one thing as the entire menu is tremendous — eggplant caponata, ravioli with Roman oxtail and pecorino, classic cacio e pepe — as is their brilliant wine program (they even have a wine club where you can order directly to your home).
Ristorante Grano
Another big thanks Jasone for sharing this gem, set between Piazza Navona and the Pantheon. The service was charming and the food — burrata with marinated anchovies, eggplant parm, seafood pasta, spaghetti alla carbonara — spectacular. The wines blew my mind as everything is priced so reasonably for incredible vino.
Jaluna Cocktail Bar
One evening we were looking for a place to have aperitvo and Dave Rosenheim found this excellent hidden gem. Jaluna is an intimate rooftop bar atop the Hotel Smeraldo in Regola close to Campo de’ Fiore (and steps from Roscioli) where you can have cocktails, snacks (they have an array of bruschetta with various toppings), and watch the sunset. As it’s smaller, try to book a reservation.
Aperitivo at Vecchia in Trestavere
You may hear that Trestavere is one of the coolest neighborhoods in Rome and you’ll have heard correctly. Cross the Tiber River over the Ponte Sisto right into the heart of the area. Then just wander around. Sure, you can make a reservation for dinner at Roma Sparita or Osteria Cacio e Pepe, but like elsewhere in Rome, I recommend wandering around and stopping wherever it feels right. We found Vecchia on a narrow street where cars slowly pass, almost bumping your patio table, for Aperol and Campari spritzes (you can’t beat €5 a drink!), various cured meats, olives, and cheeses. Perfetto!
Mercato di Testaccio
If Testaccio, a favorite Roman restaurant in Chicago’s Logan Square, hadn’t opened a few years ago, I would never have known about its namesake neighborhood, which locals refer to as the heart of Rome. We crossed through Trestavere on our way there and headed straight for the Mercato, a bright, modern indoor market with numerous stalls selling everything from pizza, pasta, vegan burgers, and fresh salads to flowers and produce. We hit CasaManco for crispy crust pizzas made with organic flour and seasonal produce, and weighed by the kilo. We also popped by Enzo e Lina, which looks like a full Italian deli squeezed inside the stall. Here, Dave asked them to create a sandwich on focaccia that was both light and crispy with creamy burrata, basil pesto, sun dried tomatoes, and drizzled olive oil. It was so so so good — I still think about that sandwich all the time. Another treat? The Livorno farinata at Food Box.
Sant’ Eustachio Il Caffe
Certainly not hidden, but absolutely a gem, this iconic cafe steps from the Pantheon opened in 1938 and continues to draw crowds for its robust and aromatic espresso and various pastries. If it seems like all the tables out front are full, wait three minutes and you’ll get set up.
Roman Sites & Places to Visit
Campo de’ Fiore
This daily market, which has operated since 1869, is where locals come for fresh produce, bread, smoothies, flowers, and more every day during the day. Our first Airbnb was around the corner so Drew and I got to wander through it often and check out all the goods. I was even able to get a fresh green juice. At night, the square becomes a bit of an oontzy street party.
Caravaggio and Raphael at Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo
Stroll through the bustling shopping district along Via del Corso until it ends at Piazza del Popolo. This square, at the base of the Borghese Gardens, hosts a church in each corner and one of 15 Egyptian obelisks throughout the city. Santa Maria del Popolo, in the northeast corner of the square, dates back more than 900 years. Raphael designed the Chigi Chapel inside and the church holds an incredible collection of Renaissance art, including “The Crucifixion of St. Peter,” a dramatic Caravaggio its centerpiece. Set in the back of the church, you can pay a small fee to turn on the lights to brighten up the painting. It’s absolutely worth it. Pro tip: Double check the times before you go to ensure it’ll be open.
Borghese Gardens & Villa Medici
From the Piazza del Popolo, take the steps up to the Pincio and the Borghese Gardens. This is a lovely respite of the busy city where you can stroll along manicured park streets, stop by the Villa Medici and take in some of the best views in Rome.
Colosseum tour at night
You can visit the Colosseum at any time, but you really want to hit it at night. Book a guided tour with The Tour Guy, which last about two hours and worth every minute. You go into, under, and through the massive structure. You’ll see where they would hold the gladiators, slaves, and ferocious animals like lions they were made to fight. You will sit and stare with wonder at this incredible marvel and seeing it lit up against Rome at night is truly breathtaking.
Pyramid of Cestius in Testaccio
After hitting Mercato di Testaccio head directly to this 120-foot-tall Egyptian pyramid rising up in the heart of the neighborhood. The pyramid was built around 18 BC, following Rome’s conquest of Egypt in 30 BC. It coincided with the rise of “Egyptomania” in Rome, where Romans became obsessed with all things Egyptian (hence the obelisks around the city). It’s pretty incredible to see a well preserved pyramid as cars whiz by on a main road.
SG List: Things I’m high fiving this week
Kylie Minogue: Tension
Kylie released her 16th studio album on Sept. 23. It is filled with fun pop dance tracks, some reminiscent of the ‘90s (and even Robyn), and may possibly be her most well-received album by critics in years if not ever.
NYT Restaurant List
The New York Times released its list of the 50 restaurants its staff is most excited about and I was thrilled to see Daisies and Thattu represented for Chicago. To add to that, Brochu’s Family Tradition in Savannah, by former Chicago chef Andrew Brochu, made the list. It capped a stellar week or so for Brochu’s, which was also named to Bon Appetit’s best new restaurant list and was named the best new spot by Savannah magazine. Congrats!
Good Things Vending
I love this concept of Chicago artist-driven vending machines filled with cool collectibles set all over the city.
TOC: Chicago Chefs Are Reinventing the Fine Dining Experience
There’s a new crop of chefs creating more approachable and somewhat more affordable tasting menus without compromising high quality. I wrote about it recently for Time Out Chicago.