Here's what's new in the Eternal City since the publication of Frommer's Rome, 18th Edition.
Where to Stay
Beautifully situated between the Spanish Steps and St. Peter's, the Visconti Palace Hotel, Via Federico Cesi, 37 (tel. 06-594848; www.viscontipalace.com), has emerged as quite a cool choice since undergoing re-styling and restructuring. In the Prati district, it now offers 247 brightly decorated and elegant bedrooms, of which 13 are junior suites. Contemporary art from a private collection is the leitmotiv of the hotel, and new acquisitions make it a real "museum of art." The hotel has added a beautiful and well-equipped gym to its facilities, and an open-air patio where guests can enjoy a drink or a snack.
Near via Veneto, the Rose Garden Palace, via Boncompagni, 19 (tel. 06-421741; www.rosegardenpalace.com), is in a restored building dating back to the early 1900s. The 59-room hotel has a stylish design that is both classical (marble floors, velvet upholstery) yet modern. Its fitness center is one of the finest in the area, with a plunge pool and whirlpool bath as well as a sauna. On Friday nights, jazz musicians entertain in the bar, and the on-site restaurant, Il Riseto, serves first-rate Italian cuisine.
The area around the Colosseum has never had enough good accommodations. The situation has improved considerably with the opening of 47 Hotel, via Petroselli, 47 (tel. 06-6787816; www.fortysevenhotel.com). Sitting at its rooftop bar and restaurant, you can take in views over the Circus Maximus and the Teatro di Marcello. Here in the heart of imperial Rome, a former office building has been brilliantly converted into a government-rated four-star hotel. The 61 bedrooms, beautifully furnished in pale wood and marble, not have only hypo-allergenic bed linen and towels, but also the latest in hotel technology, including satellite TV, temperature controls, and Internet access.
In Trastevere, the furniture and fashion designer Luisa Longo, has transformed her family's 1960s villa into the Buonanotti Garibaldi (tel. 06-58330733; www.buonanottegaribaldi.com), most charming of the B&Bs of The Eternal City. Her exquisitely furnished house opens onto a palm-studded courtyard. The bad news is that there are only three bedrooms, so reservations as far in advance as possible are recommended. Precious hand-painted fabrics decorate the entire house, which is conceived as an atelier where art, design, and fiber art are harmoniously wed. Breakfast is served in a lovely living room, and all the bedrooms have not only style but modern comforts. If you fall in love with Longo's own designs such as bright silk bedspreads, seemingly inspired by Kandinsky and Matisse, they are for sale at the adjoining atelier.
Discerning visitors who want to escape the traffic and noise of Rome head for Castello della Castelluccia, Località La Castelluccia (tel. 06-30207110; www.hotelcastellucciarome.com), lying 16km (10 miles) north of Rome. A total of 18 elegant bedrooms have been installed in this renovated castle with a history dating back to the 12th century. Many architectural features of the Middle Ages remain, including cross vaults and arches along with big fireplaces and ancient floors in terracotta tiles. The old watchtower has been converted into a tri-level suite.
Where to Dine
Ristorante Il Pagliaccio, via dei Banchi, 129A (tel. 06-68809595), has been around for some time but a 2006 design makeover has attracted both food critics and trendies, making it one of the chicest addresses in Rome. Imagine a traditional Italian menu that took a side trip to the Far East. When many of the specialties are translated into English, they don't sound that enticing -- chestnut soup with fried bread, lard, and chicken livers. But once tasted, these dishes are divine. Try the saddle of venison with a casserole of winter fruits and a chocolate sauce. The cauliflower ravioli with smoked eel and beef jus is even better than your mama made. The elegant restaurant lies between the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and the Tiber in a less heavily touristed section of Rome. Oh, yes, we forgot to mention our favorite dessert: mango beignet in yogurt and rose water soup.
Smart diners are avoiding the expensive, touristy restaurants on the Piazza Navona and retreating to L'altro Mastai, via Giraud, 53 (tel. 06-68301296; www.laltromastai.it), just off this square with its famous fountains. Its chef, Fabio Baldassarre, was born in Rome but hails from a family of cooks from the Abruzzi region, whose recipes he has updated and, if possible, made even better. His dishes are based on "fragrances and flavors," and the menu is adjusted seasonally. Some of his specialties are the most creative we've encountered in Rome -- for example, oysters in celery jelly with candied apples and Gorgonzola slivers; sea scallops carpaccio with chocolate and walnuts; winter melon with caper mousse and caramelized sweetbreads; spaghetti with a rabbit-and-lobster sauce (a first for us).
What to See & Do
On the site of a former army barracks, MAXXI (National Museum of Art of the XXI Century), has opened in Flaminio at via Guuido Reni, 10 (tel. 06-3202438; www.maxximuseo.org/maxxi.htm). In addition to the museum's permanent collection, the gallery also hosts exhibitions of modern art.
Mussolini and his family lived at Villa Torlonia, via Nomentana (tel. 06-44231185; www.museivillatorlonia.it), for 12 years. Today the 1802 villa is open to the public as a museum dedicated to the Roman school of 20th century art, with an impressive collection, including sculpture by Antonio Canova. The villa also houses a Museum of the Holocaust, dedicated to the 2,000 Jews deported from Rome during its Nazi occupation.
Housed in a former brewery, MARCO, via Reggio Emilia, 54 (Museo d'Arte Contemporanea Roma; tel. 06-6710-70400; www.macro.roma.museum), opened to rave reviews; it's hailed as Rome's first contemporary art museum. In addition to a permanent collection of avant-garde art, it also is the venue for frequently changing temporary exhibitions from around the world. MARCO also has an annex in Testaccio, south of the center of Rome (Piazza Orazio Giustiniani, 4).
After Dark
Rome's night clubs come and go rather rapidly. New discoveries include a tiny pub, The Proud Lion, Borgo Pio, 36 (tel. 06-6865205), near the Vatican. For a taste of the Highlands, including single malt Scotch, venture inside any time between 8:30pm and 2am. Behind the landmark church Santa Maria in Trastevere, lurks a small bar and lounge. Artu Café, Largo Fumasoni Biondi, 5 (tel. 06-5880398), is bathed in a dark, red light evocative of an old-fashioned whorehouse, but that's the way the patrons like it. They prefer to be discreet. The fresh juice cocktails are the best in Trastevere.