Insider Tips: This is my Rome!

"Rome is at my feet from my restaurant"

Heinz Beck from the "Cavalieri Hilton" is considered the best chef in the city.

Heinz Beck, 41, top chef at the Hilton. What a place! For me, this view of Rome is the most beautiful. In the distance I can see the Spanish Steps, where after a morning shopping in the market square Campo dei Fiori I often go to the café "Ciampini". My restaurant "Pergola" is higher than the dome of St. Peter's. When the sun goes down, the roofs of the palaces and churches shine in golden light. This is the best mealtime. Foreign guests like to book their table at this time. The Italians come later, when the city has turned into a fantastic sea of lights. I can not imagine a better job.

Further tips from Heinz Beck:

Favorite restaurant: La Rosetta al Pantheon (Via della Rosetta 8, Tel. 06/686 10 02): also a favorite pub of Roman politicians. Especially good: roast artichokes and pasta dishes. Dishes from 9 euros. Un caffè, by favore: Ciampini (Viale Trinità dei Monti 1, above the Spanish Steps): elegant coffee bar with small tarts and sandwiches. For the good: Trimani (Via Cernaia 37b, Tel. 06/446 96 30): trendy eatery, not far from the main train station. Fantastic wine selection, to small appetizers are served.

A nice walk: Before my visit to the market on Campo dei Fiori, I like to stroll through the narrow streets of Via Giulia and have breakfast in one of the many coffee bars. My Piazza: Pantheon Square (Piazza della Rotonda), one of the largest temples in Rome. Pure romance: Villa Torlonia (Via Nomentana, Nomentana district): a park where after a few minutes I switch off my mobile phone. Gelati, Gelati: Giolitti (by L. Settembrini 19/23, historical center): one of the most traditional addresses in the old town. I especially love the fruit ice cream made from pears, apples and oranges.

"Drinking a glass of wine with many friends in a piazza at night - what could be better?"

Barbara Massimo, Princess, Model and Event Organizer.

Princess Barbara Massimo, 42, at Campo dei Fiori, prefers to go to the florist. I often fly out of our huge family palace. The Palazzo Massimo is certainly one of the most beautiful historic buildings in Rome, but just another world, quiet and sometimes too quiet. All I have to do is go down Via Vittorio Emanuele, and I am already in Piazza Farnese and in the streets around this lively square. Here I also met my friend. Together we drive on the Vespa often in the orange garden on the Aventine Hill. I think there is no more romantic place in Rome, especially after dark, to kiss in the open air.

Tips from Barbara Massimo:

Favorite restaurants: L'Insalata Ricca (Largo dei Chiavari 85/86, near the Campo dei Fiori): unusual salad dishes. Pizzeria La Montecarlo (Via dei Savelli 13, Piazza Navona, Tel. 06/686 18 77): rustic with wooden tables. For these pizzas (from 8 euros) I'm even queuing up. Un caffè, per favore: All coffee bars at Campo dei Fiori! Here is the early evening, the Roman film scene. A nice walk: early in the morning through Via Giulia, lined with palazzi, not far from Campo dei Fiori. My piazza: Piazza Farnese, where it is like in the afternoon in a village square. Pure romance: lying on the tip of the Tiber Island in the late afternoon under the trees. Culture inside: Galleria Doria Pamphilj (Piazza del Collegio Romano, near Piazza Venezia, Tel. 06/679 73 23): private collection of a Roman prince. Gelati, Gelati: La Casa del Gelato (Via Emanuele Filibero 187, Esquilino, close to the main train station): This is where my grandmother went. Families often get their dessert there. Shopping: Angelo Vitti Atelier (Via Gregoriana 45/46, above the Spanish Steps, Tel. 06/678 08 20): my favorite fashion designer. Not very cheap, but totally stylish, with every customer. Max & Co. (Via dei Condotti 46 / 46a, below the Spanish Steps). Max Mara (Via Frattina 28 or Via dei Condotti 17): the finest of goods, especially for the office. Dolce notte: Gilda (Via Mario dei Fiori 97, historic center): Classy disco with lounge bar. Very hip, if you not only want to dance, but also flirt and talk. Alien (Via Velletri 13/19, Salario district): one of the best disco addresses in Rome. Audience: 30- to 40-year-olds. If guests are coming: Portoghesi (Via dei Portoghesi 1, Tel. 00 39 / 06/686 42 31): small hotel very close to Piazza Navona. DZ / F from 170 Euro.

"In front of my house lies the heart of the Roman empire"

Luciano de Crescenzo became world famous with his books on the history of the Italians.

Luciano de Crescenzo, 76, writer, at the Roman Forum, the center of ancient Rome. If I diged in my basement, I would certainly find some ancient treasure.But of course I do not, that's forbidden, so I often stroll to the Forum Romanum, sit down on the little wall at the Arch of Titus and watch the tourists who run like chickens from one monument to another without taking proper time , I have a lot of time, I go to the forums with my newspaper in the morning after the first strong espresso, look for a bank and read. Tourists should visit the forums early in the morning or before dark. Only in these hours one can imagine how mysterious this place is still. I am convinced that the spirits of Caesar, Nero and Agrippina are still haunting and making fun of us.

Tips from Luciano de Crescenzo:

Favorite Restaurant: Da Andrea (Via Sardegna 26-28, Tel. 06/474 05 57): Once a week I am at least in this family trattoria at Piazza Barberini. Specialties: fried artichokes, pasta with mussels. Dishes from 15 euros. Un caffè, by favore: Valoris Forum (Largo Corrado Ricci 30): simple bar, where local residents meet for morning rite - a hot and strong espresso and a croissant (for me the best in the Monti area) with jam. For the good: Vineria Reggio (Campo dei Fiori 15): simple wine bar in the city center. A nice walk: for almost half an hour, from my apartment in Quartier Monti to the Coliseum, on to the Arch of Constantine, and then to the Farnese Gardens, where I can read the paper in the morning. My Piazza: Piazza S. Ignazio, here I feel like in a Baroque stage decoration. Pure romance: kisses behind the bushes on the Gianicolo hill near Trastevere. Culture inside: Palazzo Braschi (Via di San Pantaleo, Tel. 06/67 10 83 16): the Roman City Museum, located directly on Piazza Navona.

"On my moped, the wind in my face, I like to spend the night in Rome"

Heidrun Schleef has been living in the Eternal City for 15 years, working mainly with filmmaker Nanni Moretti.

Heidrun Schleef, 45, electoral Romanist and Italy's best known scriptwriter, in the Testaccio district. I love the popular quarter Testaccio where I live. From the roof of my terrace I can see the ancient Roman pyramid of minerals, the Piramide Cestio, which was built by a tribune of the people after returning from Egypt. In the Testaccio I find many quaint little shops for delicacies, for wine and also for great clothes. Testaccio: These are small pizzerias and trattorias, where the mom cooks and the dad serves. With the moped I am also fast in the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, in the middle of the multicultural Esquilinoviertel, where under the archways discount shops with fantastically low prices can be found.

Tips from Heidrun Schleef:

Favorite restaurant: Trattoria di Priscilla (Via Appia Antica 68, Tel. 06/513 63 79): a place like a Dolce Vita movie, right on the oldest street in the world. The cooking is really Roman: z. B. artichokes and oxtail. Dishes from 8 euros. Un caffè, per favore: Sant 'Eustacchio (via della Scrofa 64, historical center): quaint bar with all coffees from Latin America and Africa. For the good: Enoteca Cavour 313 (Via Cavour 313, Prati, Tel. 06/678 54 96): cozy wine bar with wines from all Italian growing regions. Small dishes such as sausage slices, pasta salads. A nice walk: On the Aventine Hill, where there are silent medieval churches; after that I always look through the keyhole of the Maltese (Piazza Cavalieri di Malta): The view goes directly to the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. Culture inside: Explora (Via Flaminia 82, Flaminia district, Tel. 06/361 37 76): exciting children's museum, where children can playfully learn interesting facts. Gelati, Gelati: Le Café du Parc (Piazza Porta San Paolo, San Paolo district): Mostly I can not decide between "cremolate", fig ice with whiskey, or melon ice with port. Shopping: Mas (Piazza V. Veneto, Esquilino): Clothing goes here at the lowest discount prices over the counter. Via Nazionale: straight road that leads from the train station to the city center, with cheap boutiques and shoe shops. On the road with the Vespa: past the Cestius Pyramid to the Testaccio district or the Aventine Hill. If guests come: Casa Howard (Via Capo le Case 18 / Via Sistina 149, Tel. 00 39/06/69 92 45 55): right by the Spanish Steps, individual design rooms with lots of charm. DZ / F from 160 Euro.

"The most wonderful women live in Trastevere"

Caterer Emilio Volpetti.

Emilio Volpetti, 62, is daily at his famous delicatessen on Via Marmorata 47. Trastevere is less than 15 minutes walk from my shop. It is one of the last of the only Roman-inhabited neighborhoods, where more and more actors and other celebrities are living and prices are rising rapidly. There are also many wine bars: small and jam-packed with beautiful women. Or I drive to the Villa Borghese. Villa is called Park, and the Borghesepark is a real mini landscape with hills, a lake and a valley.

Tips from Emilio Volpetti:

Favorite restaurant: Perilli a Testaccio dal 1911 (Via Marmorata 39, Testaccio, Tel.06/574 24 15, 575 51 00): former small-people-restaurant with Roman home-style cooking, such as thick pasta with offal of sheep or knuckle with bacon. Dishes from 8 euros. Un caffè, per favore: Vezio? S (Via dei Delfini 23, at the former ghetto): coffee bar of an old Communist with posters of Lenin, Marx and Mao. For the good: Enoteca Palombi (Piazza Testaccio 38? 41, Tel. 06/574 61 22): rich wine and beer selection, rustic ambience with wooden tables and benches. A nice walk: In the Villa Doria Pamphilj, a park located in the west of the city center. Ideal for picnics. Or a stroll through the imperial forums in the city center, past those temples where Julius Caesar was worshiped like a god. My piazza: Piazza di Spagna, but only in the early morning I am here when the sun rises and I have the steps of the Spanish Steps all to myself. Pure romance: Il Bar Lo Zodiaco (Via del Parco Mellini 82, 92, Monte Mario, Tel. 06/35 49 66 40): Dream sunset, dream cocktails, of course with my dream wife. Culture: Through the Colosseum (Tel. 06/36 00 43 99) the wind whistles the story, and I always get goose bumps, when I think of the horrors that took place here - for the pleasure of thousands. Shopping: Leone Limentani (Via del Portico di Ottavia 47): a paradise for kitchen lovers! Located in the middle of the former ghetto, it goes down a few steps into the cellar and then into a huge labyrinth with halls and corridors, replete with porcelain, pots and cutlery. Gelati, Gelati: San Crispino (via della Panetteria 42, at the Trevi Fountain): Giuseppe, Pasquale and Paolo make the best ice cream in Rome, made only from fresh fruit. Dolce noche: On Monte dei Cocci, in the quarter Testaccio, one restaurant follows the other!

"Nowhere in the world are beautiful churches"

Father Damiano La Mann in St. Peter's Square.

Padre Damiano La Manna, 46, likes to go through the popular district of Monti. It's less than 15 minutes by bike, and often, after the morning mass in my church, Santa Teresa d? Avila, I drive to the Vatican in St. Peter's Square. When the pilgrims and tourists are still asleep, I am almost completely alone here. At this time, this place with the gigantic cathedral and the obelisk, in the top of which the heart of Julius Caesar should be housed, exudes a very special magic. The first rays of the sun illuminate the thick travertine columns, one after the other, and finally immerse the whole circular space in warm and soft light. Earlier, the highest faith guardian of the Catholic Church, Joseph Ratzinger (now known under the name Pope Benedict XVI.), On the square. He then went to his office, to that palace where the holy Inquisition once housed, which sent many unbelievers to the stake.

Tips from Padre Damiano la Manna:

Favorite restaurant: Checco he Carettiere (Via Benedetta 10, Trastevere, Tel. 06/580 09 85): typical Roman cuisine with handmade pasta and fresh fish dishes. Dishes from 9 euros. Un caffè, per favore: Bardel Cappuccino (Via Arenula50, historical center): I always order a "cappuccino decorato", a coffee with a frothy design. A nice walk: In the Quartier Monti: for me, the most popular district in the Roman old town with small, quaint wine bars and good ethnic restaurants. My piazza: Piazza Margana, next to the former ghetto located small square with a nice trattoria, where even Goethe should have eaten.