It goes without saying that when you visit the Eternal City you need to visit the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Roman Forum and the Trevi Fountain, yes. I will not be including those things in this blog for the sake of SEO because that’s boring and everyone knows to go to those places. They’re really neat to experience. I visited for a weekend and in this blog I will include the best things to do in Rome from my experience as well as restaurants and recommendations from locals.
Where to Stay in Rome
One of the best neighborhoods in Rome is called Campo de’ Fiori, rich with history and charm. Piazza del Biscione has many delicious bars and restaurants and the Plaza is the only one in Rome that doesn’t have a church, which is super cool in my opinion. It used to host executions, including that of philosopher and monk Giordano Bruno, whose statue adorns the plaza today. The Vatican didn’t want a church in the same plaza that remembered Bruno, so university students erected it with him facing the Vatican as a little middle finger.
I learned all of this during a food tour I took while I was there, which I typically don’t go for things like that but this tour was so well structured. Our guide was amazing, we learned a lot of interesting facts about the neighborhoods we walked through, and obviously ate a ton of incredible food. It’s an amazing way to taste many authentic dishes with a local guide that will give you the history of the neighborhoods you’re visiting as well as the food you’re eating. Overall it was one of the best experiences I’ve had on any tour and I can’t recommend it enough. Book this tour on Viator (this is an affiliate link and if you go on the tour I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you).
During the day the Piazza hosts a market and it’s easily walkable to many other amazing neighborhoods in the city.
Things to do in Rome
La Bocca della Verità (The Mouth of Truth)
I don’t think the Mouth of Truth is as big of an attraction as others in Rome, but it was by far one of the most mysterious and memorable for me. There are many questions about its origin, but this massive marble disc with a face on the front is said to be used to detect if people were telling the truth, hence the name.
If you inserted your hand into the mouth and it was bitten off you were being dishonest, and if you returned unscathed you were telling the truth. It opens at 9AM and we were the very first ones there, which I cannot stress enough how much better it made our experience. When we were leaving, two tour buses full of people pulled up and it was amazing to not have to wait in line to see it.
Wander Through Trastevere
Trastevere is another one of my favorite neighborhoods in Rome. Its lively atmosphere is fun and around every corner you turn you’re bound to find a delicious restaurant or terrace to have an aperitivo. My favorite place we ate there was Pasta e Vino Osteria — there was a woman making pasta in the window which drew us in and the food and wine were delicious as well as super friendly staff.
Have a Spritz in Campo de’ Fiori
I mentioned before that Campo de’ Fiori is a great place to book your accommodation, and there is one place in particular that I loved in the neighborhood. Hotel Jaluna has an intimate rooftop terrace that is an amazing place for an aperitivo. The views of the city’s rooftops are stunning and the food was incredible. This place was recommended to me by a local and it did not disappoint. (You will need to give them your ID at the front desk if you aren’t a guest there when you enter. They give it back to you immediately when you leave, it’s simply their policy).
Eat Carbonara at Labottega Pastificio con Cucina Roma
If you know anything about Roman cuisine, you know that pasta carbonara is king. It’s simple and incredible and easily one of the most popular dishes. I’ve found that some of the best food in Italy (and a lot of the world, to be honest) can be found in some of the most unsuspecting places. Labottega Pastificio con Cucina Roma is one of those places, and it’s the best carbonara I’ve ever tasted. It was divine. It’s a short walk outside of Campo de’ Fiori, and plan in some time for a quick nap afterwards if you can.
Get a Coffee at Sant’Eustachio il Caffè
If you’re a coffee lover, Italy is a great place to be, and for high quality Italian coffee, Sant’Eustachio absolutely wins. As they say, do as the Romans do, and this little cafe is a Roman staple and the secret recipe is coveted by coffee lovers around the world.
Have you ever been to any of these places? What did you think?