Really important to be staying somewhere that most sights are walkable but more importantly that at night good restaurants, wine bars etc. are easily accessible and that you can enjoy soaking up the night time atmosphere round the Piazza Navona, the Campo di Fiori and in Trastevere.
Get a good Guide Book like Time Out Rome or Cadogan Rome
Good Web Site is www.venere.it however a lot of the hotels are in the station area and it is not really a great area and the areas around the Piazza Navona and Trastevere do not have a great number of hotels
However an alternative is to rent an apartment Rental in Rome is an excellent company www.rentalinrome.com - they have a great range of apartments at various prices and are reliable and efficient
There is also a fairly new site called www.friendlyrentals.com which has some very nice apartments, it has been recommended by friends who have used the company in other cities.
Gusto, Piazza Augusto Imperatore 9 Tel 3226273 Just near the Via del Corso is a Restaurant, Bistro, Wine Bar, and Cook Shop. Very modern, trendy, popular with great food, super staff. Restaurant requires reservations and has an excellent menu, wine list. There is also a buffet set lunch/brunch in ground floor bistro. It now has an Osteria next to the wine Bar with a reasonably priced menu the wine bar is fabulous value with free buffet of nibbles at lunch time and early evening and wines reasonably priced
Enoteco Angelo Divino ,Via Dei Balestrari 12 off Campo de Fiori this is a lovely wine bar that also does meals it is only open in the evening the owner Massimo is very knowledgeable and helpful on the wines
Glass Restaurant Vicolo del Cinque Trastevere very smart new modern restaurant with an excellent menu a different slant on dishes such as pasta with pork and ginger as a starter and different mains like guinea fowl €€
Obika (a buffalo mozzarella bar) Piazza di Firenze at the corner of Via dei Preffetti between Via dei Corso & Piazza Navona a new place very smart and modern all produce from detailed sources with tables outside the food looks good and it doesn’t just do mozzarella !!!!!!!!!!
Bramante Via della Pace 25 Tel 688039 Off Piazza Navona - Stylish, good setting for outside eating food good has a short menu but well cooked good for people watching €€
Grappolo D’Oro Piazza Cancelleria 80 just off the Campo di Fiori is very good value and an un-touristy restaurant in a very busy area. Big choice of dishes and reasonable € to €€
Fiaschetteria Beltramme Via del Croce 39 Rumoured to have been visited by Madonna and party. Very local old fashioned place in very up market shopping area good for lunch Great fun to sit at the big shared table it seems to have changed hands recently but the food is still as great as ever and the service is possibly a bit more friendly € to €€
Ivo Vio de San Francesco a Ripa 158 Trastevere excellent bustling pizza restaurant only open evenings
Maccheroni Piazza delle Coppelle good food non touristy chance of star spotting due to owner’s bodyguard brother recommended by a Roman contact
Trattoria Antonio Bassetti, 18 Via del Governo Vecchio, Nr Piazza Navona recommended as a favourite cheap and cheerful trattoria
Taverna della Scala Piazza della Scala Trastevere good setting , and food good service so-so reasonably priced for lunch €€
Vicenzo alla Lungharetta Via della Lungaretta across the Viale dei Trastevere on the other side of Trastevere where there are some bars, galleries and restaurants worth visiting. This is typical roman basic cooking there are nice tables outside €
Vineria Campo de Fiori an excellent very lively bar great during the day to sit inside and shelter from the sun very busy at night still fabulous value for wines by the glass
San Callisto Piazza San Callisto Trastevere Basic cheap local bar, it’s still cheap it’s still basic and with a real mix of clientele but worth a visit sit outside at no extra cost
Ombre Rosse Piazza San Egidio Trastevere quoted as the best bar in Rome by the Sunday Times it’s a lovely bar great all day and as a late bar with cocktails and reasonable wines plus early evening lovely free nibbles with the drinks
Friends Art Café Piazza Tribussa by the Ponte Sisto at the entrance to Trastevere it’s a trendy modern bar not the cheapest place but a good spot for a quick drink. There is a very expensive wine bar just near it, the prices there are just about made up for by the free buffet
Tremani Via Cerniai 37 Near Termini Station an amazing wine shop and bar with food, very pleasant staff wines by the glass very reasonable
Enoteca Buccone Via del Ripetta 19 Near Piazza de Popolo excellent shop with wines and food at lunchtime. The food is excellent and you can get a bottle from the shelves and have at the table for 30% surcharge
Enotecantica Via del Croce 76b great old fashioned wine bar with food and sitting outside in a very trendy street a big beer is the same price as at the bar
