Don’t trust the shortlists on the best places to visit in Rome. (Or at least don’t believe that they can be exhaustive.) The Italian capital is far too big and too beautiful to be locked into a round-up of highlights. To truly sum up the best of the Eternal City, thousands of words would be needed — and still, these pages would cause arguments and people would furiously claim we’ve missed one particular gem or 1,000.
So trying to summarise Rome is not my intent: it is a city in which I lived for a few years and from which I carry many unforgettable experiences. What I can do is tell you about the places in Rome where my heart lies. These are the ones I always return to when visiting the city for business or pleasure. Each time they offer me something new.
Roscioli is probably my favourite place in Rome. It looks like a simple delicatessen with a kitchen, but it’s so much more. The concept is similar to my own company, Eataly, as it offers both Italian products and dining. There’s a little restaurant, a little wine bar . . . I love having an aperitivo in the room behind the cafeteria. A good glass of wine with some of the best products from their counters — cured hams, cheese, anchovies and fried food — can’t be topped.