Hotelier Valentina De Santis’s personal Rome

This article is part of a guide to Rome from FT Globetrotter

As a third-generation Italian hotelier, I am often asked for Italian-approved, insider travel recommendations. There are some destinations that are particularly special to me, and Rome is one of those places. As the capital is centrally located in Italy, time and time again I find myself there, reconnecting with friends from near and far over delicious food, beautiful sights and excellent shopping — all Italian essentials.

Below are my favourite places to experience true Italian hospitality in the heart of the country.

Where to eat

Al Pompiere, in the Jewish Ghetto, is one of those old-world places where very little has changed in decades — and here that’s a good thing. It’s up a flight of stairs, with lovely high-ceilinged old dining rooms and a menu of classic Roman dishes. The tagliolini al limone is decadent and delicious, and the carfiofi all giudia (fried artichokes) are my favourite ones in town. Nicoletta Monteferri, the owner, is present for almost every seating, and guests are truly made to feel special.

A lunch in trattoria Da Enzo al 29, in the heart of Trastevere, is another must. You can’t reserve a table, so waiting in the queue is mandatory (it usually takes around half an hour to score a table) — but the food is worth it. Delicious Roman dishes such as cacio e pepe (spaghetti with cheese and pepper) are seasoned with the cheerfulness of the Di Felice family and served atop rustic paper tablecloths. At lunch, you’ll see a wide variety of people here, from bricklayers to Roman celebrities.

The best amatriciana and carbonara are served at the tables just next to the deli counter of Roscioli, an eatery and shop located a couple of minutes from Campo de’ Fiori, where you can buy salumi, cheese and Roman delicacies. Though if you’re in that part of town in the morning, head next door to Roscioli Caffè for the capital’s best maritozzi con panna (Italian cream buns) — a decadent Roman breakfast.

For nibbles that you’ll never forget, go to Forno Campo dei Fiori and order the “queen” of any Roman bakery, pizza bianca, adding mortadella like locals do, or Seu near Porta Portese for pizza tonda al piatto (round pizza on a plate). Roman pizza differs from its Neapolitan sibling. While the latter is soft and airy, pizza romana is thin and crunchy.

Where to drink

I recently visited Antica Latteria, a chic new bar just off Piazza Farnese that has become my new favourite place for an aperitivo. Lorenzo, the bartender, really knows what he is doing; his Negroni is a masterclass. Though I prefer the delicious and elegant Campari Shakerato, served in a tiny cocktail class. It consists of just one ingredient — Campari — which is simply shaken over ice and served.

Oenophiles will enjoy Il Goccetto, a great wine bar for pours by the glass and small plates, such as little mozzarellas with preserved vegetables, and tielle, which are traditional savoury pies from Gaeta. The fun spills out into the street on busy warm nights, and in winter it’s wonderfully cosy. They completed a clever renovation a few years ago, spiffing things up without changing any of the super-traditional tables, bar or shelves, so it’s maintained its original charm.

Where to go

I love going for long walks in the Villa Doria Pamphilj, the largest landscaped public park in Rome. The far section, over the Via Leone XIII, is wooded and feels a world away from the bustle of the city. I also love walking up the Aventine Hill, to the Basilica of Santa Sabina and the Giardino degli Aranci — early on a Sunday morning it’s so quiet, and offers amazing panoramic views of nearly the whole city from its terrace. On the way down, going past the Circus Maximus, you can stop at the Campagna Amica food market, which takes places every Saturday and Sunday. The vendors are all local and regional producers, and you can find delicious cheese, salumi, lentils, oils, and wines that are super-specific to the Lazio region.

Then, of course, there are the most traditional places, like Via dei Fori Imperiali, a real open-air museum, which I suggest you visit at sunset, to take in the unique Roman light, or the tiny streets of Trastevere with the scent of wisteria at the start of spring.

Museums and galleries to visit

For a museum without endless lines, head to Centrale Montemartini, an ancient sculpture museum in a former power plant along the Via Ostiense. Here, white marble Roman statues flirt with the machineries of the old thermoelectric power, in a surreal setting both industrial and archeological.

Close to Campo de’ Fiori, Galleria Spada is worth a visit: its Giardino Segreto (secret garden) features one of the most spectacular Baroque artifices in Rome, the illusionistic Colonnata (or Prospettiva) created in 1653 by Francesco Borromini for the Cardinal Bernardino Spada.

While there’s ancient beauty everywhere in Rome, the contemporary art scene is becoming more interesting too.

The Galleria d’Arte Moderna (GAM), close to Villa Borgehese, offers wonderful exhibitions and has a fantastic collection of modern art, but I particularly love to hop into lesser-known art galleries. Lorcan O’Neill always has something good on at his gallery near Piazza Benedetto Cairoli, and Mattia De Luca often shows emerging Italian artists at his space on Piazza Campitelli.

One of the newest art spaces is FOROF, which was opened last winter by Alda Fendi’s daughter Giovanna Caruso Fendi, in the Palazzo Roccagiovine, next to the Trajan Forum, where Alda used to have her eponymous foundation. The subterranean level is an actual excavation site, with pieces of mosaic and old columns lying about; now it’s this incredible experimental space where provocative contemporary art is put in dialogue with archaeology and ancient Rome. There’s really nowhere else like it in the world.

Where to shop

Antica Libreria Cascianelli, just around the corner from Piazza Navona, is an Aladdin’s cave of rare old books, prints, artworks, postcards, textiles and more. It’s lined with beautiful antique bookcases that are filled with treasures. You have to be ready to linger and dig, because it is all a bit of a lovely jumble. But that’s the whole point and the pleasure.

Schostal, on Via della Fontanella di Borghese, is one of those classic places where tutta Roma bene take their sons and daughters for shirts, socks and most of all, pyjamas. They make the best, softest and most comfortable cotton pyjamas and night shirts, in checks, stripes and solids. I like to stock up on the cashmere socks with contrast toe and heels for my husband and son; the colours are fabulous, and at very good prices for excellent quality.

A couple of doors down from Schostal is L. G. R, where Luca Gnecchi Ruscone sells his select line of glasses and sunglasses. They are inspired by Eritrea, where his grandfather was a famous industrialist. The quality is exceptional, and Luca uses only mineral glass, never plastic, for the lenses. Everything is made in Italy, many pieces at the tiny Neapolitan factory that originally produced them in the 1960s for his grandfather.

These days it’s famous, but Chez Dede, located inside Palazzo Antonelli Capponi, in the posh neighbourhood of Rione Regola, is still a must-visit because it’s so unique. It’s arranged almost as though it’s someone’s chic home, and offers a mix of art, furniture, home goods, books and jewellery, as well as the stylish clothing and bags that owners Daria Reina and Andrea Ferolla design themselves.

Last but not least, Giuliva Heritage is the place to go for stylish clothing for both men and women. Timeless pieces, such as blazers, shirts and trousers, are made in high-quality fabrics made with traditional techniques.

Valentina De Santis is the CEO and owner of Grand Hotel Tremezzo and the recently opened Passalacqua in Lake Como

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