Where to Eat, Stay & Play in Rome
“How often do you think about the Roman Empire?” If the viral 2023 TikTok trend — where women asked men in their lives this question — is anything to go by, the answer is “surprisingly frequently.” And it’s no wonder: the Romans are responsible for some of the world’s most impressive innovations, from complex aqueduct systems to architectural marvels like the Colosseum. From gladiators to emperors and world-famous statues, Rome, the heart of the sprawling empire, delivers drama in droves. Today, this legacy lives on, intertwined seamlessly with a vibrant nightlife, cutting-edge hotels and a restaurant scene like no other.
2025 is a year of Jubilee as decreed by the Pope. This event only occurs every 25 years and draws Catholics from all over the world. In preparation, Rome is giving its beloved marble structures a scrub — everything from the magnificent Monument to Victor Emmanuel II statue to Bernini’s sculptures — ahead of the momentous occasion. The locus of activity will be St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, with mapped pilgrimage paths channeling visitors to churches across the city. And thanks to new tours, guided walks and hotel openings, there’s never been a better time to visit the Eternal City.
History
Relics, cloisters, sacred shrines and monuments are abundant in the city that was, according to myth, founded by brothers Romulus and Remus. Avoid the crowds by heading out early on a 2.5-mile walking tour led by art historian and fitness instructor Isabella Calidonna of ArcheoRunning. The first stop is the foot of the Spanish Steps, where Isabella points out the Fontana della Barcaccia (Fountain of the Boat), a work started by renowned sculptor Pietro, was completed after his death in 1629 by his son Gian Lorenzo. The marble vessel marks the spot where the flooded River Tiber deposited a fishing boat on Christmas Day in 1598. Continue on to Via dei Condotti, one of the most fashionable streets in Rome, home to a wealth of luxury boutiques and high-end stores, with celebrated Italian brands represented here including Prada, Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo and Dolce & Gabbana. At 86 Via dei Condotti is Antico Caffè Greco, the oldest coffeehouse in Rome, which, over the years has hosted such literary luminaries as Mark Twain, Hans Christian Andersen, Ralph Waldo Emerson and James Joyce.
On our way to Piazza Navona and its trio of baroque fountains, we stop to admire open-air archaeological site Largo di Torre Argentina, home to four temples dating to the second and third centuries BCE. Covering a city block, its crumbling columns, decaying frescoes and a bust of the fertility goddess Feronia can be seen from a sidewalk vantage point. The campus doubles as a sanctuary for a contingent of Rome’s stray cats. We conclude the tour at Piazza Navona, which is home to the ruins of the Stadium of Domitian, which once upon a time hosted Olympic-style competitions. Our leisurely loop around the plaza allows us to behold its spectacular centerpiece, the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers), designed in 1651 by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, as well as the beautifully carved Fountain of Neptune and Fountain of the Moor.
ART
For more Bernini, head to the Galleria Borghese art gallery. Housed in the 16th-century former Villa Borghese Pinciana, set in the sprawling Borghese Gardens Park, the collection features important works by both Bernini and painter Caravaggio. Both artists depict the Biblical story of David and Goliath, one in stone and one on canvas. Caravaggio’s dramatic painting of David holding the severed head of Goliath complements Bernini’s intense, lifelike depiction of David as he launches his formidable slingshot.
At Galleria Borghese, visitors can observe the emotion on the goddess Proserpina’s face as she fights to escape the clutches of underworld god Pluto, masterfully executed by Bernini, then 23 years old. Another marble masterwork is Apollo and Daphne, which depicts the nymph Daphne’s transformation into a laurel tree to escape Apollo’s unrelenting attention. The sculpture was the last of a series of works commissioned by Cardinal Scipione Borghese at the start of Bernini’s career. Tickets are limited — only 360 visitors are permitted at a time due to the museum’s compact size — so prebooking is essential. Guided tours are recommended.
FOOD & DRINK
In his 1998 book Pasta and Pizza, anthropologist Franco La Cecla notes the symbolic importance of pasta, saying it “begins to unwind like a ball of yarn and wrap itself around the Italian identity.” Carbonara — a spaghetti dish with a sauce made of eggs, pecorino romano and parmesan cheeses, black pepper and guanciale (salt-cured pork) — has traditionally been associated with the city of Rome. At Fortunato al Pantheon, next to the Pantheon, enjoy a lunch of classic pastas and seasonal dishes like Roman-style artichokes and roasted lobster. If you’re still hungry, head to Emma, a pizzeria on Via del Monte della Farina that serves crunchy, thin, Roman-style pizza with toppings such as zucchini flowers, anchovies and Parma ham. The menu includes both red (with tomato sauce) and white (without) pizzas — all made with the same organic flour and finished in a woodfired oven. For those who prefer a more hands-on experience, Fabiolous Cooking Day offers group classes that teach you how to make a host of classic Italian dishes. Roll up your sleeves to knead two types of pasta dough: one to make traditional egg pasta for ravioli using semolina flour, and a no-egg version using 00 durum wheat flour for cavatelli, which is part of a meaty ragu. Chop, trim, portion and sample the ingredients before sitting down to enjoy the fruits of your labor with your fellow classmates.
In search of the perfect gelato? Author David Winner, in his book Al Dente: Madness, Beauty and the Food of Rome, tells the story of Giovanni Fassi who bet big on gelato back in 1880. Fassi rode the wave of the frozen confection’s popularity and opened what was at the time the largest venue dedicated to dessert in the city: Palazzo del Freddo di Giovanni Fassi. Located a few blocks beyond Piazza Vittorio Emmanuele II, the illustrious ice cream shop has 24 flavors on the menu, including a few whose names pay tribute to the founder — among them, Crema Fassi, Gusto di Andrea Fassi and Pistacchio di Giuseppina Fassi.
EXCURSION
Around 37 miles north of Rome, surrounded by hazelnut orchards and shepherd caves dating to the Etruscan period, is the hilltop village of Vignanello. Here sits Castello Ruspoli — a 16th-century medieval fortress complete with drawbridge that’s been the ancestral home of the Ruspoli family since 847. Claudia Ruspoli is the current resident owner and gives tours of her home and its grounds — one of the finest examples of a Renaissance garden in Europe, which includes a family tree painted on an interior wall. Using it for reference, Claudia relates the tale of influential female forebear Vittoria Ruspoli who ordered a chapel to be constructed with the intention of attracting a visit from the Pope. The expensive renovations paid off and her husband was ultimately awarded the title of “prince” by the pontiff. On another branch on the family tree is Ottavia Orsini, who built the first garden here in 1611.
DON’T MISS
Journey through the Forum of Caesar, a new, immersive multimedia display that transports visitors to the Rome of 2,000 years ago. Films and reconstructions projected onto the historic ruins accompanied by narration make it easy to visualize the role of the Forum in the daily lives of ancient Romans. This space was first excavated in 1803, and it took over a century to be fully uncovered. It once hosted a mix of government officials, military leaders and civilians among its gardens, public toilets, senatorial offices and food markets. Digital reconstructions show how the Curia, the headquarters of the Roman Senate — once located on this site — might have looked back then. There are two shows; the Forum of Augustus Light Show, which tells the story of the first Emperor; and the Forum of Caesar Light Show, which depicts Julius Caesar and his infamous role in Ancient Rome. Check online for tickets and showtimes.
HOTEL
Stay at the Sofitel Roma Villa Borghese, where apartment-style suites overlook the expansive Villa Borghese gardens. A former 19th-century palazzo, the five-star property is within walking distance of the Trevi Fountain, Villa Medici and the Spanish Steps. Each guest room features a baroque-inspired ceiling panel that creates an illusion of blue sky. Marble baths and signature bedding offer the perfect respite after a day of pounding the cobblestones.
