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Italy : Rome - April 2010

Country Code: Dial for Italy

Come April, a warm breeze is blowing in the alleys of the Eternal City. A walk in the centre is a perfect excuse to start your summer shopping, and to discover the beauty of the Ara Pacis’ original colours, projected on the monument until 25 April. Solveig Steinhardt enjoys her Roman holiday

Getting around

Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport

Bus: The Terravision bus is cheap (about €15 for a return), but the timetable less frequent – there’s approximately one bus every two hours and the journey takes 45 minutes.
Train: The Leonardo Express runs every 30 minutes into Termini station. The journey takes 35 minutes and costs €11.
Taxi: The journey from the airport to the city centre takes 50 minutes. Expect to pay around €40-60.
Tourist information: The main office is at 11 Via Parigi (, www.romaturismo.com).

CENTRO STORICO

With baroque churches, Renaissance buildings and ancient Roman ruins, the city’s centro storico is a veritable outdoor museum.

Sleep soundly – Have sweet, artful dreams at Hotel Art (56 Via Margutta, , hotelart.it, double rooms from €250). This sleek and modern hotel is located on Rome’s artists’ street, and prides itself on being an example of top design.

Culture vultures – Recent studies have shown that the Ara Pacis’ bas reliefs were originally in colour, so until 25 April a laser projection system will give the monument its original hues at the Ara Pacis Museum (Lungotevere in Augusta).

Must eat – It vaguely recalls the French bistrot concept, but the menu is strictly Italian at Ditirambo (74-75 Piazza della Cancelleria, tel. ). All dishes are prepared with a creative flair – think baby squid on a bed of chickpeas – and feature lots of organic ingredients, while the bread is homemade.

Shop til you drop – Want the elixir of long life? Pay a visit to Ai Monasteri (72 Corso Rinascimento), which offers honey, preserves, liqueurs and ‘miraculous’ herbal remedies made by monks all over Italy. If, however, you need advice on Italian elegance, choose classic garments made by well-known tailors from men’s boutique Belsiana 19 (94 Via Belsiana).

PRATI

Steps away from the Vatican, Prati houses the Italian Supreme Court and the headquarters of the main TV channels. The area’s classy bars and restaurants are used for get-togethers by both lawyers and celebrities.

Sleep soundly – Bedrooms are named after Sicilian islands and decorated accordingly at Il Gattopardo Relais (94 Viale Giulio Cesare, , ilgattopardorelais.it, rooms from €160), a modern family-run hotel serving an organic breakfast.

Must eat – Many people think Roman pizza is too thin; at Peperoncino Dispettoso (158 Viale delle Medaglie d’Oro, ) you decide how thick you want it, and choose from dozens of toppings.

Must drink – The two basement rooms at Italian-style pub Fonclea (82a Via Crescenzio) feature live music from 1960s cover bands.

Shop til you drop – Via Cola di Rienzo is a pleasant and less crowded shopping alternative to Via del Corso. Stop at Sabon (241) for luxurious Dead Sea products, buy a pipe at the tobacco shop Della Longa (164), and stock up on rare gourmet cheeses at Franchi (200).

TRASTEVERE / TESTACCIO

Come evening, hordes of Romans migrate to these two neighbourhoods.

Must drink – You’ll find two floors decorated with exposed brick and lounge-worthy leather couches at Stairs (43 Via della Scala), one of Trastevere’s favourite cocktail bars.

Dance the night away – Blues and jazz are what made Big Mama (18 Vicolo San Francesco a Ripa) famous, and this club has hosted notable acts from around the world. Check the website – bigmama.it – for a concert schedule.

ESQUILINO

In this lively, multiethnic area you’ll find a marvellous food market and many bargain shops.

Sleep soundly – It’s a small bed and breakfast but it offers the amenities of a large hotel. B&B Piccolo Principe (255 Via Giolitti, , bbpiccoloprincipe.it, from €85) is also brightly decorated, and some of the rooms have private balconies with views of the train station.

Must eat – Managed by the same family for 120 years, popular Pommidoro (44 Piazza dei Sanniti, tel. ) serves all the classics of Roman cuisine, plus the occasional wild game dishes. The line to get a table can be long, so it’s advisable to book.

Must drink – Sample beers from over 200 small Italian and international breweries at Boccone (21 Via dei Sardi).

Dance the night away – At super-hip Micca Club (7a Via Pietro Micca) the music tends towards swing, rock’n’roll, 1950s and 1960s, with many live burlesque evenings.

Compiled by Solveig Steinhardt