I spent a few days in Hanoi before joining an “Explore” group through Vietnam so I was limited to a degree by the itinerary we followed. The hotels we stayed in on the trip were mostly pretty average to say the least but teh list below includes stuff to do and see as well as to eat. I did splash out on one fabulous night in Hanoi and a couple in Ho Chi Minh – Hanoi I stayed at the Metropole (now owned by Sofitel) which is THE classic old hotel. Really fab and beautiful, and worth splashing out on. In Ho Chi Minh I stayed at the Park Hyatt – modern but had a pool and needed some luxury after slumming it a bit on a group trip! In terms of my itinerary I went to:
Hanoi
Ha Long Bay
Overnight train to Hue
Hue
Danang (China Beach and Marble Mountains)
Hoi An
Ho Chi Minh
Cai Be and Mekong Delta homestay
Ho Chi Minh and Cu Chi Tunnels
So…
Hanoi is really cool, take some time to wander through all the crazy old streets, a rickshaw tour is almost certainly worth it.
There are two places that are great for food there. You will find travellers in both, but the food is still really authentic:
Cha Ca La Vong in the old quarter (on Cha Ca street which is named after the restaurant) it does one dish but it does it fantastically well. The staff are incredibly rude, it’s in a rickety old building and they cram people in, but for fish and noodles you can't eat better. Slightly irritatingly, Rick Stein just featured it in the Vietnam episode of his Far Eastern Cookery series.
For dinner, definitely head to Quan an Ngon. There’s a branch in Saigon too, but make sure you go to the one in Hanoi. Basically they’ve gathered together all the best street food sellers in one place and you walk round the courtyard pointing to the food you want, and pay for it all on one bill. We ate AMAZINGLY well here, and went back the following night. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Whilst the town by Ha Long is a bit shitty and the hotels and food are pretty average, I really enjoyed our boat ride into the bay. It was misty when we were there but still incredibly beautiful, the boats are in keeping with the original style so it hasn’t been ruined, and the caves are pretty cool. I’m really pleased we went. If you stay overnight on a boat, the advice I was given was to pay for best boat you can afford as some can be very leaky and a bit shabby.
The overnight train to Hue was cool but like all traveller train journeys, it is pretty basic. If you do it, buy snacks and alcohol beforehand to keep you going, but I also managed to have one of the best bowls of Pho (soup and noodles) for breakfast onboard the next morning, - trust me, I wouldn’t do this on an English train!
Hue is ok, as its halfway down the country it gets a lot of visitors but I though there were more beautiful places elsewhere and I wouldn’t stay for long. Hue is famous amongst other things for its citadel which is fairly interesting and its “Royal” more spicy food. The weather here tends to be a bit crap. Do go somewhere for a traditional Hue feast. I can’t remember the place we ate at but we definitely ate well.
China Beach is wide and long. Again, its not the paradise type with powder sand, but its good all the same. Very quiet when we were there. Big waves, atmospheric becuase of the war association, and a reasonable little museum nearby. There were also wonderful coracles for fishing all along the beach which are a must for anyone who's after arty pics.
Hoi An was my favourite. I made sure that we coincided our trip with the monthly full moon festival. If there’s any chance of being there at that time (I think you can find details online) make sure you are. Everything is lit by lanterns that evening, people dress up in traditional costume (not as cheesy as it sounds) there’s loads of dancing and performing and they float little candles down the river. I really enjoyed Hoi An. It’s got loads of places to eat (if you’re going to do a cookery morning or afternoon this is also the place I’d do it. There’s a brilliant half day one at the Red Bridge cooking school, where they take you out on their boat to their property, give you a great demo, you then make the food after, and eat for lunch). Hoi An is also a good place to hire a bike. I went to the beach from here one afternoon. It’s not the most beautiful beach in the world, but has great little “shacks” with seafood. You can buy fruit from sellers wandering down the sand, but definitely get some fresh fish for lunch at one of the stalls. If you do go, BE CAREFUL about the current. Tragically when I was there a Vietnamese schoolgirl drowned in the water even though there were dozens of people around. It can be really treacherous even though it looks quite tame.
Ho Chi Minh is a lot less funky than Hanoi. Far more built up and modern, and personally I thought there were less interesting things to see. Although it’s touristy, when you’re there, I’d say its worth a trip to see the Cu Chi Tunnels, this part of the country is where you get to see the most war-related stuff and the war museum itself its also worth a visit though pretty harrowing.
Mekong Delta was fun (take insect repellent!!) and again, we ate really good food where we stayed. The quieter and narrower parts of the river are beautiful and I’d imagine cycling round here could be fab.
At one stage I was going to travel independently and looked into beach accommodation, though as you can see it didn’t feature on this trip. The beaches in Vietnam are nothing compared to places like Thailand, so do set your expectations accordingly.
The advice I received at the time (I think we were looking at going around March or April) was as follows:
For climatic reasons : Phan Thiet and Phu Quoc are the surest solutions Phan Thiet and Mui Ne beach are cool, but the sea is not great.
Victoria is the nicest hotel in Phan Thiet.
Whatever hotel you choose, take a good one if you go to Phan thiet as the sea is quite agitated and windy, you 'll be happy hanging around the swimming pool with the sea view.
What's great about Phan thiet is also the surroundings, some pretty nice dunes and renting a moped to get lost in the sand dunes is really cool.
You can also eat lobsters at Envy in fabulous Nuoc Mam sauce.
The city of Phan thiet is charming as well with colourful fishing boats.
I’ve heard Nha Trang is more over-run with tourists than the other beach options, but it’s definitely popular, and I think all around there now there are some quite fancy hotels as well as the standard traveller places.
Vietnam is a wonderful country. Great people and of course AMAZING food. Eat street food wherever possible, you won’t regret it in my experience
Incredible Istanbul
I LOVE Istanbul.
Like India or Bolivia, its one of those crazy intense beautiful places where everything just collides but somehow it all works
Hotels
Assuming you haven't got the budget for the Four Seasons (a particularly special outpost housed in the old prison with incredible ochre walls and a wonderful courtyard) I would recommend the Ibrahim Pasha hotel. Great location, lovely, authentic, boutiquey-but-not-pretentious and with an amazing roof-terrace with views of the mosque.
Restaurants
Pandeli
Go for lunch when you’re shopping in the Egyptian Bazaar. Its up in the domes at the top and its worth it just for the amazing tiling and old-school atmos
Four Seasons
Have tea at the Four Seasons. As I mentioned before, its not the standard plush chain hotel, but the building is actually the old prison, and the courtyard and yellow walls are really gorgeous and a total oasis from the chaos (wonderful as that is!)
Balıkçı Sabahattin
I’ve being trying to remember the name of this amazing seafood mezze place we went to where they just bring plates and plates of the most amazing food in this very residential street. Having done some looking around, I think this is it. Anyway, it was prob my favourite meal there. We ate outside. Thinking about it makes me dreamy. Go.
Rumeli
Café with a cool interior, lots of dark archways. Didn’t have the best meal here, but generally good reviews, and there aren’t many places that aren’t hideous tourist traps with crap food on the old side of Istanbul
The modern side of Istanbul
Went to some of the more “sceney” places in the evening (Ulus29, Changa, Vogue etc…) which felt as much like Moscow as Istanbul – ubiquitous sushi, sometimes great seafood, but full of young super-rich Turkish Eurasia-trash.
Must do’s
The Bazaar
Walk right up to the top of the Bazaar, then if you can wander the back-streets back down. You almost can’t get properly lost so long as you always head downwards towards the water. You get to see how people have probably lived there for hundreds of years. The poverty is pretty striking, but it felt more like “real Istanbul” than some of the other new-flash or touristy bits
Food
People carrying amazing pastries, breads and sweet things on trays through the streets leading up to the Bazaar. Delicious and the perfect photo-oportunity
Haghia Sophia and Blue Mosque
Obviously
Topkapi Palace
It’s HUGE. Do see the Harem and Treasury if nothing else. Absolutely brilliant.
The underwater cisterns
Simply AMAZING. I totally loved it. Very James Bond (featured in one of the films). I think they even have concerts down here some evenings. Check if there’s anything on whilst you’re there (do bear in mind its cold and damp!).
Boat trip
If the weather is nice, take a commuter ferry along the Bosphorous, and get out for a walk by some of the parks and houses. A totally different afternoon after the chaos of the Bazaar, quiet, families walking, beautiful trees. One of the really great things to do.
Pera Palas
This is a really old hotel full of the ghosts of the 1920's (Agatha Christie stayed here). We went to have a drink on the outside terrace, it was VERY mothbally and tired, and though that leant it some atmosphere, but truth is on balance it all felt a bit sad and fleabitten. Have a feeling they are doing some major renovation on it to recapture its glory
Shanghai
SHIMMERING SHANGHAI
Where to Stay
Lots of the nice character places are in the French Concession. Though we didn't check it out ourselves, I've heard that a hotel called Number Nine is the place to stay if you want a boutique style experience rather than a big modern hotel. They keep the contact details very low key, but you can find details in the Time Out guide.
We stayed at The Old House Inn down a little alley in a converted old lane house. There are some rooms which look lovely with four posters - ours was more basic. Its a simple place, but really reasonable and a good location for the evenings. It has a FANTASTIC stylish little restaurant attached for breakfast or indeed other meals during the day called Future Perfect
http://www.oldhouse.cn/
If you want full on wow-factor, stay at the Grand Hyatt which is in Pudong just across the water. Its the tallest hotel in the world and has the most staggering atrium which has been photographed endlessly. The windows from the rooms are floor to ceiling and often look out over the clouds, with astonishing views.
http://www.shanghai.hyatt.com/
Where to Eat
Shintori is great for dinner. Its Japanese which sounds a weird recommendation for China, but the place is very modern, (think concrete warehouse with chefs on a performance stage) its incredibly stylish and the food is stunningly presented.
French Concession
South Beauty is another great recommendation for dinner - go to the one in the French Concession. Known for more spicy cuisine, some of it is true performance food with sizzling dishes and impressive presentation.
French Concession though several branches through the city
We also had a nice meal at the Whampoa Club at Three on the Bund. Great views at night over the river, delicious Wasabi prawns, fairly formal and mostly expats and tourists but impressive interior, good service and high quality food
The Bund
If you aren't too bothered about the food being Asian, there is a restaurant called Jean Georges in the same building as Whampoa Club where we stopped in for staggeringly good desserts. Eel and pony-skin sofas, dark lighting, interior wow-factor in spades
The Bund
For the nuttiest Heston Blumenthal type meal, there's Jade on 36 at the Shangri La in Pudong across the river. Its mad, expensive and we did it for a final blowout (though its not particularly Chinese) and it was one of our funniest experiences with some preposterous combinations on the set menu.
Pudong
For lunch, I would recommend dumplings at Nan Xiang in the Yu Gardens. Its a hideously touristy area, but the dumpling house is legendary and the food is a real Shanghai institution
Yu Gardens
We also loved lunch at Crystal Jade which is in Xintiandi - the Covent Gardeny bit. Huge menu, its a Singaporean chain but don't let that put you off. Dim sum temptations sit side by side with frogs and turtles on the menu, but if you order well you're stomach will thank you for the rest of the day
Where to Drink
If you are eating in a restaurant on The Bund (or even if not) you should definitely go to the Glamour Bar for drinks. One of my favourite venues of all time, its very pink, very cool, Noveau Vague lounge music, fabulous drinks, beautiful space, stunning lighting, sensational views, I could wax lyrical about it endlessly
The Bund
Also on The Bund we had drinks first at the New Heights bar upstairs from Whampoa Club for the view. There's an open rooftop looking out over Pudong and it'll take your breath away
The Bund
If you're eating at Shintori, head next door to a bar called People 7, its owned by the same people, is an exceptionally modern concrete and bamboo structure with a hidden door (details in the Time Out guide if you have it). Be sure to have the dry-ice test tube drink to share.
French Concession
Yungfu Elite is a bizarre kind of members club, but was sadly empty when we were there. It ought to be fabulous and maybe is in summer when the garden is full of the louche and restless.
French Concession
Things to do
If you get a chance on the way to the airport, get a cab to the Maglev train and finish your journey aboard. Its probably cheaper to get a cab straight to the airport as the Maglev station is the middle of nowhere but it's the fastest train in the world and a most awesome experience.
If you want the funniest afternoon of your life and are up for a random experience, go to Karaoke at Paryworld in Fuxing Park. Its a venue that looks like more like a hotel than a singing venue. Its all private rooms, stupidly cheap, hilariously funny and a true Chinese experience.
If you're after a guidebook I would go armed with the Time Out Guide and most definitely the Luxe Guide which is always up to date, always fabulous and full of what's hot right this minute
Paris
PERFECT PARIS
Where to Stay
If money is no object the Hotel Costes is THE place to stay. French/Eastern red velvet curtains beautiful, fabulous
http://www.hotelcostes.com/
My real favourite on a budget is Le General Hotel. Its off to the side of the Marais but really great rooms and common parts. Fabulous staff and fantastic value for money. http://www.legeneralhotel.com/
Area-wise The Marais is clearly the place you want to be if you aren’t staying at the Costes or General. There are a number of boutiquey hotels there. Rooms are SMALL though so be warned.
Try the Caron de Beaumarchais (always booked up as they only have a handful of rooms, featured in Hip Hotels Budget, play on a chintzy vibe but a bit much in my opinion) http://www.carondebeaumarchais.com/
Or try the Axial Beaubourg http://www.axialbeaubourg.com/ which is in a great location.
Outside of the Marais try Saint Germain for more expensive but shopping-located accommodation (L’Hotel http://www.l-hotel.com/ or Artus http://www.artushotel.com/fr/ ) or on the left bank but to the sides, Bel Ami http://www.hotel-bel-ami.com/en/index.php or Pershing Hall http://www.pershinghall.com/ . Most are on the v pricey side.
Where to Eat
Food wise book Georges on top of the Pompidou Centre for a meal one evening. Amazing views of Paris, live DJ’s and v cool modern décor, always a winner.
Kong in the LVMH building also has amazing views. The bar used to be terribly sceney, but I sent some people recently and they said it had become rather "bridge and tunnel" now
For full French café society you kind of have to go to Cafe de Flore or Les Deux Magots for lunch though they are v touristy.
Angelinas is way more French for outrageous hot chocolate and patisseries.
Go to Berthillion for the best ice cream in Paris – its on the Iles de la Cite and is a legend – tiny place, but you see their ice cream pop up all over. This is the original.
Go to Maison du Chocolat too for an indulgent chocolat chaud
Totally random and weird, there is a café at the Renault Showroom on the Champs Elysees. Its incredibly cool for lunch, but only worth going if you’re on the Champs which I wouldn’t really bother with myself
Where to Drink
Buddha bar is very old hat now, but there’s still something fabulous about the décor at this oh-so-copied original. Clientele is not very Parisian at all
Hipper but not quite as beautiful is Man Ray (owned by Johnny Depp)
Nirvana was THE place about a year ago, don’t know if it still is.
Kong as listed above, the bar is impressive, opulent and very sceney
Where to Shop
For French eateries to take home, check out the food hall at Bon Marche (La Grande Epicerie) the whole place is a Parisian Harvey Nicks. V cool indeed
Fauchon for food is also a Parisian Institution
Collette is infamous as a concept store, the first of its kind in the world.
If you’re into antiques then the Puces out at Clignancourt is a must. Thousands and thousands of vendors. Not that cheap anymore, and quite touristy but the stuff for sale is the real deal
Where to "art"
If you’re into art there are two places you really must go aside from the Impressionist museums (of which Musee D’Orsay is the best – get entry tickets in advance if you can or you’ll queue for HOURS literally).
The first is the Pompidou which has really great modern art – the French Tate Modern or MOMA
The second is the Rodin museum. Tucked away in a grand old house it is beautiful, and on sunny days has THE most stunning garden with a glorious café
Louvre is hateful. Go see the Mona Lisa if you must but other than that is impenetrably enormous and frustrating
Out of town, the single most fabulous place to go (forget Versailles) is Monet’s Gardens at Giverny. Totally amazing
Rome
RAVISHING ROMA
Where to stay
As ever, where to stay will depend on budget and importance of a central location
We stayed at Hotel Mozart. Right in the middle of Tridente (the main shopping triangle) it’s a lovely place to stay. In a cobbled mid-street, next door to the music conservatoire it’s an old building that’s newly redone, but with the odd antique and a large lounge with sofas.
Via dei Greci
http://www.hotelmozart.com/
If money’s no object, the Hotel de Russie is the place to stay (beloved of the Aniston-Pitts when filming Ocean’s 12). Its smart, modern and could slightly be anywhere in the world but is kind of fabulous all the same.
Via del Babuino 9
http://www.hotelderussie.it/
The Locarno is featured in Hip Hotels Budget, and is always booked and probably overpriced because of its “Ipma credentials”. Nonetheless it looks rather lovely. Ask for a room in the new wing.
Via della Penna 22
http://www.hotellocarno.com/
Sole at Pantheon
Location location location. Right behind the “oh so fabulous” Pantheon, you’re paying here for a pretty nice old hotel, and more importantly its proximity to everything Rome.
Piazza della Rotonda 63
http://www.hotelsolealpantheon.com/
For modern boutique chic on a budget check out the two Daphne Inn hotels. Really competitively priced, and in a pretty good location, you’ll need to plan in advance if you want to get in.
Via degli Avignonesi 20, Via di San Basilio 55
http://www.daphne-rome.com/
For boutique that’s a little more pricey check the individually designed rooms at Casa Howard. Some look slightly gross (no doubt designed for Americans) but nicer than the mass of somewhat fusty chintz so beloved of Roman hoteliers.
Via Capo le Case 18
http://www.casahoward.com/
Aventino Hotels
If being bang in the centre isn’t a huge issue then check out this group of three hotels. They look absolutely lovely – everything Italian accomodation should be and though I haven’t been there myself, they don’t appear to be unreasonably far from the action. San Anselmo looks particularly lovely.
Via di Santa Melania
http://www.aventinohotels.com/
Things to do
Most importantly don’t get ripped off. Aside from taking extreme care with your possessions (Roman locals allegedly switch the side they carry their bags when they cross a road for fear of being victims of drive-by scooter thieves!) the cab touts at the station will spot you a mile off. Don’t listen to any nonsense from a driver about demonstrations in town meaning they have to take the long way round, ensure he puts the meter on or get out the cab. It’s a nasty introduction to a fabulous place when you’re first encounter is with a rip-off merchant.
Coliseum and Forum
If you’ve never seen them you probably should, though a view from the outside is just about as good as a view from within. If you do want to explore, they shut as it gets dark, and the ticket office shuts an hour before that, so we’re talking as early as 3.00 in Winter.
The Vatican
If you do two touristy pilgrimages in Rome you should make them St Peter’s and the Sistene Chapel. All the most clichéd sights on earth still warrant a visit. Even if you think you’ve seen a million pictures of them, the reality is always astonishing – the Taj Mahal, the Pyramids, and yes, the Sistene Chapel really do deserve to be seen in person. The queue for the chapel is horrendous. There’s not really a way around it except to suggest getting there three quarters of an hour before it opens. Pass quickly through the other galleries, then stand and gawp in the room itself. The colours defy description which, post cleaning, will take your breath away. One tip is that its open (and free) the last Sunday of every month, and if you’re in and out early you might even get to see the pope in the main square at 12.00.
If you want a general wander, I would recommend the following route:
Start in the Ghetto area, on the Via del Portico, a v old, a street of ancient Jewish eateries and a nice route up from the Tiber.
Walk up to the Campo dei Fiori Market with amazing produce and then curve round to the Via del Governo Vecchio which has great boutiques.
Step into the wonderful Piazza Navona and have a hot chocolate or coffee on the piazza – seems touristy but your feet will thank you and cost is worth the view and quality of beverage!
Walk on to the Pantheon – simply an ancient but beautifully proportioned building. Grab an ice cream at Della Palma and cross Via Del Corso to the Trevi fountain. If you’ve got any energy left continue onto the Barberini Piazza and the Spanish Steps.
For a really special experience head to the Bhorgese Gallery on a Sunday afternoon (most other things are shut). You’ll need to book but will be rewarded with the most incredibly beautiful Bernini sculptures as well as a load of paintings.
Best of all walk back to the Spanish Steps through the park. Families on tandem bikes, kids on rollerblades and lots of sculptures. Its simply wonderful and very untouristy.
One final, but wonderful Bernini sculpture is the infamous Ecstasy of St Teresa in Santa Maria della Vittoria.
Shopping
Campo de Fiori Market may be touristy but for seasonal fruit and veg (or just for taking great pictures) it can’t really be beaten.
Head to Via Condotti for crazy overthetop designer gear as well as the rest of Tridente
The streets around the Spanish Steps have several branches of Furla (rammed with English bargain hunters). Each has slightly different stock so worth exploring
Via Governo del Vecchio for wonderful boutiquey shops mixed in with carpenters and antique stores, head inside the independent fashion doorways and say ciao to your credit card
Wonderful food store Castroni at Via Cola di Rienzo and Volpetti on Via Marmorata which is supposed to be even better
Places to eat and drink
Della Palma
There’s ice cream and there’s ice cream and then there’s Della Palma. Nothing can prepare you for the variety, the quality and the sensory overload of a visit to this, surely the best frozen dessert venue in the world. Ok, the place looks cheesy, but fight your way through the gawping crowd to thousands of flavours divided into fruit-based, cream-based, chocolate-based and even texture-based ice cream. A scoop of sesame honey will leave you reeling and dreaming of more.
Via della Maddalena (north of the Pantheon)
San Crispino
Considered the gourmet ice cream option. No cones here as that would distract from the pure flavour of ice creams made fresh and seasonal every morning. Despite this, the small selection, corridor shop doesn’t zing with the delight of Della Palma, so try it for variety, but if you’re only in town for one, make head towards the Pantheon.
Via della Panetteria
Sora Margherita
No name on the outside, six or eight tables inside and a stroppy Signora but what brings people here is the food. Roman cuisine is actually Jewish cuisine, and this hole in the wall is supposed to offer the best of them all. Make sure you book (and make sure you either speak Italian or know your days of the week as I booked for a Sunday and was told they had me down for the day before). Its reputation is enormous which is funny when you see the place, but for a chaotic hearty Sunday lunch its unrivalled.
Piazza delle Cinque Scole 30
Bar at the De Russie
Have a Bellini in the gardens of this glamorous hotel for a touch of the fabulous on your Roman Holiday. Particularly good if the exhaustion of Tridente shopping has taken its toll.
Via del Babuino 9
Shaki
This trendy little restaurant and bar doesn’t looks more Milanese cool than Roman traditional from the outside, but the food is simply great for a fresh panini or salad at an outside table, and there’s something quite snug about the little downstairs bar. Well located for some boutique shopping on Via del Governo Vecchio.
Via del Governo Vecchio 123
Gusto/Osteria della Frezza
Just brilliant. This isn’t one restaurant but a set of three or four, all attached and run by the same owner but offering different options for different times and culinary moods. At the back you have a really great wine bar downstairs – evenings there are just Italian buffet bites laid out to help yourself along with a great atmosphere, brilliant wines and even live music. Also down here is a cheese room where platters of bites of Italian cheeses are laid out with dipping pots of honey and accompaniments. Upstairs experience Italian taps with fritti and spaghettis as full portions or tasters. Round the other side there is a big pizza and salad bar downstairs and the more formal restaurant upstairs and next door a great little book and kitchen shop with small counters piled high with utensils and cookware. It may not be the old-style Roman trattoria, but its all the better for it, and despite its modernity, the wooden tables and great lighting give it atmosphere in droves.
Piazza Augusto Imperatore 9, Via della Frezza 16
Matricianella
For a good reliable Roman trat, Matricianella is a safe bet. Food is tasty, location is lovely (particularly if you can sit outside on a warm evening) and the place is usually buzzing. As with all these options, make sure to book.
Via del Leone 3-4
Hosteria del Pesce
This is a cool place that manages to mix the dark wood tables and floors of old style eating with the great lighting and other touches of modern Italy. Rammed with the sceney crowd, pictures of Francis Ford Coppola at the entrance and an enormous display of fresh fish it’s the where the Italian It Crowd come to dine. The food isn’t by any means cheap, but boy is it good. Antipasti and pasta left no room for mains so do what the locals do and order just one course at a time.
Via di Monserrato 32
Other restaurants that have a good reputation:
Trattoria Monti
Renato e Luisa
Pizzerias that have been recommended:
Dar Poeta
Da Giggetto
Da Augusto, Piazza de’ Renzi
Da Enzo, Via dei Vascellari 29
No name on the outside, six or eight tables inside and a stroppy Signora but what brings people here is the food. Roman cuisine is actually Jewish cuisine, and this hole in the wall is supposed to offer the best of them all. Make sure you book (and make sure you either speak Italian or know your days of the week as I booked for a Sunday and was told they had me down for the day before). Its reputation is enormous which is funny when you see the place, but for a chaotic hearty Sunday lunch its unrivalled.
Piazza delle Cinque Scole 30
Bar at the De Russie
Have a Bellini in the gardens of this glamorous hotel for a touch of the fabulous on your Roman Holiday. Particularly good if the exhaustion of Tridente shopping has taken its toll.
Via del Babuino 9
Shaki
This trendy little restaurant and bar doesn’t looks more Milanese cool than Roman traditional from the outside, but the food is simply great for a fresh panini or salad at an outside table, and there’s something quite snug about the little downstairs bar. Well located for some boutique shopping on Via del Governo Vecchio.
Via del Governo Vecchio 123
Gusto/Osteria della Frezza
Just brilliant. This isn’t one restaurant but a set of three or four, all attached and run by the same owner but offering different options for different times and culinary moods. At the back you have a really great wine bar downstairs – evenings there are just Italian buffet bites laid out to help yourself along with a great atmosphere, brilliant wines and even live music. Also down here is a cheese room where platters of bites of Italian cheeses are laid out with dipping pots of honey and accompaniments. Upstairs experience Italian taps with fritti and spaghettis as full portions or tasters. Round the other side there is a big pizza and salad bar downstairs and the more formal restaurant upstairs and next door a great little book and kitchen shop with small counters piled high with utensils and cookware. It may not be the old-style Roman trattoria, but its all the better for it, and despite its modernity, the wooden tables and great lighting give it atmosphere in droves.
Piazza Augusto Imperatore 9, Via della Frezza 16
Matricianella
For a good reliable Roman trat, Matricianella is a safe bet. Food is tasty, location is lovely (particularly if you can sit outside on a warm evening) and the place is usually buzzing. As with all these options, make sure to book.
Via del Leone 3-4
Hosteria del Pesce
This is a cool place that manages to mix the dark wood tables and floors of old style eating with the great lighting and other touches of modern Italy. Rammed with the sceney crowd, pictures of Francis Ford Coppola at the entrance and an enormous display of fresh fish it’s the where the Italian It Crowd come to dine. The food isn’t by any means cheap, but boy is it good. Antipasti and pasta left no room for mains so do what the locals do and order just one course at a time.
Via di Monserrato 32
Other restaurants that have a good reputation:
Trattoria Monti
Renato e Luisa
Pizzerias that have been recommended:
Dar Poeta
Da Giggetto
Da Augusto, Piazza de’ Renzi
Da Enzo, Via dei Vascellari 29
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