rome travel guide
what to do, where to eat, & more (for a short trip)
hello! coming to you live from a high-speed train in the middle of nowhere in Italy!
we’ve just left Rome after a brief trip of 2 (full) days and 3 nights and we’re on our way to the next spot, 5 bowls of pasta and 60,000+ steps later! we both had such a good time in Rome and had so. much. good. food.
I haven’t done a travel guide in a while, so this one is free for everyone! however, they may become exclusive to paid subscribers in the future. oh, and don’t worry - new recipes are coming soon as well!
accommodations & neighborhood
where i stayed: Soho House Rome
neighborhood: San Lorenzo
I think I have mixed reviews about where we stayed. The hotel was very very nice, complete with a rooftop bar, restaurant, and pool. The beds were extremely comfortable, the staff very attentive and welcoming, and very easy for English-speakers (though, most of Rome is).
The neighborhood, while cool and trendy, had its pros and cons. It is relatively close to the Roma Termini train station, but it’s still about a 15 minute walk or so. It is certainly not a very touristy area, which means you’ll find great bars and restaurants all around. However, there were certainly some more run down patches. While I don’t regret where we stayed at all, I think my next visit to Rome will be in the Trastevere or Monti neighborhood.
conclusion: if you are in good walking shape and fine with some more difficult walks to and from places, and are looking for a trendy/slightly grunge scene with great food and lively nightlife (though very quiet on Sundays), then I recommend San Lorenzo!
getting around
Spoiler: it’s a lot of walking. I was not exaggerating when I said we each walked over 60,000 steps on our two days in Rome. Luckily, Rome is a very walkable city and I find it is the best way to see the sights. walking from, say, the Spanish Steps to the Trevi Fountain you may end up seeing some hidden gems that you may have otherwise missed.
The underground metro system is functional and handy at times, though it is not robust. Currently, there are only 2 lines for all of Rome, so even when you take the train, you’ll still have to walk a bit.
Lastly, Rome is a surprisingly car-heavy city, so you can always opt for a car. Uber works in Rome, but it is essentially only Uber Black (aka the more expensive Ubers). Alternatively, you can order a taxi the same way you’d order an uber by using the FREENOW app.
if you’re looking to do a self-guided walking tour to see the sights, here is a link to the Google Maps route I set up for us. It was surprisingly easy and quicker than it seems. Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/hsiKHWxHvhS2aWzd7?g_st=ic
restaurants you can’t miss
the fantastic thing about Rome is that you would have to look pretty hard to find a bad meal. below is a list of places we ate, though most of them were just stumbled upon. I also highly recommend referencing where Anthony Bourdain ate in Rome and where Stanley Tucci ate in Rome.
Pommidoro dal 1890 Ristorante
Okay, I must admit that I did not do my research here. I just saw this spot near our hotel with good reviews. I did not realize that Stanley Tucci went to this restaurant while filming his show, Searching for Italy. We got lucky and walked in for a somewhat early dinner and it was the best meal so far.
Of all the restaurants on this list, this is my highest recommendation. Please, order the carbonara. The cacio e Pepe was also very good, and everything on other tables also looked good, but the carbonara was the best I've had ever!
Breakpoint the loop bar
This was a simple outdoor bar that serves a decent breakfast right by Roma Termini station. Stop by here on your way out for the day to grab a cappuccino, orange juice, and croissant or cornetto. I believe they are open all day for lunch, dinner, and drinks as well!
La Taverna dei Monti
Okay, it doesn’t look like much, but trust me. We were looking for somewhere to eat one night and came across this one that had good reviews. We walked in and the lights were very bright and the restaurant was full. At first, I thought we may have picked a tourist trap, but then we realized the restaurant was full of Italians!
so, it doesn’t have the most romantic ambiance, but it has great food (the carbonara was very good, but not as good as Pommidoro).
Ambrosia Rooftop Restaurant
We decided we wanted to have 1 fancy dinner in Rome, and we landed on this one. If you get a table out on the terrace it is a very nice view. The food was all very very good.
Order the fried egg yolk appetizer and the broccoli pasta and/or the calamarata pasta.
Honorable Mentions:
Hostaria del Moro - this restaurant in Trastevere was fine. In hindsight, it was a bit of a tourist trap, but we were so hungry and tired that I didn’t care. At the end of the day, even average Roman food is still delicious. If in Trastevere and looking for something quick, this was decent. I would recommend trying the Rigatoni alla Gricia or the Cacio e Pepe, as the carbonara was a little too cooked for my liking.
Miscele e Fuoco - This was another restaurant that was a bit of a tourist trap. As is any restaurant right outside the colosseum. However, we both really enjoyed our meal here. if you’re near the colosseum or Via Cavour, go past all the hectic restaurants and look for this one. Order the Amatriciana and a Hugo Spritz.
Specific Roman Foods to try:
The four roman pastas:
Carbonara
Cacio e Pepe
Amatriciana
Pasta alla Gricia
Suppli (fried rice/risotto balls)
Roman artichokes
Things to do
I’m not going to sit here and list every sight to see in Rome because…well, you probably already know most of them. However, here are some little tidbits.
Go see the touristy things and read the information signs to know what you’re looking at. Pay for the international cellphone data so you can look things up while you’re there.
The sights we saw were: Spanish Steps (free, no ticket), Trevi Fountain (free, no ticket, but go early), the Pantheon (when you get there, look for the signs with the ticket information and find the small QR code. Scan it and buy the 5 Euro tickets on your phone for immediate entry. Don’t stand in the line to buy the tickets), Largo di Torre Argentina (where Caesar was stabbed & the home of a cat colony! 5 euro ticket for entry to the below area), Roman Forum & Colosseum (tickets needed for entry to both).
Oh! and we saw the POPE! the real life pope! by accident. we went to see the Vatican briefly, and he happened to be preaching right as we got there. very cool to see, however, it was VERY crowded. so, if you want to see the pope, try to go on a Sunday. Otherwise, go when it isn’t crowded.
What else is there to do in Rome? EAT. Seriously, there is so much good food everywhere. Keep your options open and look for authentic, locally owned spots. Also, drink some spritzes and some good wine. do some shopping! when in Rome!
off to the Amalfi coast! Ciao!