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About Rome
Attractions in Rome
Hotel San Pietrino
A small two-star place, the San Pietrino has 12 rooms beautifully decorated with cream walls, terracotta floors and tasteful dark-wood furniture. The extras - TV and DVD player, ADSL Internet connection - are unusual for a place in this category. Highly recommended.
Confetteria Moriondo & Gariglio
Breathe in deeply as you enter the rich-red interior of this historic confectioner's, which resembles something from a storybook. Rows of handmade chocolates and bonbons (more than 80 varieties) lie in ceremonial splendour in old-fashioned glass cabinets. Moriondo and Gariglio were Turinese cousins who moved to Rome after the unification of Italy, and many of the recipes used today have been handed down from the 19th century.
Da Ricci
In a tranquil, cobbled cul de sac a step away from smoggy Via Nazionale, Rome's oldest pizzeria started life as an enoteca in 1905. The sign says Est! Est!! Est!!! - Da Ricci's other name - after the white wine from the north of Lazio. Pizzas are thick-based Neapolitan (though you can get thin-based if you're a Roman aficionado).
Trimani
Part of the Trimani family's wine empire - their shop just round the corner stocks about 4000 international labels - this is a great, unpretentious place. Always bustling, it's Rome's biggest wine bar and has a vast selection of Italian regional wines as well as a small food menu. Book ahead to take one of the regular wine-tasting courses.
Trevi Fountain
Rome's largest and most famous fountain, Fontana di Trevi was completed by Nicola Salvi in 1762, and immortalised by Marcello Mastroianni and a frolicking Anita Ekberg in Fellini's La Dolce Vita.This extravagant baroque work takes up most of the piazza, appears to meld into the palazzo, and depicts Neptune's chariot being led by Tritons with seahorses - one wild, one docile - representing the moods of the sea.
Rive Gauche 2
Inexplicably named after Paris's legendary left bank, this is one of the most popular pubs in San Lorenzo. Nearly always full of students, foreigners and assorted friends, it's a vibrant and animated spot that creates a genuinely infectious buzz. Be warned, however - it's a big place, gets very full, and has only one tiny loo.
Bar della Pace
People looking for images of la dolce vita would be hard pushed to find a better picture than the Bar della Pace. Sharp-dressed urbanites sip on their drinks, while behind them ivy cascades down the facade of the Art Nouveau cafe. It's not cheap, but as a place for an early-evening aperitivo in summer or a leisurely nightcap in winter, it takes some beating.
Bertè
On Piazza Navona, this famous toy shop specialises in beautifully sculpted wooden dolls and puppets, but has a great mishmash of other stuff, from tractors to pushchairs and doll houses to tea sets. Good for a pre-/post-sightseeing bribe/reward.
Hotel Dolomiti
The Hotel Dolomiti is not the only hotel in Rome that hangs pictures of angelic cherubs on otherwise flawless walls, but for such an otherwise attentive hotel it's a rare lapse. A friendly family-run place, the Dolomiti provides good value for money, airy rooms and attractive bathrooms in brown mottled marble.
Pantheon
Marcus Agrippa's Pantheon is one of the world's most sublime architectural creations: a perfectly proportioned floating dome resting on an elegant drum of columns and pediments. Built in 27 BC, and rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in 120 AD, it is one of Rome's best-preserved ancient monuments. Its extraordinary dome is the largest masonry vault ever built.
Alien
Pure disco, Alien constantly changes its look to keep up with the newest fads. In its latest apparition it's lounge minimalist - flat maxi-screens on the walls, black leather sofas and satinised steel - and the music is house. Theme nights range from fetish to revival and there are also gay nights.
Boccondivino
This 'Divine Mouthful' is surprisingly good value. A modernist marriage of steel, Roman columns, fake zebra skin and contemporary art, the design fits the largely successful fusion fare. Typical dishes include coda di rospo con caponata di melanzane e cipolla di Tropea stufate (angler fish with aubergines and Tropea onions), and there's a bargain lunchtime set menu.
Colosseum
Of all the monuments in Rome, the Colosseum thrills the most. It was here that gladiators met in mortal combat and condemned prisoners fought off hungry lions. This great symbol of eternal Rome still excites the imagination as you'll see from the hordes waiting to get in.
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Da Lucia
Eat beneath the fluttering knickers of the neighbourhood at this terrific trattoria, frequented by hungry locals and tourists. On a cobbled backstreet that is classic Trastevere, it serves up a cavalcade of Roman specialities including trippa all romana (tripe with tomato sauce) and pollo con peperoni (chicken with capsicum), as well as bountiful antipasti.
Feltrinelli International
The international branch of Italy's ubiquitous book-seller has a splendid collection of books in English. You'll find everything from recent-release bestsellers to dictionaries, travel guides, DVDs and an excellent assortment of maps. There are also books in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese.
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Agustarello
Old-timer Agustarello hides its in-the-know hubbub behind frosted glass. Inside, plain and simple, is thoroughly Roman, from the clientele to the food. It serves mostly offal, specialising in sweetbreads and oxtail, but if innards aren't your thing, you'll still eat splendidly here (though veggies may want to give it a miss).
Stardust Live Jazz Bar
A well-known Trastevere watering hole, Stardust is loved for its smoky jazz atmosphere. There's often live music and the bar staff are equally happy playing Rossini as they are Louis Armstrong. It's open in the afternoon for tea and serves snacks in the early evening but the real buzz kicks in later on. On weekends there's brunch with bagels and American coffee.
Hotel Celio
Perhaps it's because you're in Rome that you forgive the extraordinary combination of mosaic floors, heavy Baroque furnishings, frescoes and trompe l'oeil that comprises the decor at this eye-catching hotel. The mid-sized rooms, equipped with flat-screen TVs and wi-fi, are themed on the Renaissance artists after whom they're named.
MAS
Trashy MAS (Magazzino allo Statuto) is a bargain-hunter's dream, with lots of cheap and sometimes-cheerful clothes. If you have the patience, you can rifle through cages of knickers and vests; racks of leather jackets, suits and satin dresses; and shelves of kitchen utensils, bags and umbrellas.
Hotel Portoghesi
In the heart of the historic centre the 150-year old Hotel Portoghesi is a welcoming three-star hotel with a winning rooftop terrace and helpful staff. Its rooms vary from the uninspired - standard furnishings and framed pictures of fat-cheeked cherubs - to smart suites with faux-antique furniture.
Ospedale Nuova Regina Margherita
Museo e Galleria Borghese
This 'queen of all private collections' was formed by Cardinal Scipione Borghese, the most passionate and knowledgeable art collector of his day. The collection - including works by Caravaggio, Bernini, Botticelli and Raphael - and the mansion were acquired by the Italian state in 1902; a lengthy restoration took place in the 1990s.
Ditirambo
Ditirambo is a recommended, convivial, new-wave trattoria. The interior looks like a regular, if upmarket, neighbourhood place, but the innovative cooking takes risks (mainly hits, with the occasional miss). Ingredients are organic and seasonal and there are an unusual number of vegetarian options. Try the delicate antipasti, such as ricotta with marinated artichokes. Be sure to book.
Renato e Luisa
A favourite among vivacious young Romans, this backstreet new-style trattoria is always busy. The cooking is more complex than the norm, with a buttery French twist. Try dishes such as the delicious goat's cheese and honey starter. Service can be haphazard.
Pizzeria Da Vittorio
One of the few pizzerias in this neck of the woods to serve thick-crust Neapolitan-style pizzas, backstreet Vittorio is a consistent crowd-pleaser. The tiny interior is decorated with murals depicting appropriately Neapolitan scenes such an erupting Vesuvius, and heaves with happy eaters. There are also a few outside tables.
Alessandro Downtown Hostel
Slick and professional, the Alessandro is a cheerful, well-run hostel near Termini. Staffed by efficient Australians, it has a large kitchen, a laundry and a friendly common room while beds are in eight to 12-person dormitories. There are two other Alessandro hostels in the area.
Nardecchia
The enchanting antique prints sold at Nardecchia, a venerable institution on Piazza Navona, range from expensive 18th-century etchings of Rome by Giovanni Battista Piranesi to more affordable 19th-century panoramas.
Roman Forum
Built over the course of 900 years, the Roman Forum (Foro Romano) was the commercial, political and religious centre of ancient Rome from the Republican era until the 4th century AD. During medieval times the area was used to graze cattle and it was plundered for its precious marble.
Akab
This eclectic former workshop has an underground cellar, an upper floor, a garden and a classically whimsical door policy. On Saturday the two levels pulsate to R & B and the latest house music, whilst Friday nights Akab zips up its boots and goes back to its roots with live music.
Baronato Quattro Bellezze
Tucked away between Via dei Coronari and Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, Baronato is a quirky little find. Late on Thursday nights, drag-queen owner Dominot likes to treat patrons to a few dazzling Piaf renditions to piano accompaniment. A mainly Tunisian menu will sustain you through your cocktail tipples. Reserve a table for the Piaf show.
Le Coppelle
Pose at Le Coppelle and partake in some 21st-century dolce vita. The recently refurbished bar has partially taken over the pretty piazza as its salon, with leopard-skin chairs and lipstick-red sofas on which to recline, watch the beautiful and the damned, and drink a cocktail (around ).
Ai Monasteri
So this is how monks pay the rent. This apothecary-like, wonderfully scented shop sells herbal essences, spirits, soaps, balms, deodorants, antiwrinkle creams, bubble bath and liqueurs, all created by monks and beautifully packaged with the sense of another era. Even the propolis is made from holy bees. To boost your love life try the Elixir d'Amore (Elixir of Love), though quite why monks are expert at this is anyone's guess.
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Ferrara
In whitewashed, elegant cellars that offset a glamorous crowd, this restaurant/enoteca/cellar/shop is a temple to wine, and even well-informed amateurs might need the waiters' friendly help navigating the two-volume (one for red, one for white) 1000-label wine list. The food is modern and on the whole manages to keep up. Try orecchiette with courgette and ginger-scented prawns, or taglioni with white truffles.
Capuchin Cemetery
Long after memories of all the rest of Rome's interiors run together in an opulent blur, visitors vividly recall the particulars of the bizarre and macabre chapels of this cemetery, where the decorative elements - from the picture frames to the light fittings - are all made of human bones.
Armando al Pantheon
Since 1961 this warm, family-run trattoria, almost opposite the Pantheon, has been dishing out hearty staples such as herring with red onion and beans or gnocchi with tomato sauce. It's down-to-earth, classic and authentic, despite its history - philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre and footballer Pelé have both eaten here. To finish try the homemade cakes. Booking is advisable.
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Pensione Panda
The only problem with the Pensione Panda is that you're not the only one to have to read about how good it is. But it really is one of the best pensioni in town. There's nowhere else, this close to the Spanish Steps, where you can get a room with a painted ceiling for so little.
Bar del Fico
At the time of writing Bar del Fico was undergoing some works to shore up its façade. By the time you read this, fingers crossed, this long-standing favourite of the capital's bohemians will have reopened and you can return to while away days and nights at its fig-tree-shaded tables. The elderly chess players never left: they carried on their games in the cobbled street beside the building site.
Furla
Furla makes all sorts of accessories, from sunglasses to shoes, but is best known for its handbags. Practical, chic, classic and affordable, they use a brilliant array of colours and finishes to add sparkle to their simple designs. If you can't afford Fendi, head here. The many other branches include Via Tomacelli 136 (06 687 82 30), Via Nazionale 54-55 (06 487 01 27), and Via Cola di Rienzo 226 (06 687 45 05).
Animalier e Oltre
Like the attic of an eccentric, bohemian, aristocratic family, this shop is full of bric-a-brac, curios, antiques and furniture. Wrought-iron furniture and leather sofas sit alongside a mammoth selection of animal-shaped antiques - obviously one family member had an obsessive streak - that includes reproductions of 19th-century French animalier sculptures.
Casa del Cinema
Opened in October 2004, the Casa del Cinema comprises an exhibition space, two projection halls, a DVD room, a cafe and a bookshop. It regularly screens films in their original language and has 24 computers on which you can watch DVDs from the 150-disk catalogue.
Main Post Office
Circolo Mario Mieli di Cultura Omosessuale
Rome's main gay and lesbian organisation.
L'olfattorio
Those with a nose will adore this place. It's like a bar, but with perfume instead of drinks. The bartender will guide you through smelling different combinations of scents to work out your ideal fragrance. Exclusive handmade French perfumes are available to buy. Smellings are free but bookings are appreciated.
Pincio Hill
The view of St Peter's from the Pincio just has to be seen to be believed. This elegant park with its avenues of shady trees gets its name from the Pinci famaily, who owned it in the 4th century. It's a popular place for a weekend passagiata.
Piazza del Campidoglio
The magnificent centrepiece of the Campidoglio, Michelangelo's 16th-century piazza is considered by many Rome's most beautiful square. Commissioned by Pope Paul III and designed by Michelangelo in 1538, it took more than a 100 years to build and was completed in the late 17th century. There are various ways to reach it but the most dramatic is via the Cordonata, the graceful staircase that leads up from Piazza d'Aracoeli.
Hotel Bramante
The pick of hotels in the Vatican area, the Bramante is a model of effortless elegance. Tucked away in a side street behind St Peter's, it occupies the 16th-century building that was home to Swiss architect Domenico Fontana in 1575. Five centuries later and the original wood-beamed ceilings top rooms furnished with stylish restraint and discreet mod cons.
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Gregoriana
For a hotel with such a celebrity past - it was a favourite of supermodels in the 1990s - this is a surprisingly unpretentious place. Recently renovated, its rooms are inviting if unspectacular - the most notable features are the Art Deco bedsteads and black writing desks.
Hotel Continentale
One of several pensioni in the same building, the Hotel Continentale has rooms on the 2nd and 3rd floors and its reception on the ground floor. The pastel-coloured rooms are basic and those facing away from the street are quieter. The owners and staff are friendly and speak several languages, including English and French.
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Trastevere
Although its traditionally proletarian nature is changing as the crumbling palazzi become gentrified, a stroll among the labyrinthine alleys of Trastevere still reaps small gems of a bygone past. Washing strung out from the apartments in best Mama-leone tradition has everyone sighing and reaching for the Kodaks.
Il Palazzetto
A sun-trap shaded terrace hidden at the top of the Spanish steps, the location here can't be beat - it's perfect for a glass of prosecco (sparkling wine) and a light meal such as salad or pasta on a sunny day. There's a pricier but recommended restaurant for dinner in the evenings (tasting menu around ), and the palazzo also houses the wine academy .
Radisson SAS
Formerly the Hotel Es, the Radisson has changed hands but kept its look. That means all the allure of a multistorey car park from the outside, and swathes of bright space and a spectacular polychromatic inner atrium on the inside. Rooms are minimalist high-tech with sci-fi decor and views over the neighbouring rail tracks.
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