Revealed Rome

Five Favorite Places for Food Near the Vatican

Wondering where to eat near the Vatican... especially when you need something fast? Don't flop down at one of the osterie you see just outside the Vatican walls—I don't care how pushy nice the host trying to lure you inside seems to be. And don't (please, don't!) go to the Subway that's opened up in the area.

Look: There are tons of terrible food options in this touristy area. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to avoid them.

As always, here's help.

Here are the five best spots to have lunch on the go—in the shadow of St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums. (All are within a 10-minute walk of one sight or the other, if not both).

Fa-Bio

If a steady diet of pasta and pizza has left you craving a soup, salad, sandwich, or smoothie, then head to this hole-in-the-wall around the corner from the Vatican museums. Grab a quinoa or a pasta salad (€5-€5.50), or have a sandwich or salad made fresh from the long list of ingredients to choose from, including lots of vegetarian-friendly options. No matter how many ingredients, sandwiches are €4 and salads are €5, making this one of the best deals in town. (P.S.: My love for Fa-Bio and its super-fresh, organic ingredients runs so deep, I've even put them in the Fodor's Rome 2012 edition, on sale from September!).

Via Germanico 43, a 6-minute walk from the Vatican museums entrance/exit and a 10-minute walk from St. Peter's Basilica.

Handpainted Porcelain at Picta, an Artisanal Shop in Rome

Add another Rome artisan to my list of favorites: Marina Graziana, the artist behind Picta Porcellane.

Located in a small workshop around the corner from Campo dei Fiori, Marina handpaints porcelain cups, bowls, saucers, vases, and more. Her designs range from classic and elegant to fun and whimsical. And the prices—starting at about €15 euros for a small saucer or ashtray—aren't bad.

But I'll let the pictures do the talking.

(Too cute—and as you can see, the mid-sized plate is €20)

(I'm loving these fun & girly vases)

(And this striped dish collection—which also comes in green, yellow, red...)


 (Just in case you thought everything in the store was pink)

(Marina with her many creations)

Picta Porcellane is open from Monday to Saturday, from 10am to 7:30pm. It's located at Via dei Cappellari 11, right off Campo dei Fiori.

 

More Help Planning Your Trip to Rome

If you're planning a trip to Rome, I hope Revealed Rome helps. But I know that navigating my 200+ posts this point can be a little overwhelming.

So here's help. I've created a guide to my most useful posts for planning a Rome trip. I'll be updating it as I continue to write new posts, so check back as you travel plan. (And remember that I have many, many more posts on the site, covering many more places, than I could include in this guide—so please don't hesitate to continue to explore the site on your own!).

And remember, if you just want to talk to me to get the most up-to-the-minute, personalized advice possible—on not just Rome, but all of Italy—I offer private, one-hour travel consulting sessions (much cheaper than a travel agent!).

Happy travel planning!

Five Reasons to Explore Rome at Night

The "Night of Museums"—when museums and archaeological sites, across Italy, are open as late as 2am and free—takes place tomorrow, May 19.

But that's not the only reason to explore Rome at night. Here are five others.

St. Peter's Basilica is beautiful—and peaceful—once night falls (and the gates close).

Nothing feels cozier than glimpsing through lit-up windows, into homes and trattorie, as you walk around the quiet Rome streets.

There's no Rome sight like an umbrella pine lit up by the full moon.

You can't enter the Forum at night, but you can walk to the lookout on the Capitoline hill to see the temples lit up.

Think Rome's too crowded? Now's your chance to experience its winding streets by yourself.

Five Frustrating Things Someone Coming to Rome Can Say

Over the years, I've spoken to a lot of people who are planning their trips to Rome—and I'm speaking to even more of them now. My goal: to help people have the best, most rewarding trip possible to this fantastic city.

So that means that, when someone coming to Rome says one of the five following things to me, I can't help but feel a little frustrated. Here's what they are, why I cringe—and how to fix it.

1) I want to eat the best, most authentic food Rome has to offer. Then I want to be able to walk the five minutes back to my hotel at the Trevi Fountain.

Why it's frustrating: The biggest misconception about Rome must be that you can eat anywhere and still eat well. False. Rome is like any other city that receives millions of visitors a year: It has a lot of mediocre, overpriced, inauthentic restaurants. That's especially true in the heart of the centro storico, where tourists tend to hang out. Can you eat relatively well there? Sometimes, and only if you plan your meals. Is it the best food in Rome? Not usually.

What you can do: If eating Rome's most authentic food is important to you, then get familiar with public transportation. As I've written before, the #3 bus is the perfect "hop-on, hop-off" bus for foodies. Otherwise, take a taxi: That €10 cab ride might sting, but if you choose your restaurant wisely, you'll save at least €10 over if you ate in the center. (Here, for example). And you'll eat better.

Osteria Fernanda, the Best Restaurant in Trastevere

If you saw a dish like this one (the colors! the presentation!) while dining in Rome, you might assume it comes from one of Rome's Best Restaurants—you know, the places where "Best Restaurant" comes in caps, like La Pergola or Il Pagliaccio. At the very least, you might assume a meal at said restaurant would set you back a pretty penny. 

You'd be even more convinced of this after taking a bite. Super-fresh, perfectly roasted octopus on a black bean sauce, adorned with a slice of celery gelatin (yes, really). And that's just the antipasto.

But despite the creative dishes and the high-quality ingredients, this is no La Pergola. It's Osteria Fernanda, a restaurant in Trastevere. Perhaps the best restaurant in Trastevere. And the price is a fraction of what you'd spend at Fernanda's Michelin-starred neighbors.

In Monti, Leopardessa Goes Vintage

Leopardessa, a fashion label created by longtime Rome expat Jessica Harris, already had a hole-in-the-wall location on Monti's Via Panisperna. But two months ago, it was turned into something else: a workshop for Harris' designs and a vintage store.

I happened upon the "new" Leopardessa a couple of days ago. As soon as I walked in, I felt like I'd entered a very cool grandma's closet. The classic chic (a white Izod tennis skirt, a silk red military blazer) hung next to the fun (a sunflower-yellow sleeveless onesie) and frankly outrageous (hello, gold lamé bustier!).

Rome's Best Budget Accommodation: Five Places to Stay for Under €80 a Night

One of your biggest expenses in Rome will be accommodation. But you don't have to spend €200 per night on a place where you'll spend most of your time, well, unconscious.

As my first "Five for Friday," here are five of my favorite hotels and B&Bs here in Rome, all costing less than €80 a night. (Prices listed are for low season; in peak season, they are, of course, usually higher).

Hotel de Monti

Why it's great: The new, clean rooms are big for Rome (see photo, top of post). The location, in atmospheric Monti, is one of my favorites; it's a short walk to the Forum or Colosseum, but just off-the-beaten-path enough to feel like a hidden gem (the hotel is on the street pictured above). There's free Wi-Fi. And Alessandro, the multilingual owner, is a local who gives great advice about where to go and what to see.

Why it's budget: It's on the third floor of a well-worn, 16th-century building, without an elevator. Rooms are fairly spartan. 

Rooms: From €50 a night. Via Panisperna 95. +39 064814763. www.hoteldemonti.com

Art Gallery + Clothing Boutique + Jewelry Store = Monti's Hip "Le Talpe"

Walking into Le Talpe for the first time, I wasn't immediately sure what the place was. An art gallery? (Paintings hung on the walls). A jewelry store? (Bracelets, earrings and necklaces in different media, including bronze, lace, and silicon, were arranged here and there). A clothing shop? (Racks of trendy clothing lined the store's side). 

The answer, of course, is that Le Talpe is all three. And then some—Le Talpe also hosts events, including readings and aperitivi. 

Le Talpe opened about a year ago on Via Panisperna in Monti, and it's yet another example of just how hip and contemporary Rome can be. Every month, Giovanna Dughera, one of the two owners, told me, they completely switch out everything in the store, showcasing different designers, jewelers, and artists. And because it's always a mix of artists—all of whom make creative, beautifully-crafted goods—no matter the month, the store itself is fantastic to explore.

Just check out the variety of colors and designs you can find in there right now:

 

 

 

Rome... For People Who Don't Like Cities

Not everyone's a city person. 

But lots of people want to come to Italy. And when they do, even those people who get hives from traffic and crowds, who break into a sweat taking public transportation or trying to cross a busy street, feel like they have to come to Rome. And I'll be honest: This city is so fantastic, that it's worth getting out of your comfort zone to see.

That said? You can experience Rome in a more tranquil, relaxed way—and there are parts of Rome worth seeing that don't even feel like a city at all.

Here, my top tips for how to fall in love with Rome... even if you don't like cities or crowds.

Come in the off-season

Yes, Rome is, obviously, a city year-round. But in the high season—which runs from Easter to October, with the peak in June and July—it's particularly intense. Thousands of tourists flood the streets. The Sistine Chapel is shoulder-to-shoulder, while you practically have to steamroll people if you want to get close enough to the Trevi Fountain to toss in a coin. So if you're not a fan of crowds, take it from me: Come between late October and early March. The weather will be chillier (and probably rainier), but the major sites will be much, much quieter. (Above: The Spanish Steps in May, or the start of high season. Just imagine what they look like in July!).

Stay in a hotel that really feels like an escape

In general, I strongly recommend that most people stay in Rome's centro storico. That's where you'll spend most of your time sightseeing, and even if hotels outside of the center seem more economic at first glance, the prices of taxis to and from them, or the time lost on public transport, will quickly nullify any savings.

But if you're not fond of cities or crowds, staying right in the heart of the center—in the Spanish Steps area, say, or Piazza Navona—can feel overwhelming. As soon as you step out the door, you'll be thrown onto a street busy with pedestrians and, in some cases, cars. So I recommend one of two things.