The tiny dining room of Enzo Al 29 is frantic with activity. There isn’t a single empty seat in the place and diners are pressed so close together that customers clash elbows no matter how tightly they press them their sides. With each completed order, the chefs briskly hit their palms on the call bell, sending a sharp ringing around the building and a flurry of waiters dashing forth from the kitchen with plates of amatriciana, burrata cheese, and fiore di zucca while trying to juggle jugs of red wine.
I’m lucky to get a seat: when I arrived upon opening, there was already a crowd gathered outside. Some of them are still there, sipping the glasses of wine that Enzo brings to them while they wait. Thankfully, Guilia finds me a spare seat right next to the kitchen, so close that I have to breathe in every time a chef or waiter passes my chair. I can’t help but think that this is what I came to Rome for – old-school trattorias where pictures of the Pope hang on the wall and even a quick lunchtime meal is an exciting experience. Then there is the food. The carbonara glistens with the orange of egg yolk and the cacio e pepe has enough pepper to blow your socks off. It’s the best pasta I’ve ever eaten.
Trastevere is still filled with these tiny restaurants that have somehow remained here despite the gentrification. Although the up-and-coming district of Monti has largely replaced Trastevere as Rome’s main nightlife hub, the neighbourhood still has modern cocktail spots and craft-beer bars appearing all the time. It may be due to Enzo Al 29’s reputation as one of the best, and cheapest of the city’s restaurants that it is still able to live side by side with the area’s new hipster hotspots.
Trastevere wasn’t originally part of the city. It was swallowed up long ago as Rome expanded beyond the eastern shore of the Tiber past the Ponte Cestio bridge and the tiny Tiber Island that now connects it to the historic centre. What was once a melting pot of immigrants and workers is still a multi-national affair, only now filled with tourists, hipsters, and Rome’s bohemian crowd. Yet Trastevere still feels local. Down the crooked lanes and narrow passageways, old women hang from open window shutters to hang their linen across the street’s pastel facades. Men sit on stoops, their wrinkled hands cradling a half-empty bottle of Nastro Azzurro with a roll-up cigarette clasped in their lips.
There are no famous sights to be seen in Trastevere; it is a living neighbourhood rather than one crammed with monuments. There is no Spanish Steps or grand Pantheon, no Wonders of the World or crumbling forum. Instead, the focus is on Piazza di Santa Maria. It is where people gather outside cafes to gossip about the day and where groups of teenagers gather on the steps of the piazza’s prized marble fountains, laughing and joking in the shadow of the magnificent Romanesque facade of the Basilica di Santa Maria. I check my Marco Polo guidebook to see what wonders the square has in store, which waxes lyrical about the church’s golden mosaic that sparkles over the narthex, strangely adorned with glittering palm fronds and busts of holy men. Constructed in the 3rd century, the Basilica was built on top of the saint’s house; she supposedly survived decapitation for three days and, when her tomb was opened in 1599, her body was incorrupt. Inside I marvelled at the gilded ceiling and the crypt where apparently if you ring the bell, the nuns will show you the last remaining Cavallini frescoes in Rome, although I didn’t have the heart to disturb them.
MARCO POLO GUIDES
While exploring Trastevere, I used my Marco Polo Rome Pocket Guide, taking their ‘Green Rome: Trastevere, Gianicolo and the Tiber’ walking tour. Marco Polo’s discovery tours are guided walks using their guidebooks or phone app that take you on themed journeys around the city, including terrific tips and all the stops that are worth making.
Despite the lack of attractions, I consult my trusty guidebook once more and continue to follow its Trastevere walking tour that leads me past the glorious Tempietto at San Pietro in Montorio – more sculpture than building, this tiny, round temple overlooking the eastern slope of Gianicolo hill is thought to be the spot where St. Peter was Crucified. Walking further onwards, I pass the pompous streams of Fontana dell’Acqua Paola, constructed in 1612 by Carlo Maderno under the watchful eye of Pope Paul V.
However, it’s the small joys of Trastevere that delight, ones that are found on the streets rather than in the pomp and ceremony of its fountains and architecture. It’s the details of life that connect you to the neighbourhood’s world; the people loitering by the square’s fountain; the priest hurrying past ivy-draped stone in cassock and hat with a folded copy of La Republica clutched under his arm; the elderly men enjoying a midday espresso on the tables outside of Caffe di Marzio; or the couples embracing on the steps of San Pancrazio.
Roma – the city’s very etymology is linked to romance and I find more of it as my guide book leads me up Passeggiata del Gianicolo to Piazza Garibaldi atop the Gianicolo, the eighth hill of Rome. A statue of the hero of Italian unification makes for a striking figure in the centre of the square that bares his name, but it is the view that people come here for. Along the hill’s ramparts, love-struck teens kiss as the entirety of Rome stretches out below them, the domed roofs of the city’s cathedrals poking up between the columns and temples of its ancient past. Soaking in the city from this vantage point, it is easy to see why so many travellers hold Rome in such high regard; why the eternal city has a perpetual draw.
I slowly make my way down the hillside back towards Piazza Santa Maria, using my trusty guidebook to point out the things I’m missing. There’s Museo di Roma, a city museum in a converted monastery and Palazzo Corsini, a baroque palace with a collection of antique art by Titian and Caravaggio. Behind it sits the University of Rome’s Orto Botanico, a city centre oasis where you can relax away from the noise of the street.
But as evening descends, the Piazza is where I want to be, back in Trastevere’s heart. In the darkness, dozens of people are milling around. Most of them are content to linger, like me, while others spill out of cafes and craft beer bars where they chat and gesture wildly to their cackling friends. I too stop for a quick beer, just to soak in the last gasp of the neighbourhood before leaving the square, the winding streets, and Trastevere’s charms to cross the Ponte Cestio bridge back to Rome’s more well-trodden streets.
Where to Stay in Trastevere
It’s thought that up to 12 million visitors flock to the Eternal City each year, so there is no shortage of accommodation options. While most people choose to lodge close to the main sights on the Tiber’s eastern side, Trastevere is a little less popular, meaning that you will get a hotel room that is still within walking distance of the city’s main sights, only at a cut-price rate. The added bonus is that you’re only a stumbling distance from the neighbourhood’s buzzy Piazza di Santa Maria when you have had a few glasses of Italian wine and decide to call it a night.
BUDGET / Locanda Carmel
A basic but clean and friendly family-run hotel on the tree-lined Via Goffredo Mameli, Carmel is certainly nothing special but the location cannot be beaten for those wanting cheap digs in the centre of Trastevere and they even have a beautiful roof garden.
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BUDGET / Orsa Maggiore Hostel
Have you ever wanted to stay in a converted monastery? A former convent in the heart of Trastevere, Casa Delle Donne – the International House of Women – contains the city’s only woman only hostel, Orsa Maggiore. The hostel is named for the heavenly constellation of the Great Bear, a transformed nymph that has gone on to become a symbol of feminism and ‘girl power’. Rooms are cheap, ranging from €60 for a single to €75 for a double while a dorm bed is just €26.
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MIDRANGE / Santa Maria
Another converted 16th-century monastery in Trastevere, Santa Maria is within stumping distance from the Tiber and just a short walk from the church that bears its name. While the rooms are fairly basic and a little dated, the real joy of staying here is that you are able to enjoy breakfast amongst the fragrant orange trees in the monastery’s courtyard.
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LUXURY / Donna Camilla Savelli
The closest you will get to La Dolce Vita in Trastevere, Donna Camilla Savelli is set within a magnificient Baroque villa designed by Borromini: This is classic Italy, with archways, stucco ceilings and stylish suites. The hotel is located right beside the beautiful Parco del Gianicolo but if you want peace and tranquility without leaving the hotel grounds, it has a lovely courtyard and rooftop garden that offers views out over Rome.
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Where to Eat & Drink in Trastevere
While Trastevere isn’t quite as off-the-beaten track as it used to be and the ivy-draped streets are now awash with the usual tourist traps, there are still plenty of great little trattoria’s dishing out traditional Roman dishes and myriad cool bars looking to tap into the districts youthful vibe.
Enzo Al 29
Tucked away down on of Trastevere’s tiny alleyways, Enzo Al 29 may not look like much from the outside but it is incredibly easy to spot by the queue of hungry diners waiting patiently outside with a glass of wine, handed to them by Enzo, Giulia or Francesco to sip while they hang around. This restaurant is worth the hype as it is cheap and serves some of the best carbonara and cacio e pepe in the city. Just ensure that you reserve a table or arrive before it opens as the place can become incredibly busy, spilling out onto the wobbly tables placed precariously out on the cobblestones.
Where: Via dei Vascellari
When: Mon to Sat 12.30pm – 3pm and 7.30pm – 11pm
Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fà
With a name that roughly translates to “What did you come here for?” this lively neighbourhood bar is just a short hop from Piazza Trilussa and constantly filled with a crowd that’s both international and local, often spilling out of the door onto the pavement outside. There is a constantly shifting range of artisan Italian ales on their 16 taps, which I imagine, is what most people go there for.
Where: Via Benedetta, 25
When: Daily 11am – 2pm
Bir & Fud
Another of Rome’s best craft beer bars and located just across the cobbled alleyway from Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fà, this stylish eatery prides itself on its 36 taps serving the best of Italy’s artisan beers but, true to its name, Bir & Fud really excels when it comes to food. Although you may think that you will find the city’s tastiest pizza in the small al taglio (by the slice) joints, here they serve it Neopolitan style, fresh from their pizza oven. It may actually be the best in Rome.
Where: Via Benedetta 23
When: Mon to Thurs 6pm – 1am; Fri to Sun 12.30pm – 5pm and 7pm – 1am
I Suppli
If you’ve had your fill of pasta or pizza in Trastevere’s myriad trattorias then head over to I Suppli for a quick snack. Supplì – fried rice balls stuffed with mozzarella and tomato sauce – are one of Rome’s most popular street foods and this hole-in-the-wall takeaway joint is considered by many to make the best in the city.
Where: Via di S. Francesco a Ripa
When: Mon to Sat 10am – 10pm
Alle Fratte Di Trastevere
While much of Trastevere has changed with the times, moving from a down to earth working class neighbourhood to a trendy, hipster hangout spot, Alle Fratte Di Trastevere has remained unchanged for decades: Kitch, gold-framed oil paintings of Roman life still adorn the walls and each table is covered with a crisp white table cloth. However, Alle Fratte Di Trastevere remains like this perhaps because it doesn’t need to change, it does some of the best pizza and pasta this side of the Tiber.
Where: Via delle Fratte di Trastevere
When: Thurs to Tues 12pm – 11pm
Freni e Frizioni
With a name meaning ‘brakes and clutches’, the spot that is now Freni e Frizioni used to be a neighbourhood mechanics shop before being converted into one of Rome’s most popular cocktail bars. It’s cramped and expensive, but the cocktails at this stylish bar are some of the best in the city. There’s even a free vegetarian buffet that you can graze while you wait for your apperitivo
Where: Via del Politeama, 4
When: Daily 6.30pm – 2am
GETTING TO TRASTEVERE
Trastevere is just a short, 20 minute walk across the Tiber from central Rome. You can easily reach both Vatican City and the Colosseum/Forum within 25-minutes.
Alternatively, you can take the number 75 bus from the Colosseum (20-minutes) which stops on s. Gregorio, just a couple of minutes’ walk from Piazza Santa Maria.
From Rome Fiumicino Airport, the train takes 30 minutes (€8), stopping at Trastevere station. From here you can either walk or take the bus to the centre of Trastevere. An airport taxi will cost approximately €50
This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Marco Polo Guides. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
