Milan is unquestionably Italy’s business capital but Rome is — equally unquestionably — a far more scenic place to do business. Your only difficulty, in fact, may be focusing on clinching your deal with the splendour of the Eternal City all around you.
Rome’s historic centre is compact and sight-packed, making catching culture between appointments so much easier. A stroll, for example, across the Capitoline, through the Roman Forum, up on to the Palatine Hill and down the other side to the Colosseum can be done comfortably in an hour — an overview of the hub of the Roman Empire between meetings.
And if some of the city’s major attractions involve pre-booking (the Galleria Borghese, with its fantastic Bernini sculptures and Old Master paintings) or endless queues (the Vatican museums), many more can be accessed at any moment. But even without entering a single gallery, Rome is an experience in itself: just pull up a seat at a pavement café table (remembering, of course, that sitting down will push your bill up significantly) and watch the spectacle of the city rush by.
Where to stay
In style: At the top of the Spanish Steps, the Hassler Roma (Piazza Trinità dei Monti 6, +39 06 699 340, hotelhassler.com) has been owned by the Wirth family since 1939 and has personal touches that big chains find hard to provide. The 95 bedrooms are individually decorated, the public areas elegantly welcoming. The sixth-floor restaurant received its first Michelin star this year and offers simply spectacular views.
The Ferragamo group’s Portrait Suites (Via Bocca di Leone 23, +39 06 6938 0742, lungarnohotels.com) — in the heart of the fashion district — has a pared-back 1950s feel, with rooms decorated in neutral tones and black-and-white photos from Salvatore Ferragamo’s atelier on the walls. The bathrooms have lashings of marble, and the roof terrace overlooks the city.
On a budget: Budget is a relative concept in Rome, where anything cheap is likely to also be nasty. So move a trifle upmarket and plump for the delicious townhouse Casa Montani (Piazzale Flaminio 9, +39 06 3250 4117, casamontani.com) which has five lovely double rooms and suites. A sumptuous breakfast is served in rooms, and WiFi is free.
The two Daphne Inns (+39 06 8745 0087, daphne-rome.com) — one close to the Trevi Fountain and the other off via Veneto — are just what one wants from a B&B. They’re light-filled and very stylish indeed. There are also cheaper rooms without private bathrooms. Prices include internet use and a great breakfast.
Where to eat
In style: Il Pagliaccio (Via dei Banchi Vecchi 129, + 39 06 6880 9595, ristoranteilpagliaccio.it) gained its second Michelin star in 2009 and you can taste why. Chef Anthony Genovese and pastry chef Marion Lichtle whip up exquisite delights, such as venison cooked in tamarind, served with onions in coffee and thin potato and apple chips.
Alfonso Iaccarino is best known for his Don Alfonso restaurant above the Amalfi Coast, and his Roman Michelin-starred offshoot baby (Via Ulisse Aldrovandi 15, +39 06 321 6126, aldrovandi.com) serves the same produce from his own organic farms transformed into similarly exquisite dishes.
On a budget: By lively campo de’ Fiori, Ditirambo (Piazza della Cancelleria 74, +39 06 687 1626, ristoranteditirambo.it) is wildly popular so remember to book, especially if you want to observe the passing night-owls from one of the few pavement tables. The cooking twists traditional Italian with creative flair, to produce dishes such as risotto with Prosecco and asparagus tips, or stewed lamb osso buco with an artichoke and potato tart.
Matricianella (Via del Leone 4, +39 06 683 2100, matricianella.it) serves its very good, very Roman fare with no frills at all: just traditional home-cooking with an emphasis on deep-frying and offal which are so much a part of the city’s culinary heritage. A fry-up of lightly battered vegetables is a good way to replace lost calories, and the tonarelli cacio e pepe (pasta with ewe’s milk cheese and pepper) is a triumph.
Doing business
Rome’s reputation as a place of four-hour lunches interspersed with jovial penpushing no longer applies. Well… rarely. Romans do, however, appreciate talking shop in pleasant surroundings, so expect to be wined and dined as you work. Some locals still have a fairly lax attitude towards punctuality, but few are anything other than impeccably dressed, even in the heat of summer.
Many firms have uffici di rappresentanza in glorious palazzi in the historic centre. Others are in the EUR business district, a striking set piece of Fascist town planning some miles south of the city. Public transport connections with EUR are good, and a taxi takes just 20 minutes if traffic isn’t too bad. If you’re looking for atmosphere, however, ensure you stay in the centro.
Downtime
Keeping fit: As a rule, Romans prefer to watch sport (ie football) rather than do it, but those who wish to jog in company will find running mates in the long stretch of green by the ancient Baths of Caracalla in Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, or anywhere at all in the delightful Villa Borghese park.
Lunch hour: Romans grab lunch in the most unlikely places, from the corner grocer (alimentari) who will fill a roll with anything you like from the deli counter, to a new generation of stand-up eateries such as the Antico Forno Roscioli (Via dei Chiavari 34, +39 06 686 4045, anticofornoroscioli.com), which
is a bakery with one counter serving a pasta dish or two to eat on the hoof at lunchtime.
After your quick bite, you could opt to pop in to any of the centro’s innumerable galleries, including the Galleria Doria Pamphilj (Via del Corso 305, +39 06 679 7323, doriapamphilj.it) with its collection of Old Masters in a sumptuously aristocratic setting. If the weather is fine, enjoy it by taking the lift to the very top of the Vittoriano monument in Piazza Venezia for a breathtaking bird’s-eye view over the whole of Rome and far beyond.
Overnight stop: Rome’s sunsets are something to behold, so begin your evening in the Eternal City by making sure you’re at a good vantage point at the right time: the top of the Spanish Steps is a good one, as is the Pincio balcony in the park above Piazza del Popolo. To enjoy the spectacle with glass in hand, see it from the top-floor bar in Hotel Eden (via Ludovisi 49, +39 6 478 121, lemeridien.com/eden). There’s a cosmopolitan buzz around Campo de’ Fiori and in the Trastevere district of an evening, and both these areas are great for a stroll though be warned: both begin to look seedy as the night wears on.
Weekend: As Rome hots up, the beach begins to look like a good weekend option. The nearest patch of sea at Ostia
is far from inviting, so hop on a north-bound train to the beach resorts of Santa Severa (59 minutes) or Santa Marinella (65 minutes). The former, on the site of the Etruscan port of Pyrgi, has ruins to visit and a charming little archeological museum (museosantasevera.org) inside the squat Castello Orsini, which resembles a sandcastle sitting at the end of a long stretch of yellow sand, and is much frequented by relaxing Romans.
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