One of our favorite things to do in Rome is food shopping. The city is still full of old-school neighborhood groceries, historic chocolate shops, specialist stores and family-run salumerie (traditional delis specializing in cured meats), where you can find all sorts of good things from across Italy.
Some are wonderfully unassuming, the kind of local shop you might easily walk past, while others lure you in with colorful and tempting window displays. Many are places we visit regularly to stock our own kitchens, while others are our go-to addresses for a great bottle of wine, a box of chocolates or something special to bring to dinner. And if you’re visiting, they’re also some of the best places to pick up edible souvenirs to take home.
From cheese and salumi to olive oil, wine and traditional sweets, these are the food shops we think are worth knowing.
The Best Fashion, Jewelry & Perfume Boutiques in Rome
Beyond Rome’s famous luxury shopping streets and the obvious designer names, you’ll find a wonderful community of independent boutiques, family-run ateliers and designers creating pieces with real character. These are the places I always recommend, whether you’re looking for timeless clothing, handmade jewelry, or beautifully crafted accessories you’ll wear long after your trip to Rome is over.
Our Guide to Italian Beaches
If there’s one thing Italians know how to do well, it’s spend a day at the beach. And with summer finally here, the timing couldn’t be better. Even the first warm weekends of spring are enough to send entire families towards the sea, cars packed with umbrellas, beach bags, folding chairs, and enough food to feed a small army. And by August, it seems as though half the country has migrated to the coast.
Of course, everyone has their favourite stretch of coastline, and everyone swears theirs is the best. And honestly, they might all be right. Some people swear by the long sandy beaches of Sardinia, others prefer the wilder, rocky coves in Cilento. Some go for the beach clubs and aperitivo scene, while others are happiest with nothing more than a towel spread on a quiet patch of sand.
Of course, a day at the beach in Italy is about much more than sun and sea. It’s the seafood lunch that somehow stretches well into the afternoon, the stroll along the waterfront before dinner, the beach bar where you stop for a coffee and end up staying for an hour, catching up with friends between dips in the sea.
Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to spend my summer vacations on beaches all over Italy, from famous stretches of sand to more hidden corners that still feel almost untouched. Here are some of my favourites.