After Florence, Rome was the second place on my itinerary that I had already visited. I loved the city the first time, and wanted to see even more. For this visit, I had one “tour” booked: a truffle-hunting Airbnb Experience. Otherwise, I simply planned to walk around the city, eat and drink.

Getting to Rome

First, I needed to return the rental car. While I had successfully mastered driving in Tuscany, driving in Rome was a completely different matter. Everyone I spoke to said one thing: DON’T DRIVE IN ROME. I listened.

I opted to drop the rental car off at Fiumicino airport rather than in the city, closer to my Airbnb. One of the many reasons that driving in Rome is inadvisable for visitors is because the city has instituted ZTL (Zona Traffico Limitato) areas, where drivers are automatically issued steep fines if they enter without a permit. I knew it was easy enough to take the Leonardo Express to Roma Termini station, so I planned to train it from the airport, then take a taxi to my apartment (Uber is illegal in Italy). All worked as planned, and I even found a gas station right before the airport. Woohoo for small wins.

My Apartment in Trastevere

The first time I visited Rome I stayed in the gilded St. Regis. The hotel had been undergoing renovations at the time, the decor was too stuffy for my taste and I didn’t love the location, so I wouldn’t be returning there any time soon. For this visit, I opted to get an apartment in Trastevere, a charming, bohemian neighborhood with a thriving nightlife scene.

The place was great for the most part. While it didn’t get a lot of natural light, the high ceilings and stylish design made it feel bright and airy. The location was excellent – I could walk right out of the building and be in the thick of everything in Trastevere, but the apartment was remarkably quiet. My biggest complaint was the bed – the sheets were cheap, scratchy and didn’t fit the mattress well. The pillows were too bulky and stiff. Oh well, you can’t win them all.

Night One: Drinking & Eating

No big plans for my first night in Rome. My brother had given me a list of bars to visit (he was well-acquainted with the city’s cocktail bar scene and expertly showed me around during my last visit).

First stop: Barnum Cafe. While it wasn’t winning any awards for world’s best bar, the café/bar had a relaxed vibe, and my brother was friends with the head bartender. I hoped that I could introduce myself to Matt and at least get some recommendations for the rest of my visit. The Matt connection turned out to be even better than expected. Friendly, welcoming, easy to talk to, Matt made me feel right at home. One drink turned into two, while he gave me a long list of bars and restaurants to check out and he even invited me to his birthday party at the bar the following evening. Look at me – I had only been in Rome for a few hours and I already had a birthday party to attend!

Second stop: VyTA. I was on a mission to stuff myself with cacio e pepe and found this place on a list of best restaurants in Rome for the simple yet delicious cheese and pepper pasta. I didn’t realize VyTA was a local chain, and once I walked in, it felt like an Italian version of let’s say, Hillstone. This wasn’t a bad thing, as I happen to love Hillstone (best veggie burger in the world, hands down). However, the place was dead. In its defense, the cacio e pepe was quite good – I just felt awkward sitting in the massive restaurant nearly alone. Plus, I was in Italy, There were countless trattorias that served excellent cacio e pepe with an abundance of charm (and crowds).

Third stop: La Punta Expendio de Agave. This Mexican bar/restaurant was a 10 minute walk from my apartment, so I figured it was a good place to end the evening with a nightcap. The establishment was opened by the people behind the relaxed hipster “street cocktail bar” Freni e Frizoni (it literally spills out on to the street and is worth the hype – definitely go) and the pretentious speakeasy Jerry Thomas Project (over-hyped – take a pass).

As I sipped my cocktail I started chatting with the American expat a couple seats away from me. He was nice, and it was interesting to hear his stories about living in Rome, but he skewed a little too far on the nerd spectrum for me (sorry if that was mean – I do love nerds). After a drink I paid my bill and headed back to my Roman apartment for the night.

Day/Night Two: Exploring, More Drinking & Eating

Despite the less than ideal bed situation mentioned previously, I slept well and was ready for my one full day in the city of Rome. I planned to start with a run around the Villa Doria Pamphili, a huge park (with a villa) uphill from Trastevere. It was a gorgeous park with lots of trails, but also easy to get lost in. I was able to get a good run in, but didn’t have the chance to take any pictures because, well, I was running. When I finally spotted an exit from the park gates, I took it because I wasn’t sure when I’d find another one.

After a shower, I headed out for lunch and ended up at Nannarello. It obviously catered to tourists, but it was a quick walk from my apartment and had shaded outdoor seating available. Most tables were taken and the crowd was lively – I was not looking for a repeat of the previous night’s awkward solo meal.

I wandered some more in an effort to combat my food coma, then decided it was time to start drinking again (as in, again after the wine I had at lunch). According to my brother, Drink Kong was the new hot bar in town, and it was high on my list of places to check out. I figured that going early would give me the best opportunity to chat with the staff before it got busy. Jonathan told me that Patrick Pistolesi was the guy to find (an alumnus of Jerry Thomas Project, Patrick opened Drink Kong in 2018, almost a year prior to my visit).

It definitely wasn’t busy at 6:30pm. I took a seat at the bar and reviewed the menu – mostly variations of classic cocktails all classified by color (unrelated to the shade of the drink, the color was meant to reflect the “mood” of the cocktail). I ordered a clarified Negroni (I don’t recall what color it was on the menu). The bartender certainly wasn’t rude, but he wasn’t especially nice either, and he didn’t offer any of the hospitality I was hoping for in a new bar vying for a place in the World’s 50 Best. I asked a few basic questions in an effort to get the conversation started, but he didn’t want to bite. Okay, fine. I’d enjoy my cocktail in silence (it was a well-made drink, for the record).

Except I wasn’t in silence for long. First, I had the pleasure of listening to a long, self-involved, near-monologue from a man whom I quickly gathered to be Patrick. I believe it was in fact an interview, in which the whole point was for him to talk about himself, but I still found his self-promoting vibe off-putting.

Then Patrick had a networking meetup with another prominent European bar owner. I’m embarrassed to admit that while I had never met the guy, I immediately determined who he was based on my extensive history frequenting high-end cocktail bars – I blame Jonathan for that. Guess my strategy of arriving early had backfired. The staff was disinterested and Patrick was busy with marketing affairs.

I’ve determined that the drinks were good and the hospitality was shit, so let’s move on. The bar aesthetic was a Japanese/80s mishmash, which I enjoyed. It had several spread-out rooms, making it feel intimate yet spacious. The large windows in front let in plenty of light and provided a breezy indoor/outdoor vibe.

A few months later, Drink Kong won the Campari One to Watch award at the Worlds 50 Best Bars ceremony. I read this interview and wanted to barf at points.

Anyway, let’s move on. I had a birthday party to attend!

I ran back to my apartment, changed and headed back out on the town. The ambiance at Barnum was the complete opposite of Drink Kong – warm, lively, welcoming. Matt spotted me, led me to a seat at the bar and got me a drink on the house. And no, he was not trying to hit on me. He was talking animatedly with another girl, so I let him do his thing while I enjoyed the live music.

Sadly, I needed to leave after a couple drinks because I had reservations at Retrobottega, a Matt recommendation. It wasn’t at all a traditional Roman dining experience; instead, it was a fine dining restaurant with a tasting menu, wine pairings and a communal chef’s table. I figured it couldn’t hurt to mix things up for a night, and I liked the idea of being stuck at a table with other diners. Hopefully they would be friendly and interesting dinner companions.

Fortunately, I ended up at a table of Aussies (two separate couples). I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I (almost) always love meeting travelers from Australia. Dinner at Retrobottega was not the exception.

After wine with lunch, drinks at Drink Kong, more drinks at Barnum and wine pairings at Retrobottega, I was a little buzzed, but I felt fine to walk home even though I didn’t know exactly where I was going. That’s what Google Maps was for, right?

Well, I apparently didn’t do a very good job looking like I knew what I was doing. Before long, a guy approached me. “Are you lost?” Um, no. I wasn’t going to talk to a stranger and besides that, I didn’t need any help.

Then I looked up. Wait, this guy was actually pretty cute. Twinkling eyes, chiseled cheekbones, wide smile, disheveled mop of curly hair, irresistible accent.

“Do you want me to walk with you for a little bit?” he asked me. Well, maybe, but I wasn’t about to tell a stranger where I was going. “Why don’t we have a drink?” he offered. Hmm. As long as we were staying in a public place, I could be convinced to hang out a bit longer.

He suggested that we go to Club Derrière, which piqued my interest further. Jonathan and I spent our last night in Rome in 2017 at the speakeasy, and it had been the most fun bar on our trip, hands-down. Lively atmosphere, great hospitality, fun music – overall, it was a scene that encouraged guests to mingle vs. hiding in their separate corners.

My second visit to Club Derrière was a bit different. It was dead. The hospitality was still on point, however. I ranted to the bartender about my experience at Drink Kong, which I’m sure he found amusing.

I also got to know my new friend from the street. His name was Francesco – Frankie for short – he lived in Rome, but was originally from Sicily, and now split his time between Rome, Milan and London. He owned a sound production company, was divorced (no kids) and described his lifestyle as nomadic. Well, I could relate to that last part.

After a drink, Frankie insisted on taking me home. I still regarded this stranger from the street dubiously, but agreed to share a taxi so that he could drop me off on his way back to his apartment. He wasn’t going to murder me in a taxi, right?

Spoiler: I made it home safely and lived to tell the story.

Day Three: Truffle Hunting

For my final day in Rome, I opted to get out of the city for a truffle hunting experience. I know everyone is sick of truffles by now, but let’s be honest – despite the hype, they still taste good, and who wouldn’t want to go on a nonviolent hunt through the Italian countryside for morsels of deliciousness?

Step one was taking the train to Bracciano. Fun fact: Odescalchi Castle on Lake Bracciano has been the site for numerous celebrity weddings, including the auspicious nuptials of Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise.

Our crew met at the train station and we drove out to the countryside. We were joined by two adorable dogs, Uzi and Julietta.

I was happy to be in nature, but slightly disappointed to learn that the dogs would be doing 99% of the truffle-hunting work. The rest of us were just there to watch and enjoy.

After our truffle hunt, we got back in the cars to head to Matteo’s house for a lunch homemade by his family.

Lunch was so. much. fun. I wish I could say that we earned it after our hard work scavenging for truffles, but the credit really goes to Uzi and Julietta. Regardless, I still felt accomplished after tromping through the wilderness, and it was so cozy and happy being a guest in someone’s home. Forget everything I’ve said about hospitality in restaurants or bars – this was the real deal.

After all the food and wine, we were treated to a show by some of the other dogs. I guess they wanted their turn in the spotlight?

Eventually, it was time to call it a day and head back to the train station. I thanked Matteo and his family profusely, sucked in my stomach as best as I could and ventured back to Rome for one last night.

I did not have big plans for my final evening in Rome. I was stuffed and couldn’t imagine eating anything else, as much as I hated to miss out on cacio e pepe. I also had an 11am train to Naples the following morning, so I figured an early night wasn’t a bad idea. Upon returning to the apartment, I started packing and preparing for my future travels.

Then my phone vibrated. Frankie. We had texted a little bit, but I wasn’t expecting to see him again since he had work in Milan that day.

“Hey, what are your plans for the night?” Damn. Um, nothing? “I’m on the train back from Milan. Let’s get a drink. I’ll pick you up.” Well, I couldn’t argue with that. Having lived in NYC for the past five years, I hadn’t been picked up for a date in, well, at least five years.

I changed into a dress and a while later, Frankie arrived… on a Vespa, of course. “It’s like Roman Holiday!” he gleefully said to me. Kind of? Hopping on the back of the scooter, I held on for dear life as we zipped and zoomed through Rome at night. “Where are we going?” I asked. “It’s a surprise!” he responded. Gulp. Then we arrived at our destination: Drink Kong. I kept my opinions to myself and settled into a sofa while consulting the menu and contemplating what color I was in the mood for.

The hospitality at the bar wasn’t any better, but at least I had some company and engaging conversation. While it wasn’t going to be the quiet last night I was planning for, I wasn’t complaining. I could be a bit sleep-deprived to meet my friends in Sorrento…