The Real Rome
A COUPLE OF VISITS AGO, I realized that the trick
to spending time in Rome’s beautiful Trastevere dis-
trict without feeling crushed by tourists is to hang
out in the southern part. It has the same ochre villas
and ivy-draped everything as the popular north but
is much less crowded, making it easier to access that
Italian way of life. When I’m in town I make sure to
spend an afternoon on Via di Santa Cecilia, a cobbled
lane barely wide enough for a Fiat that holds all the
reasons I love coming back to this city. –erin florio
The Art Find
Valentina Emanuele
and Maria Letizia
Zanasi Toschi oversee
Mirò Restauro, an
antique-furniture and
art-restoration bou-
tique that specializes
in midcentury-modern
side tables and Geor-
gian-era paintings.
While you’re browsing,
Maria Letizia might pop
out in a canvas apron
to chat about the
pieces that excite her
and how much it’ll cost
to ship something back
home. mirorestauro.itThe Church
Even in a city with more
than 900 churches, the
fifth-century Basilica
di Santa Cecilia,
accessed through a
peaceful patch of
green, is especially
worth seeking out.
Inside is The LastJudgment, 14th-
century painter Pietro
Cavallini’s masterwork,
one of the most famous
examples of Roman
Naturalism. benedettine
santacecilia.itThe Boutique
Given Ornella De
Falco’s sharp eye for
fine dresses, blazers,
shirts, and shoes, we
should all be grateful
her Verso Sud will
soon expand to two
full floors. The racks
are loaded with classic
Balenciaga, Missoni,
and Prada, alongside
bags, dresses, and
skirts from less familiarfectly coated, tomato-
rich amatriciana.
Dinner for two from $50;
daenzoal29.comThe Café
Before or after eating
at Da Enzo, head
across the cobble-
stones to eclectic Terra
Satis for a negroni or
a dynamite macchiato
from the baby blue
espresso machine.
If the weather is nice,
the outdoor tables
are prime spots for
people-watching on
the Piazza dei Ponziani.
Coffee for two, $6;
+39 06 9893 6909The Bar
When I lived in Rome,
there were few good
non-Italian places
to drink, but that’s
changed. Colorful
tequila den La Punta
Expendio de Agave
from the team behind
longtime Trastevere
favorite Freni e Frizioni
does excellent margari-
tas and has a solid
list of Jalisco-sourced
agaves. Drinks for two,
$15; lapuntaexpendio
deagave.comcontemporary design-
ers like the Belgians
Christian Wijnants
and Sofie D’Hoore.
+39 06 5833 3668The Osteria
Be sure to book a table
at upbeat Da Enzo if
you’re heading here for
dinner (lunch is walk-in
only, and there is often
a wait). The 91-year-
old institution’s snug,
yellow-walled dining
room is usually packed
with locals, and when
you visit you’ll see why.
Try the lightly fried zuc-
chini blossom stuffed
with gooey mozzarella,
followed by the per-far left
The Trastevere
district in Rome
left
Roman staples like
carbonara are why
to come to Da Enzo
below
The ornate nave inside
fifth-century Basilica
di Santa CeciliaVia di Santa Cecilia is everything
great about the city on one street
32 CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER APRIL 2020
PHOTOGRAPHS: ALEXANDER SPATARI/GETTY IMAGES; MILLY KENNY-RYDER; RUBENS ALARCON/ALAMY
word of mouth^ ➤^ walk this block