Exploring Rome, Italy
What to see and where to eat in the eternal city.
What To See
Rome, especially, like so many European cities are living and breathing museum, with every corner representing thousands of years of human history. Rome lures you in with its plentiful sights, stunning cuisine, and warm-hearted people
Tourist Basics
Spanish Steps | Piazza di Spagna
Colosseum | Roman Forum
* Tickets needed I personally purchased directly from, colosseo.it.
Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican City
*Entrance is free
Vatican | Vatican Museums | Sistine Chapel | Chapel
*Tickets needed I personally used getyourguide.com, which was recommended by Amex Travel
Castel Sant’Angelo
*Tickets are needed for entry, this is the offical website, coopculture.it
Piazza Navona
Pantheon
*Tickets can be purchased in front or online: portale.museiitaliani.it.
Trevi Fountain
Extras
Trastevere Neighborhood,
a vibrant neighborhood with great nightlife; it has a small, charming-town vibe but is located in the middle of Rome.
Jewish Quarter,
one of the oldest Jewish communities in Europe, it is a place for history and delicious food such as artichokes.
The Restaurant Recommendations
My approach to Restaurants and food; I am by no means a restaurant critic, but I do have my preferences. I grew up in New York City with the ability to get authentic cuisine from anywhere the world has to offer. At home, most of the recipes I make come from Southern Italy, so I notice I have a slight preference. For my rating I use a 1 - 10 system, 1 - 4 range from horrible to okay but not worth returning to, 5 - 7 are what I consider benchmark, you can get great bites and it is worth returning and 8 - 10, well they are divine and outstanding food, meals that you dream about. For my recommendations, I will keep to the higher end of the scale that said I was only there for a short amount of time, and there are many that I did not have the chance to try.
A few tips, when traveling to any major city, try to go to restaruants that are not on main roads or in front of tourist sites, my goal is to always get away from as many tourist as possible. I tend to notice that you find restaurants with delicious food, local eaters, and prices more reasonable. There are always exceptions, but melting into the local spots is a nearly always safe bet.
*I have not personally visited all these restaurants, but all were highly recommended and are on my list of must-go.
Hostaria Romana | Personal Rating: 8/10 | Trip Advisor: 4.5/5.0 - The food was outstanding, a spot locals go to, highly recommended close to the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain.
La Taverna Dei Fori Imperiali | Personal Rating: 8/10 | Trip Advisor: 4.5/5.0 - Stunning food, highly recommended, and close to the Roman Forum and Colosseum.
La Tavernetta 48 | Personal Rating: 7/10 | The Fork: 4.6/5.0 - The food was delicious, friendly staff and nearby to the Pantheon and Piazza Navona.
Mastro Ciccia | Trip Advisor: 5.0/5.0 - Nearby to the Piazza Navona.
Osteria Corsetti 1921 | Trip Advisor: 4.5/5.0 - Located in Trastevere.
Capo de’ Fero | Trip Advisor: 4.5/5.0 - Located in Trastevere.
Caligola Osteria Sincera | Trip Advisor: 5.0/5.0 - Nearby to the Vatican.
Mimi e Coco Trast | Trip Advisor: 5.0/5.0 - Located in Trastevere.
Tiberino | The Fork: 4.6/5.0 - Located on the Tiber River between Trastevere and the Jewish Quarter.
Dal Cordaro Vino e Cucina | The Fork: 4.6/5.0 - Located in Trastevere.
Satiro - Vino E Cucina | Trip Advisor: 4.5/5.0 - Located nearby to the Roman Forum and Colosseum.
Osteria Bonelli | Trip Advisor: 4.5/5.0
*Your time in Rome is never long enough so don’t bother going to restaurants less then a 4.0, spend the couple of minutes researching restaurants and don’t fall for the host running up to you and trying to get you to come to their restaurant.
Cafe & Dessert
Gelateria del Teatro | Trip Advisor: 4.5/5.0 - Both locations are located in and near the Historic Center.
Fiocco di Neve | Trip Advisor: 4.5/5.0 - Around the corner from the Pantheon.
Come il Latte | Trip Advisor: 4.5/5.0
Fatamorgana Gelato | Trip Advisor: 4.5/5.0 - Located nearby to the Roman Forum and Colosseum.
Faro Cafe | Trip Advisor: 4.5/5.0 - Nearby to the Borghese Gallery.
Sciascia Caffe | Trip Advisor: 4.5/5.0 - Close to the Castel San’Angelo and the Vatican.
Barnum | Trip Advisor: 4.5/5.0 - Near to the Piazza Navona
Bar Lo Faro | Trip Advisor: 4.5/5.0 - Close to the Trevi Fountain.
La Cass del Cafe Tazza d’Oro | Trip Advisor: 4.5/5.0 - Located nearby to the Pantheon.
If you have any questions or comments, my email is thomasmjumper@gmail.com
There are some small issues with this article. St. Peter’s Basilica is a church and, like almost all churches, entrance is free (apart from special ceremonies, that anyhow require an invitation, not a ticket). The official website for Castel Sant'Angelo is not the one given here, but the CoopCulture one. On the other hand, I strongly agree with the suggestion of avoiding restaurants in direct view of main monuments, and in general those where someone at the entrance tries to coax you in.
Finally, what do you mean by “La Cass del Cafe Tazza d’Oro”?