If you have just one night in Rome, visiting Central Rome is essential.
This post picks up from my last post on Rome where we spent the greater part of the day exploring the Vatican. After lingering over wood fired pizza and a half carafe of wine, we explored Central Rome on a self-guided walking tour took us past the ancient of Castel Sant’Angelo and through the trendy of the Triangle of Fun, Rome’s hipster district. Here we got lost among the labyrinth of alleys filled with restaurants, bars, gelaterias, and boutiques (stopping in a few to buy souvenirs).
We made notes on where we were coming back for dinner over a gelato at Frigidarium, arguably the best gelato we ate in all of Italy. (Yes, we just ate lunch. Don’t judge. We were on vacation.) The ingredients came alive more than any other gelato we sampled (read – devoured) in Italy. The fruit in mine tasted fresher with large chunks adding extra bursts of flavor throughout.
Travel Tip – If you want to follow our footsteps, check out Frommer’s Rome Day by Day! Frommer’s does an excellent job of highlighting neighborhood walking tours like the one we did through Central Rome.
Frigidarium Gellateria at Night – A Roman Hot Spot
Piazza Navona
Our walking tour led us into Piazza Navona where we took in the Fountain of Neptune with the mythological god engaged in a fierce battle and Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers. We paused to imagine what the square might have looked like in medieval times when it was used as a place of competition for agones (athletic warriors). It’s easy to spend a few hours in this square splashing in the fountains and visiting the churches. We popped into Sant’Agnese where there is a reliquary holding the chimpanzee sized head of Saint Agnes who was myrtered here in the 4th century and Sant’Agostino which is filled with paintings by Raphael and Caravaggio.
Piazza Navona in Rome Italy
The Pantheon
We wrapped up this walking tour around dusk at the Pantheon. I found the Pantheon to be very intriguing. It’s the most well-preserved of all Roman buildings and has been in constant use since it was built in 14 BC. We didn’t opt for the audio tour but wish we would have. Our guidebook gave us some information, but not enough. The ancient building which was converted into a church in the 7th century has so much history that we missed out on.
Travel Tip: The Pantheon can get crazy busy. Get their early or late. The crowds were easily manageable during our early evening arrival.
Be Sure to Take in the Pantheon at Night
Travel Tip: Why pay for an audio tour when you can pre-load your smart phone with Rick Steve’s narrations. He may be hokey, but I find him entertaining and informative.
Dinner! Oh my gosh, the dinner!
We originally made reservations for a restaurant found on TripAdvisor in the Triangle of Fun. When we arrived, the place was deserted. This was in a neighborhood where most restaurants had lines out the door. TripAdvisor mislead us. Going on instinct, we looked at a few menus before deciding on Cybo. Our trip had been filled with traditional Italian fare thus far, and we were craving a more modern touch. Cybo did not disappoint. We grabbed a sidewalk table and enjoyed what could easily be labelled as one of our best meals in Italy. If you are in Rome, you must eat here.
Travel Tip: Sometimes you have to ignore the reviews sites and blogs when picking out a restaurant and just go with your gut. We did that for both meals on our second day in Rome and were not disappointed.
Let me tease you a little – octopus Carpaccio with shaved fennel that is as fresh as it sounds. Eggplant with mozzarella and parmesan fondue that melted in your mouth. Grilled veal chops with balsamic glaze and grilled parmesan. Yeah, you heard me right. Grilled parmesan. Think of the salty goodness of parmesan with a crisp crunch on top of perfectly seasoned and cooked veal. The balsamic was a much needed binding factor with its sweet and acidic touches marrying the richness of the meat and the sharpness of the cheese. We ended the meal with grappa selected by our waiter – a sweet grappa for her and a 20 year aged for me.
I know what you’re thinking. Grappa? Doesn’t that taste like rubbing alcohol and sting like moonshine? Not at all. Mine drank like a fine scotch and hers highlight the sweeter nuances of the grape like a flavored vodka for adults. The high octane spirits helped warm our souls on the brisk Roman evening in early spring. We toasted a good second day in Rome.
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What amazing eats have you found by going with your instincts?
The post Visiting Central Rome and the Best Meal We Ate in Italy appeared first on The Wandering Gourmand.