“Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have.” – Margaret Mead
Why travel? Why pick such an uncertain way of living? Why do we want to be vagabonds and go against the social norm of being settled? My feet keeping moving me forward and forever changing the paths I take in life. Over the last few months I have been pondering why I travel, what do I want to take from it and what I want to give to this world. With technology we have made the world a smaller place to live in, yet our understanding of each other has never seemed further away. We, unfortunately like generations before us, live in a time of turmoil and unrest. Our media has turned into a circus act and seems to only wants to give us cheap thrills rather than actual information we can use. They provide us violence, fear, and hatred twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. According to the media the world has become more dangerous and more corrupt than ever. The media does not want us to travel; they do not want us to visit and learn about the world. They want us to live in fear of the world; we should sit on our couches so they can force feed us negativity and leave us with the feeling of hopelessness about the world we live in.
I believe there has been no greater crime in mankind than the propaganda that keeps people hiding in their little boxes afraid of the big bad world. I am sorry, but it’s bullshit and I’m angry about it. To hell with the 24 hour news cycle, to hell with people who do nothing but bring fear and violence into our homes, to hell with them all! The world we live in is great, we should not be forced to fear an idea of impending doom but should be given the idea of hope and for all of us to dream and work for a better tomorrow. Yes, this world isn’t perfect and we can’t fix all it’s problems but that won’t stop us from trying.
This world is no more dangerous now than it was in the past; we just happen to be more aware of it. The world is a dangerous place; there will always be danger and we have to accept that. This danger however, should not stop us from seeing the world. The amount of information we have access to can help us be aware of the places we are going. We can take preemptive action to help protect ourselves as we go out and travel. The world is too beautiful and too grand not to go out and explore. We should celebrate the world and the differences between us because that is what makes us beautiful and so fascinating.
So what am I going to do? First I am not going to allow the news to influence what I believe about this world. Ashley and I are going to go out into this worldand show people how important it is for us to travel. It is important for all of us to learn and come to understanding with other cultures. I want to interact with people and learn about their culture and the way they live their life and I hope they will want to, in return, learn about my way of life and culture. I want to give the world hope; I want to fight back against this blanket of negativity that has been brought upon this world. We need to be outside with our hands raised in joyous celebration for being so blessed to live in a world that is so diverse. I want to explore and understand all this diversity. I do not believe that it is enough to connect through just media, it is more important to go out to visit and talk to people in person. Get up and interact with a new culture in person, make a personal connection.
Travel and the people who travel can change this world for the better. Instead of spreading hatred and fear, us travelers can spread peace and understanding. We can show people that diversity should not be the cause of conflict but should be the cause celebration.
Every time I step foot into a new place I’m overwhelmed with questions for every person I meet.During our 6 year trip I want to learn and understand the world and then share the stories of other people. I believe most travelers have this same drive. As travelers we belong to our own culture and I believe it is this culture that it is important to saving this world. What we acquire as we travel are stories of the world and these stories come with a responsibility when you are a travel blogger. Our responsibility is to nurture these stories and spread them around like a wildfire and bring understanding and acceptance to this world. Exploration is in our nature as humans; throughout history there were always souls that lust for travel and adventure. We are the next generation of travelers for the history books and it is our job to bring understanding and that is why we are traveling the world. The need to learn is what drives us and we are willing to go to the end of the world. This world is beautiful and it deserves to be explored and to have stories passed face to face not just through the web.
I can proudly stand up a say that the world is not doomed and I believe that mankind has not come close to show how wonderful our earth and its people can be. As bloggers, it is our jobs to go out and fight for this world and our right to walk among new cultures without fear but with the yearning for knowledge. We can change this world and we have the power to go out and show people the world is not a bad place but a place that should be loved. This is our world and I’m not ready to give up on us just yet. So go and learn and fight for understanding and peace. Go out and talk to people and show people that there is still good in this world. I sure know that is what I am going to be doing.
This may sound crazy but over the next six years this is what we want to prove; the world and its people are good and not only that but they are also welcoming, helpful and curious. We want to travel the world, meet new people and learn about their culture. No one culture is the same but in the end we believe that everyone wants to live a happy and fulfilled life. Our six year round the world trip is to share how wonderful the world is. No one should live in fear because this world is wonderful and has so much to offer.
The area around Piazza Navona and the Pantheon is probably one of the most trafficked areas of Rome. Part of the Centro Storico, or the historical center, this is the heart and soul of Rome bordered by the Tiber on one side and connecting to the Vatican via the Ponte Sant’Angelo, a beautiful pedestrian bridge with angels designed by Bernini and leading to Castel Sant’Angelo. Piazza Navona and the Pantheon are located in the northern half of the Centro Storico with Campo dei Fiori neighborhood dominating the southern half of the Centro Storico. There is so much to see, do and EAT in this area that we just had to share our favorite things about this neighborhood.
We have literally written an entire article on this restaurant and I do not have much to add except for the fact that you have to eat here. If you visit Rome and do not eat here you are crazy! I have had some of the best meals of my life here. Their ravioli in an orange cream sauce with saffron and zucchini blossoms can seriously change your life (it convinced me I like squash blossoms after all) and even their fennel salad with oranges was heavenly. I cannot stress how amazing this restaurant is enough. It may not be “traditional” Italian cuisine but damn it is good and made the Italian way with simple good ingredients.
Cul de Sac is another restaurant we have talked about before in our Rome City Guide and it keeps popping up because it is an outstanding enoteca or wine bar. The wine list is a BOOK and just a few pages but a massive book which covers all regions of Italy. I wish I knew then what I do about Italian wines now, because I would have definitely taken advantage of the wine list more. Go out of your comfort zone while you are here and order a wine you have never heard of; I guarantee you have not heard of most of them on the list anyways since Italy has an obscene amount of grape varietals. This restaurant does not only have stellar wine but they also have amazing food. This is the restaurant if you want to try the roman specialty tripe, but if you are not feeling that adventurous their lasagna is one of the best in the city.
Bar Amore
Located on Via dei Banchi Nuovi – A continuation of Via del Governo Vecchio
I have a soft spot in my heart for Bar Amore. I used to visit this bar almost daily for my cafe e panino. This bar makes one of the best panino in the city because you can customize it. That’s right people, a build your own panino shop in Rome. I took full advantage of this by always ordering the same thing, a tomato and mozzarella panino……. And by advantage I mean not at all but it was/is SOOO good. They do have a wide range of ingredients you can put on your panino including brie, artichokes, prosciutto and more. If you are looking for a great panino place and you are near Piazza Navona search this place out. Just beware it fills with UC Rome students around lunchtime 😉
Are you looking for authentic pizza in the heart of Rome and like waiting in line? Then you need to head to Pizzeria Baffeto. It might be weird that I am mentioning lines but to this day this is the ONLY restaurant in Rome I ever saw with a line before it opened. I have had to wait for Cul de Sac but nothing compares to waiting in line for Baffeto. Things have eased up a bit since they opened up Baffeto Due but I prefer the wait. Baffeto also has the most perfect location for me; across the street from Abbey and next to Frigidarium. Baffeto specializes in Roman pizza larger than your face. They only serve pizza and jugs of wine. The pizzas range from the traditional Margherita to the Diavola with spicy sausage but perhaps my favorite one is the pizza fagioli, which is a basic margherita pizza with cannellini beans added on top. It may sound strange and I was certainly skeptical when my sister ordered by my god is it good. There is just something about the creamy cannellini beans and the cheese and sauce that is so simple but so good. Even if you are indifferent about pizza (which who is?) at least head to Baffeto for the atmosphere. The tables here are jammed packed into a two story building which during the summer spills out into the streets. Service is quick and no frills and you can hear all the waiters and cooks yelling at each other across the restaurant. It is quintessentially a Roman restaurant.
Il Clan
Located on Via Sora
Il Clan is the perfect restaurant when you need to relax from all the chaos of Rome and God forbid eat something other than Italian food. Il Clan is the only Brazilian restaurant in town, that I know of anyways, although there is an Argentinian restaurant not too far away (never been though). This is the perfect spot to relax amongst the bright colors that decorate the restaurant and indulge in a caipirinha or two…. They do not have an extensive menu but what they do have is fresh and authentic.
Tapa Loca is, as you may have guessed, a Spanish tapas restaurant. It is just down the street from Piazza Navona and is a great spot to drink sangria on a hot summer night and eat a ridiculous amount of paella. Alex and I made the mistake of ordering one between the two of us and had leftovers for days! It didn’t help that we ordered a bunch of appetizers as well. This restaurant has a fun vibe and is a great place for a large group of people. Think pitchers of sangria 🙂
Insalta Ricca
Located on Via Governo Vecchio
We have mentioned Insalata Ricca before in our Trastevere Guidebut as there is another location near Piazza Navona it seemed worth noting. I went here a LOT when I was a student at UC Rome as it is just down the street. My roommate and I would always split a pesto pizza and a greek salad…. and a liter of wine. It is Italy after all!
Mimi & Coco Panini Shop
Located on Via Governo Vecchio
I am not a huge fan of Mimi & Coco’s restaurant, I find it a bit overpriced for what it is, but I do love their panini place just down the street. Their panini are open-faced sandwiches and are more like pizza then panini. My favorite is, per usual, the caprese. The bread is a bit like focaccia and they just pile on the tomatoes and fresh mozzarella and then grill it up on a panini press. I love to grab the sandwich and walk to either Piazza Navona or the Pantheon and just sit and enjoy it. This is perhaps one of my favorite ways to spend an afternoon in the heart of Rome.
Smoothie Place
Located on Via di Tor Millina
Ok we cannot remember the name of this place but it is part gelato shop and also smoothie shop. It is the only place that we know of in Rome that serves smoothies and after all those carbs sometimes it is nice to have some fruit that is not ice cream. They have smoothie combinations and you can also build your own as well. This store is located just off Piazza Navona and looks slightly touristy but is awesome!
Frigidarium and San Crispino
Located on Via Governo Vecchio and Piazza della Maddalena respectively
These are HANDS DOWN my all time favorite gelaterias! That is a bold statement, I know, but I am not taking it back. I talked about both of these places in my 5 Reasons Why I Love Gelato post but they deserve a second mention, mainly because I wrote that article almost 2 years ago. Frigidarium is my go to for traditional Italian gelato. You get the basic flavors here but they are sooo good. I am obsessed with their canella (cinnamon) and their raspberry sorbet. San Crispino is the place to go to hunt down seasonal gelato. I love their white peach sorbet and the Sicilian honey gelato. They switch the flavors up a lot and always have something amazing.
Drink
Abbey
Located on Via Governo Vecchio
Abbey will always have a special place in our hearts because we met there of course! Actually that is not it at all (although we did meet there). Both of us had been going to Abbey before we met each other and it is our favorite expat bar. This is place where we always felt welcomed. If it had been a rough day and we were just sick of Rome this was the place we would go to unwind. Plus they had awesome chicken curry.
Bar del Fico is a hole in the wall Italian bar. While I have never eaten here it always gets rave reviews but it is a great spot to pop in for an evening drink. The atmosphere is lively whether you grab a table outside or inside. You will always find locals here, playing chess usually and egging each other on, which can be rare in such a heavily touristed area. This is one of the greatest bars to catch up with friends and spend a relaxing Saturday night.
Fluid
Located on Via Governo Vecchio
Clearly Governo Vecchio is one of my favorite streets in all of Rome and Fluid is my favorite aperitivo bar. The cocktails here are top notch especially in a city that doesn’t have a huge cocktail scene, although I hear that is changing. Plus I am all for a place that charges 7euros for a cocktail and then you get unlimited food. They will occasionally serve pineapple with drizzled nutella; I never knew how good that could be until Fluid.
Sant’Eustachio is a cafe in the heart of Rome that has been around since 1938. Today’s incarnation looks almost similar to the original cafe with even the paving and furnishing the same as in 1938. They are known for the caffe d’elite and the shakerato. Sitting at one of the 6 tables at Sant’Eustachio is like stepping back into Rome’s past.
See
Piazza Navona/Ruins of Diocletian’s circus
Piazza Navona is probably the most popular square to visit in Rome. Whenever I imagine the square I am filled with romantic notions of artists selling their wares while couples take romantic strolls and academics debate Bernini’s famous fountain. And in truth you do get this along with hordes of tourists. I tend to avoid Piazza Navona during the summer during the day but love to spend hours here in the evening. Rome is so hot during the summer even at night that it is lovely to spend time near the fountain (personally I think the sound of falling water makes it feel cooler, mental air conditioning…). I love staring at all the different angles of Bernini’s fountain especially the statue which faces Borromini’s church as the two were bitter rivals and this played out in Bernini’s art.
I love how the figure is shielding his eyes against the horror of Borromini’s church
Another reason I love Piazza Navona is because the history behind the famous piazza is so much more than just the Baroque period of Bernini and Borromini. If you head around to the north of the piazza on the outside you can see the ruins of the Stadium of Domitian which was built in the first century CE. Today Piazza Navona still retains the same shape as the original stadium that was used for foot races.
Pantheon
I have stated time and time again but I will say it again, The Pantheon is my favorite building EVER. The fact that Hadrianrebuilt it in 126 CE and people still do not know how he built the dome amazes me! I love all the history of the building and except for the fact that it is now a church it was left relatively untouched from the Roman times. Also if you have a chance to visit during Pentecost a stop in to the Pantheon is a must as they throw rose petals from the ceiling. This is one of my favorite memories from our time in Rome.
Bernini’s Elephant
Located on Piazza della Minerva
Bernini’s elephant in front of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva is just one of the delights this church holds. I love that Bernini carved this white elephant. I am not sure why I love this little statue so much but it seem like such a whimsy addition to a city filled with high art.
Santa Maria Sopra Minerva
Located on Piazza della Minerva
Santa Maria Sopra Minerva is a church with an excessively long name which means the Church of St. Mary above the Temple of Minerva. Throughout the city of Rome churches were built over pagan sites. This was mainly to encourage pagans to convert to Christianity, the logic being that people do not like to change their routine so they will continue to go to the same site even when the religion changes. While you can no longer see the remains of the Temple of Minerva, who also goes by the Greek name of Athena, the church is still worth a visit.
Before you head into the church and after you have spent time admiring Bernini’s elephant take a look at the plaques that are on the right hand side of the building. The plaques mark the height of the flooding of the Tiber River. Before the huge embankments were places along the Tiber, the river used to flood annually and covered much of the Centro Storico. It is amazing to think that the river used to flood all the way to this church. It is about a ten minute walk to the river from the church.
It looks much better in person than through the grainy lens pf my iphone 3 – Yup you read that right. I took this photo about 2.5years ago…. Clearly was not preparing for a life of blogging
The church also has a beautiful statue inside, Christ the Redeemer, which was carved by Michelangelo in 1519. The statue was carved for a private patron who lived near Santa Maria Sopra Minerva but there were actually two versions of it carved as the first was abandoned when a black vein was discovered in the marble. The first version was placed by Metello Vari, Michelangelo’s patron, in his garden and the second completed statue was placed inside the church. The first statue was actually lost from the early 1600s to 2000 when it was discovered in a sacristy in Bassano, just outside of Rome. This statue was famous during its time and was described by a contemporary as having knees worthy more than the whole of Rome. Those are some pretty bad ass knees…
Ruins at Lago Argentina
The ruins at Lago Argentina are interesting because they have literally built a traffic hub around them. Several bus lines, tram lines and a major road all surround these ruins which are below the surface. I think it is always worth it to brave the traffic to cross the streetand view the ruins. The ruins date back to the Republican period of Rome and include four temples and the ruins of Pompey’s theater. Julius Caesar was assassinated at the Theater of Pompey in the curia and it is thought that this site is part of the ruins of Largo Argentina. The ruins also act as a cat shelter for the homeless cats of Rome of which there are many. So you can hang out with some kitties and check out ruins. Who needs cat cafes?
Do
Via dei Coronari
Via dei Coronari is a quaint little street with hundreds of little local shops. This street is where I pick up all of my Christmas gifts as I can always find something unique here for family and friends. It is also a great place to take photos of quaint Roman streets. There are cute little cafes, spots to grab gelato and sit on the stairs, and a range of boutiques and vintage stores.
Glass store
Located on Via dei Coronari
We for the life us cannot remember the name of this store but we absolutely LOVE it. Alex and I discovered this store while we were wandering Via dei Coronari and it is our favorite store in Rome. The owners actually makes their own glass for all of the jewelry and home decor in the shop. While it may not be the famous murano glass, it is locally made and each piece is unique. The store owners are so amazing that when Alex and I went in there with a picture of what Alex’s mom wanted from the store and they didn’t have it, they made it for us there on the spot. If anyone visits this glass shop or knows the name of it we would love to know! We love this place and want to give them proper recognition!
Vintage shopping
Located on Via Governo Vecchio
All along Via Governo Vecchio from Abbey to Bar Amore there are adorable vintage shops just filled with treasures. I loved popping into these stores in between classes to check out what they had. While it is possible to find some deals at these stores be prepared to shell out a pretty penny if you really want some amazing vintage pieces. Either way it is always nice to pop in and see some more modern Roman history.
This is Rome. Beautiful street corners with bags of trash next to them…. It is a beautiful AND a living city with highs and lows
So there you have it, our tips and recommendations for the northern half of the Centro Storico from Piazza Navona to the Pantheon. This is such a wonderful area to take in the history and the daily life of Rome. While it can be touristy there are still many authentic roman places to eat, see and shop.
Every time I mention that I lived in Rome for two and a half years (that half is really important) people generally respond with “Oh you must be fluent in Italian then?” and then I must guilty reply “Well, actually….No”.
This is by far the biggest thing I regret about living in Italy. How did I live in Rome and have a life there but not speak the language? Yes I could get by. I could have a basic conversation, order food (which is truly important) and identify all the food in the grocery store but I couldn’t go farther than that! I could go ahead and give you all the excuses that I used while I lived there for not learning the language better:
The Romans always respond in English.
All my Italian friends speak better English than I do.
I am an English speaking tour guide
The truth is though, that I was embarrassed. I was embarrassed about how bad my accent was. I was embarrassed about how little I knew. So instead of confronting this and studying and learning I chose to do nothing. Looking back on this I realize now what a HUGE mistake this was. I missed out on a lot of opportunities to get to know the local Romans more and to learn even more about the city that I love to hate but love so much.
I cannot describe how much I love this city but also how much it frustrated me. Perhaps if I had known the language better I would have been able to interact with our neighbors and feel more accepted.
I always suggest to people to learn a little of the local language before they travel somewhere. It helps to know hello, please, thank you to get by and show the locals that you are trying. Language can open up so many doors while you are traveling. It is such an imperative thing to learn before you go anywhere and I dropped the ball.
Alex and I plan on returning to Italy and to Rome in the near future and I am trying to rectify this mistake. Nothing will change the fact that I did not learn Italian while I lived there but hopefully by the time I return all those Rosetta Stone lessons will have worked. I want to talk to locals about their traditions, their life and learn more about this beautiful country. I don’t want to be held back because I am embarrassed about not knowing the language. Fear never gets anyone anywhere. After all what’s the worst that can happen if I mispronounce something?
The goal for 2015 is to become fluent in Italian. Soon I will have much more free time on my hands and I can study more. I will become FLUENT. Internet and dearest readers I need you to help keep me accountable. It may not be December 31st yet but I am already planning my resolution and I will not fail this time!
I am addicted to travel. Most people would say that is a good thing; I often say it is a good thing. The problem with addiction is that it has withdrawals. Alex and I have been in the same country since November and it is eating at my nerves. No matter what we do: fun day trips to places we have never been, longer road trips to the Pacific Northwest, planning a round the world trip, it isn’t enough. It doesn’t replace being on the road and having the freedom to do what you want. All I want to do is recklessly drop everything and leave; be done and gone and start a life on the road. A life where I can do what I want.
I know that kind of life won’t be easy. I will have to rely on myself to fund my journey and stretch that dollar just a little bit farther to survive, but I know that I can do that; I have been through this before and ended up making a life for myself in Rome. There will not be a steady income coming in (unless this whole blogging thing pays off), I won’t have a home to escape to when all I want to do is rant at the world; it will be tough and challenging. But maybe that is what I miss. I need something to challenge me. Today the most difficult thing I did was take out the garbage at work and I was stressed over it! That is absolutely ridiculous. And I stressed over it because I didn’t want to be at work, I wanted to be on the road.
So of course those are the withdrawals kicking in. I live in an amazing town, I have a fairly decent job where I feel useful about 70% of the time, and all I do in my spare time is go to awesome restaurants and drink a lot of wine for free (one of the benefits of being in the wine business I suppose), so what do I really have to complain about? Well my answer is “It is because I am not in Paris” or “I haven’t been to Machu Picchu yet” or “So what if I can order Belgian beer here, I would rather be in Brussels”. This sounds super whiney and it is. I get that.
I am plainly indulging in being a spoiled little brat about travel right now. I realize that I have been able to have opportunities that others have not. I am lucky that I have parents who support me no matter what. I also am incredibly thankful for the life I do have. I have a good life but unfortunately I also have had the opportunity to travel and I am no longer content sitting still and being in one place.
Travel is an addiction and I am hooked. It seems that I will never be able to settle down. There is always somewhere else to see, somewhere new to go. Travel caught me in her web and perhaps I will never be happy in one place. Maybe I will never be able to settle down. Sometimes that thought frightens me, maybe I am not meant to find a home, a place to settle down in. I thought it was Rome but of course that two year mark hit and I needed change.
I needed change so much in Rome that I became depressed. I developed severe back and shoulder pain and for the first time in my life I had panic attacks. I couldn’t handle being stagnant and I was even traveling all the time while in Rome. It is something I cannot explain. I rebelled against the city; I couldn’t stand the noise, the traffic, the judgmental looks on the bus (you try wearing sandals before June 21st), and the stupidest little things that would crop up during the day. It seems kind of ridiculous now when I look back on it but at the same time these little things are cropping up again.
I am becoming restless and unsettled. Although this time around I know what is coming and I know how to fight the withdrawals a little better. The circumstances are different as well. When I realized that Rome was not working out, it was a dream crumbling around me. Rome was always the end goal after I graduated college. I saw myself living in Rome for the rest of my life. This time around it is different. Healdsburg was always a means to an end; it is a great town and has been a wonderful experience living here but the round the world trip is what is in our future. Now I just need to concentrate on the fact that we are going to be leaving, this life is just temporary (and not a bad temporary at all) and soon we will be on the road.
So what if travel is an addiction? Hell I have been addicted for a while now. The withdrawals can be trying but it will all be worth it in the end. Travel is always worth it in the end and I will never regret the choices I have made to allow me to travel but there will always be a restlessness in me. The curse of the wanderer I suppose.
Campo dei Fiori has the lucky and unlucky distinction of being at the tourist heart of Rome, halfway between Piazza del Popolo in the north and the Coliseum in the south. I doubt many of you have visited Rome and not passed through this famous square, especially if you had the opportunity to study in Rome. Campo is a thriving market during the day and then the center of study abroad nightlife once the sun goes down.
Photo courtesy of the Guardian
The name of the square itself means field of flowers because during Roman times this square was constantly flooded creating a lovely meadow here. In the middle ages however, the square took on a darker history and became a center for executions. The history of these executions still lives on in the giant statue that dominates the square. The man is Giordano Bruno and he was a Dominican priest, a mathematician, philosopher, and he wrote over 20 books in his short lifetime. Unfortunately he was all of this during the reformation and counter reformation which was not the most liberal of times.
Looks a little bit like a Star Wars character, huh?
He also decided to write some inflammatory statements about the nature of Jesus and the fact that Mary could not be a virgin because Father and Son are never equal therefore Jesus was not God and Mary was not a virgin. Blasphemy! So the church obviously had it out for him. They finally caught up with him in 1523 and tortured him until they finally sentenced him to be burned at the stake in February 1600. Yes that is right, they tortured him for 7 years to recant his writings; he was some stubborn bastard.
Perhaps you can tell how stubborn he was by the fact that he has a statue commemorating him, a heretic. The statue was put up in 1889 after Rome was unified with the rest of Italy and the church lost its political power. The secular government approved the statue to be placed where he was burned and coincidentally Bruno’s gaze is directed straight at the people who executed him, the Vatican.
While the square has an unhappy history today it is a lively place to gather in the heart of Rome and the surrounding area is also as well. It is also very well connected to the rest of the city with most buses and trams stopping near the square.
Here are our favorite places in and around the neighborhood of Campo dei Fiori:
Eats
Osteria da Fortunata on Via del Pellegrino
Osteria da Fortunata is perhaps one of the most authentic and legit Italian restaurants we have found in Rome. We have eaten at a lot of amazing places but this one takes the cake in terms of authenticity. You know when you imagine a small hole in the wall restaurant where the grandma is making pasta in the back while her grandson takes orders; well you have found it here. The menu changes daily based on what ingredients they found at the market and they only make a small selection of dishes. The only problem with this restaurant is that if you show up later, when most Italians eat, they may be out of certain dishes, but everything is so delicious it won’t be a problem. I promise.
Rosso Pomodoro on Via Largo di Torre Argentina
Could this Neapolitan pizza look any better? If you are a thick crust person in a city of thin crust head to Rosso Pomodoro
Rosso Pomodoro is located just outside Campo dei Fiori and is a great chain restaurant. It might be weird to be suggesting a chain restaurant in Italy but this place is great. It is one of those restaurants where you only see Italians eating there. Italians generally do not eat at chains so this one is a good one people. They specialize in Neapolitan cuisine and they have great pizza, obviously. The best part of Rosso Pomodoro is that they have a side to go window next to the theater. It is a great spot to grab a lunch and enjoy the ruins across the street or head to Sant’Andrea della Valle and enjoy the people watching.
Obika in Campo dei Fiori
Normally I would not recommend eating in a main square but this seems to be the neighborhood for contradictions. Obika is a mozzarella bar, that’s right a MOZZARELLA bar. If you want fresh mozzarella, burrata or smoked mozzarella this is your place. They get it fresh from Naples everyday and offer it in a wide variety of preparations. Here you can have fresh burrata with prosciutto di parma or you can dig into their homemade lasagna made with the best cheese in the world. The restaurant has a cool modern vibe and on gorgeous nights you can grab a table out on the piazza and soak it all in.
Panino Place next to Baffetto 2
So we cannot for the life of us remember the name of this place but it has amazing panini. They let you build your own so you can make any combination. I am pretty traditional/have no imagination so I usually stick with the classics like mozzarella and tomatoes or sometimes I add some prosciutto. Alex likes to get a little more creative and adds all the toppings including truffles….. Who doesn’t like truffles? It is definitely worth checking out.
Open Baladin on Via degli Specchi
We have talked about Open Baladin before when talking about our favorite beer places in Rome but thought it was worth the mention again. If you are looking for a great place that specializes in Italian microbrews than this is your place. Also they have insanely good garlic fries, occasionally you just need a break from Italian food.
Drink
Aperitivo in Campo dei Fiori
Aperitivo at Baccanale
The square is a great place to grab an aperitivo, in part for all the options but also for the people watching. There are plenty of options of aperitivo in the square but one of my favorites is at Baccanale, located on the corner of the square when you enter from Corso Vittoro Emanuele. They have an awesome selection of food, both hot and cold, so that is always a plus. The drinks are good too and reasonably priced. If you miss out on aperitivo hour don’t worry they also have a panini to go window for those late night hunger attacks.
Ponte Sisto
Another great hangout spot is actually the Ponte Sisto bridge between Campo dei Fiori and Trastevere. Here you will find locals and expats alike wandering the bridge, meeting up for a drink or staking out a spot for a beautiful view of the Vatican at night. This is definitely a great way to bridge your nightlife in Rome too, start with dinner at Obika then head to Ponte Sisto to meet up with some friends; migrate to Piazza Trilusa for some seated beer drinking and then pop on over for some chocolate shots. Perfect evening 🙂 Just keep your wits about you on the bridge; it tends to attract pickpockets and drug salesmen.
See
Palazzo Farnese
Courtesy of Myrabella from Wikipedia Commons
Palazzo Farnese is located just behind Campo dei Fiori and used to be the city palace of the Farnese family. Today the building is actually the French Embassy; the building was rented out to the French by Mussolini at the very low price of 1lira a month. When the Italians switched to the euro the price rose by 2000% and they now pay 1euro a month for the building. In the piazza surrounding Palazzo Farnese there are two identical fountains designed by Bernini which are affectionately coined the bathtubs due to their well bathtub shape. The tubs are actually from the Baths of Caracalla whose ruins are just south of the Circo Massimo and were designed by Bernini to look like they were floating.
They totally look like bathtubs right?
Via Giulia
Via Giulia and Michelangelo’s arch heading towards the Tiber
Via Giulia is the street just behind Piazza Farnese and is absolutely picturesque with its overhead bridge and dripping ivy. The street was originally conceived by Pope Julius II as a grand redevelopment of Rome, especially in the medieval center. Pope Julius II hired Bramante to build the road and it actually runs in a straight line, which is somewhat of a miracle in Rome. Unfortunately like most grand projects in Rome this one was not completed and even the bridge, which was designed by Michelangelo, is not completed either. It is still a beautiful street to explore and keep an eye out for the Madonelle, or the paintings of the Virgin Mary placed all over to protect the streets.
*Note the water fountain just behind Piazza Farnese on Via Giulia is probably the only fountain in Rome I would suggest NOT drinking from. One it looks all green and scummy and it also has lead pipes…..
So there you have it our suggestions for the neighborhood of Campo dei Fiori though there is plenty more to explore here. Don’t be afraid to just pick a small alley and wander down it. The medieval streets in this area were meant for exploration! Have you spent time in Campo dei Fiori? What were your favorite places?
In Pursuit of Adventure 