Rome

[dbailey]

@Sherri Shapiro

@dbailey

If you’re planning on doing some serious sight seeing in Rome then it’s definitely worth hiring a guide for the day. Our hotel recommended a young guy who was superb. He arranged rapid access to St Peters (queue otherwise is typically hours long) and made both days (first day was forum/colosseum) so much more interesting.

Dan - do you happen to have your guide’s contact info? I did arrange for a guide in Florence, as recommended in a thread in this forum by Ted Erfer.

I don’t but we booked him through the concierge at the Sofitel villa borghese so you could call and ask them.

[Sherr1_Shap1r0]

@M.Kaplan

@Sherri Shapiro

@dbailey

If you’re planning on doing some serious sight seeing in Rome then it’s definitely worth hiring a guide for the day. Our hotel recommended a young guy who was superb. He arranged rapid access to St Peters (queue otherwise is typically hours long) and made both days (first day was forum/colosseum) so much more interesting.

Dan - do you happen to have your guide’s contact info? I did arrange for a guide in Florence, as recommended in a thread in this forum by Ted Erfer.

I’m not Ted or Dan, but I’ve been using Carol and David Ross’ Sophisticated Italy for tours and other arrangements thorughout Italy for the past 15 years: http://www.sophisticateditaly.com/

The tour guides have all been excellent and have arranged custom tours for us, as we like to see off the beaten path stuff as well as the regular monument type stuff. In that time, we’ve done maybe 20 tours with them. The most recent were this past fall in Milan and Venice, where we’ve been numerous times previously and still managed to see and learn about places that we had no idea about.

In Rome, one of the benefits of having a private tour guide is entering the Vatican through the Museums before either opens to the public. Nothing quite like being alone in the Sistine Chapel.

I’ve never been disappointed following a restaurant recommendation made by Riccardo Campinoti.

Thank you, Mark!

[Marshall_Gelb]

@Riccardo Campinoti

Definitely Armando al Pantheon , Roscioli as well
Also worth trying Roscioli’s new breakfast place called Caffe’ Roscioli
For traditional also try Sora Lella

Absolutely loved Armando al Pantheon! Also very close to the Pantheon and less than 5 minutes from Armando is Osteria del Sostegno. Extremely close to your hotel is Ditirambo. I also totally agree that you need private guides for the Vatican and the Colosseum and that Trip Advisor and Viator are very helpful. In addition, there is a nice Rome thread from earlier this year but don’t remember how to link it. It even includes my gelato rankings!


Cheers!
Marshall

[Alan_Rath]

@Marshall Gelb

there is a nice Rome thread from earlier this year but don’t remember how to link it. It even includes my gelato rankings!

This one:

Rome Rest. Recommendations

[Marshall_Gelb]

@Alan Rath

@Marshall Gelb

there is a nice Rome thread from earlier this year but don’t remember how to link it. It even includes my gelato rankings!

This one:

Rome Rest. Recommendations - Travel, Wine Tourism, and Restaurants Forum - WineBerserkers

Thanks Alan…


Cheers!
Marshall

[John_W_Osgood]

Glad to hear that Armando al Pantheon is still going strong. I had an amazing lunch there that was one of the culinary highlights of my trip some time ago. Very convenient location for sightseeing.

[Dave_McCloskey]

If you can sneak off with the Mrs. for one night I highly recommend La Pergola. I went there last year and it was top drawer. The Pigeon dish we ordered was sublime and the Veal cheeks magnificent.

[Howard_Cooper]

@dbailey

If you’re planning on doing some serious sight seeing in Rome then it’s definitely worth hiring a guide for the day. Our hotel recommended a young guy who was superb. He arranged rapid access to St Peters (queue otherwise is typically hours long) and made both days (first day was forum/colosseum) so much more interesting.

We had great tours of the Vatican and Forum, etc., with these guys http://www.througheternity.com/

[Howard_Cooper]

Rome Questions

[Brent_C_l_a_y_t_o_n]

Borgo Nuovo was the pizza place in front of and across from Piazza San Pietro where my dad and I went. I enjoyed it. Pizzarium is on the other side of the Vatican and I have heard great things about it.

[Sherr1_Shap1r0]

@Howard Cooper

@dbailey

If you’re planning on doing some serious sight seeing in Rome then it’s definitely worth hiring a guide for the day. Our hotel recommended a young guy who was superb. He arranged rapid access to St Peters (queue otherwise is typically hours long) and made both days (first day was forum/colosseum) so much more interesting.

We had great tours of the Vatican and Forum, etc., with these guys http://www.througheternity.com/

Thank you, Howard.

[Craig_Pichette]

Thought I would post a status update. We are having a great time in Rome. Great dinners at Fortuna, just off the Campo del Fiori and at da Benito al Ghetto. Fortuna has a woman in the front window making pasta. My wife had a fantastic gnocchi with oxtail. Benito has the menu written on a black board and was just around the corner from the apartment we are renting. Rome Navona Campo de' Fiori Ghetto panoramic terrace views four double bedroom apartment, three bathrooms, frescoed sitting room, ample kitchen, facing the Turtle Fountain.

Everything at Benito is sous vide. Fantastic pork shank and ribs.

We did a tour of the Forum and Colloseum in the morning. In the afternoon, we toured the Domus Valentini which is an archeological site of a Roman senators house from the 4th century near Trajan’s column. Then walked around to the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. Going to the Vatican today. Pictures are on my facebook page.

[John_Liotta]

Any restaurant recommendations for Siena? We are heading there in May for a few days, only flying into Rome.

[Albert_Bouffard]

If you haven’t booked yet, feel free to PM me - my girlfriend owned a tour company in Rome for 4 years (this is what classics majors do with themselves).

[Craig_Pichette]

I will post again when I get home. Frankly, I found most of the food in Rome repetitive, uninspiring, lacking in creativity or even basic execution, tourist driven, and sort of blah. It is better than it was ten years ago though, which is some sign of improvement. That said, we didn’t seek out high end dining.

However, da Benito al Ghetto and Casa Bleve were fantastic and I would highly recommend going there. Beneto has a great staff, menu on a chalkboard, and creative food. Bleve has a fantastic space, great food (the salt crystals under a bed of mashed potatoes with beef cheeks was inspired). The staff was incredibly helpful and the wine list and recommendations were fantastic. Did I say the space was great? It is.

Craig

[Gary_York]

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