Paolo Sorrentino's mesmerizing film La Grande Bellezza (The Great Beauty), which won an Oscar for best foreign-language film in 2014, sparked controversy and endless conversation about the state of the Italian capital. But one fact was indisputable: Rome, as the film's seductive backdrop, was gorgeous. This is true in every season, but especially in colder months when the tide of tourists ebbs. From outlying areas that beckon with new restaurants and bars, to the historic centre, Rome proves its beauty runs deep.
Friday
3pm - Bathing Beauty
One of the most poignant scenes in La Grande Bellezza transpires at the ruins of the Terme di Caracalla, colossal Roman baths that date from the third century. Jep's twilight encounter with an illusory giraffe amid the spectacular ruins is memorable, but no tricks are needed to make this often-overlooked site unforgettable in the light of day either. The high walls are remarkably well-preserved in parts – a terracotta-hued skeleton recalling the grandeur of this glorified gym, with mosaic floors and thermal pools flanked by museum-worthy marble sculptures. Admission, €6.
5.30pm - Gallery Hunting
Nearly two millenniums later, take a glimpse of what constitutes art in contemporary Rome by visiting a cluster of galleries near Campo de’ Fiori. Start at Galleria Varsi, dedicated to graffiti and street art that also organizes wall paintings across the city. Nearby at Dorothy Circus Gallery, the blood-red walls showcase surrealist Pop Art. Near that, a cobblestone courtyard and carved-stone fountain flank the entrance to the prestigious Galleria Lorcan O’Neill; until April 4th.
8 pm - Centocelle Chow
Rome’s traditional guanciale-laced pasta dishes – carbonara, amatriciana, gricia – are in no danger of extinction, but if more creative restaurants like Mazzo start opening, they might be. This tiny spot in the far-flung Centocelle area was opened in 2013 by a pair of talented young chefs intent on spinning Roman cuisine into delicious new territory. A highlight of a recent meal was rösti with Romanesco broccoli and pecorino, a dish overshadowed only by three succulent meatballs smothered in sweet caramelized onions. The snug space seats only about a dozen, so reservations are essential. Dinner for two, about €60.
11pm - Pigneto Party
From Centocelle, the tram back toward the city-centre stops in the night-life area of Pigneto, so finish your night there. Beer-drinkers should head to Birra Più, a bottle shop and pub with craft beers from Brewfist and Birrificio Emiliano on tap. For something stronger, seek out Co So. Cocktails & Social, pours creative concoctions like Carbonara Sour, made with pork-fat-infused vodka, egg, black pepper, lemon juice and simple syrup. Or for music, swing by Yeah! Pigneto, an unpretentious cafe where local bands and DJs often perform amid the cool vintage décor on weekends.
Saturday
10.30am - Market Choices
There were groans when the Mercato di Testaccio– one of the city’s oldest markets – was moved to a newly built complex in 2012, and for good reason. The bright, sanitized space feels more like an anonymous mall than a Roman market. For a more satisfying market experience, head to MercatoMonti, where about two dozen vendors – an upstart collective of young designers, artisans and vintage dealers – sell everything from felt fedoras and vintage sunglasses to striped sweaters and unique dresses made by local designers.
12.30pm - Prime Panini
The labyrinthine lanes of Trastevere, west of the Tiber river, are lined with dubious dining options, but hidden among them is a refreshing new exception, the closet-size cafe Pianostrada Laboratorio di Cucina. Opened last May by four women – a mother, two daughters and a friend – this piccolissimo serves homemade dishes and outstanding panini using the region’s best ingredients. For lunch, try the Pane Alici, prepared with creamy stracciatella cheese, truffled anchovies and arugula on a black, seppia-ink bun made in-house (€9).
3pm - Macro Arts
The Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Roma(Macro), housed in a former Peroni brewery, is often overshadowed by the city’s other contemporary art museum, the Maxxi – an impressive, modern structure designed by Zaha Hadid. But don’t judge a museum by its facade. Macro presents more substantive exhibitions, from provocative portraiture photography to large-scale installations, like a multicolored crocheted work by the artist Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam that served as an ersatz jungle gym for neighbourhood children in 2014. Admission, €13.50.
5pm - Sweet Stroll
A short walk from Macro are the milk-bottle-lined walls of Come il Latte, an adorable gelateria scooping some of the creamiest gelato in Rome. In contrast to many of the city’s top gelato shops, like Fatamorgana and Claudio Torcè’s Il Gelato, this artisanal gelateria, which opened in 2012, doesn’t serve scores of unusual flavours. Instead,owner Nicoletta Chiacchiari uses top-notch ingredients to improve familiar favourites, resulting in caramel seasoned with pink Himalayan salt and pistachio studded with bright-green Sicilian nuts. After indulging in a cone, walk off some of the calories on in the Quartiere Coppedè, a curious quarter of beautiful Art Nouveau palazzi whose whimsical towers and ornate facades look plucked from a fairy tale.
8.30pm - Monteverde Meal
To get to the heart of modern Roman cuisine, get out of the heart of the city. On a quiet lane in residential Monteverde, L’Osteria di Monteverde is an unassuming restaurant that gives no hint of the outstanding food inside. At a recent meal, beef tartare was a gustatory revelation after the addition of an eggy Parmigiano cream, porcini mushrooms and fried quail egg. Roasted octopus resting atop rosemary-scented borlotti beans got a boost from fresh stracciatella cheese. And spaghetti smothered with sheep’s cheese and baccalà was set aflame by a dollop of fiery nduja (spicy Calabrian sausage). Dinner for two, about €60.
11pm - Twilight Tipples
For a nightcap, cross Monteverde to Vineria Litro, a relaxed wine bar that opened in late 2013. The mirrored bar is lined with rare mezcals, so try a cocktail like the Mezsconi, which modifies the classic Negroni by swapping gin for the smoky spirit. Or take the tram back to the centre, where squirrelled away on a small piazza is No Au, a laid-back cafe serving natural wines and craft beers. Pull a wooden stool up to the bar and order a glass of Sicilian red from Occhipinti or an IPA from Birra del Borgo.
Sunday
10am - Holy House
On Sunday mornings, masses gather at St Peter’s Basilica for a glimpse of the popular Pope Francis. But far fewer congregate at the second-largest basilica, San Paolo Fuori le Mura, making this sacred site ideal for unhurried contemplation. The nave’s soaring ceilings and gilded frescoes are impressive, but hidden beyond one transept is an even finer feature: the cloister (admission, €4), a tranquil courtyard with beautiful mosaics, a trickling fountain and blooming roses for much of the year.
Noon - Power Couple
For a lesson in adaptive reuse, walk north on the main drag of the industrial Ostiense neighbourhood to Centrale Montemartini. There, a former power plant is now a museum housing ancient sculptures and artefacts from the Capitoline Museums. Most striking are the main exhibition spaces where milky-white marble sculptures stand in stark contrast to the hulking black equipment – engines, boiler and steam turbines that helped power the city in the past, repurposed as foils for art in the present. Admission, €7.50.
2pm - Pizza, Pizza
No weekend in Rome would be complete without pizza. For the thin-crust Roman style, go to Emma, a chic pizzeria that opened in the historic centre in 2014. The pizzas, so thin and light they’re nearly translucent, are made with dough from the celebrated baker Pierluigi Roscioli and with toppings from the family-owned Salumeria Roscioli nearby. For pizza al taglio (by the slice), go to Pizzarium, a take-away owned by master pizzaiolo Gabriele Bonci. Choices skew toward the unconventional, like roasted zucchini with ricotta, but they’re all delicious. Either meal will end as every Roman holiday should: with a full belly.
– The New York Times
