WHEN IN ROME.
Ah... Ancient Rome. The beauty of this city is unreal. From the stone roads, the vespas, the architecture, and the food. Everything about Rome simply makes you ask yourself, "Why can't I live in a place like this?" When you're there you literally feel like you're in a different century. The locals are super friendly and the culture is truly empowering. My husband and I went to Rome for the second part of our honeymoon (check out my Venice blog here) and we adored this beautiful city.
What I Loved
There’s a lot to love about this ancient city! But what I loved most was walking through the stone backstreets of Rome and finding amazing sculptures and fountains along the way. The amount of history this city has is endless - everything you see is centuries old. I loved the culture shock you get in Rome... It’s a place that makes you feel at home even if you’re the furthest thing from Italian!
Hotel
We stayed at a place called Grand Palace Hotel and we truly loved it! The outside of the hotel literally looks like the Colosseum, it’s pretty cool how they’ve designed it. The service was wonderful - they welcomed us with a delicious sponge cake (we had no idea what it was called but it was SO delicious) and the rooms were pretty in pink! It’s also right in the middle of Rome... A lot of great restaurants nearby and not far from all the great things to see (read about what to see below)!
Food
I must admit that the food in Rome is a tiny bit better than the food in Venice (probably because Venice is a high-tourist city). Here in Rome they have fire-wood pizza which is literally the best thing on earth! Restaurants there were much more Italian and more for the locals than tourists which is when you know you’re going to get the most authentic food there is!
LUNCH OUTSIDE THE COLOSSEUM.
I highly suggest grabbing some lunch right outside the colosseum! It serves some beautiful views and the food is wonderful — I forgot what this restaurant was called, but it was directly in front of the colosseum!
Ristorante Pizzeria Pasquino
This was the first restaurant my husband and I ate at in Rome for lunch and it was definitely one to remember! We actually had an Italian pizza-making lesson with a chef and we made our own pizzas from scratch! It was such a cool experience and our pizzas tasted AMAZING! We found this offer on Viator for about $60. It was definitely worth the awesome lesson and delicious dinner made with your own hands!
Girarrosto Fiorentino
We went to this restaurant for dinner on the first night in Rome spontaneously... We literally decided to just roam around Rome (pun intended) and pick a restaurant! It was a great choice... The restaurant was very authentic and had a great selection of food. We decided to ask for alfredo but apparently that’s not real Italian food and they looked at us like we were crazy! They made it for us anyway and it was delicious!
White Club
Dessert is a must! And of course, when in Rome you must eat gelato! You can find gelato at a ton of places in Italy, but we found this one open late at night when we were walking around the city. It was super delicious and they had a wide variety of flavors to choose from! Including Nutella.. 😏😋
Il Giardino di Albino
This restaurant was hidden in between the narrowest streets of Rome. We decided to take a walk and just find the most authentic-looking Italian restaurant there was and we found the perfect spot! The restaurant itself was beautiful and comfortable and the servers were absolutely wonderful. We had a very old Italian man as our server and he was the kindest gentleman ever! I literally miss him. He literally forced us to stay and drink cappuccinos with some Italian desserts (we obviously couldn’t say no to that!) The food was to die for! This has to be my favorite restaurant in Rome that we’ve been to.
Hard Rock Cafe Rome
Once in a while my husband and I felt the need for some original American food (when you’re in a different country for so long you miss “normal” food sometimes). In Rome is where we started our tradition of eating at a Hard Rock Cafe everywhere we travel (we’re currently at 6)! It was delicious and literally a five minute walk from our hotel, Grand Palace.
Ristorante La Giara
This was the last restaurant we went to in Rome (sad face) and it was a wonderful choice! We ate outside on a beautiful night - it was very romantic.. I don’t know what it is, but the old Italian servers are so kind! They care so much about you and they want to make sure you don’t leave hungry. And we sure didn’t!
Ristorante L'Isola del Pescatore
We decided to hit Santa Marinella Beach for a couple days and wanted to grab some lunch. We found this beach restaurant and ordered some pasta and pizza (obvi). It was pretty good, but not amazing. It’s food you’d expect to get right on the beach. It has no comparison to the restaurants in Rome! But it was a decent lunch right on the beach. 👌🏼
What To See
So there is clearly a TON to see in this ancient city! But there are certain places that are a must when in Rome.
Colosseum
You can’t go to Rome and NOT see the Colosseum. It’s one of the world wonders... Don’t skip out on it! There are several different tours you can buy on TripAdvisor or Viator that aren’t expensive and they take you inside of the colosseum itself while explaining the history of it all.
Pantheon
Another beautiful place to see when in Rome! It’s a former Roman temple and now a church. The Pantheon is not too far away from the Colosseum. It’s extremely beautiful inside and not to mention HUGE!
Trevi Fountain
You can’t miss out on one of the most famous fountains in the entire world built in 1732. Legend has it that the throwing of a coin from your right hand over your left shoulder will ensure your return to Rome! ⛲️❤️
St. Peter’s Basilica
The most famous and most ancient Roman Catholic Church known to history lies right in the heart of Rome. It’s so breathtaking and unimaginable! It’s definitely a must-see.
Altare della Patria
This is a beautiful monument built in the middle of the city that was dedicated to the first King, Victor Emmanuel, of a unified Italy. You can’t miss it while driving in town!
Santa Marinella Beach
My husband and I decided to take two days of Rome to head to a beach that was a few hours out. We took the fast train early in the morning and spent the whole day out there! It was a really beautiful and clean beach. The water was crystal clear to the point you could see your toes in the water! We loved this beach because it was very quiet and there weren’t a ton of people there. It was very peaceful and beautiful! I definitely recommend for a day or two if you want to catch some sun! ☀️🌊
Would I Go Back?
I think I would definitely go back to this amazing city! There’s just so much history there. It’s so beautiful and the architecture is unbelievable! The food is beyond incredible... It’s simply breathtaking being in a city so amazing.
