Start your day as the Romans do by heading to the nearest bar for a quick un café at the counter. Ride off your caffeine high by hiring a bike and hitting the Appian Way. One of the city’s ancient roads, connecting Rome to the Adriatic Port of Brindisi. This ride is a fun way to experience the region’s fascinating history, especially if you’ve got the family with you. To see the classics without the crowds Museo Nazionale Romano is a lesser-known museum with ancient art and architecture. For a simple slice that’s worth queuing for, grab lunch to-go from Pizzarium. If you’d prefer a more stationary way to sample the local specialties, the intimate Er Buchetto is a small porchetta shop where you can wash down a roast pork panino with a beer.
While Milan might be known as the fashion capital of Italy, Rome’s stylish streets, like Via del Pellegrino and the intersecting Via dei Banchi Vecchi, are also lined with classic boutiques. Surviving the test of time, 119 years to be exact, Giolitti is a must-visit for gelato lovers. With gelato in hand, stroll along the River Tiber until you reach Ponte Garibaldi which overlooks one of the world’s smallest inhabited islands, Isola Tiberina. Time for an aperitivo? Monti has plenty of wine bars to drink in, like Al Vino Al Vino. Having served up bowls of carby-goodness for four generations, Roscioli is a renowned family restaurant to sample two of Rome’s most famous pasta dishes, spaghetti alla carbonara (pasta swimming in a rich sauce of cheese, pancetta and raw egg) and cacio e pepe (fresh noodles with cheese and black pepper).
