Nobody likes to get the shopping bug while travelling in a hot European city and not know where to go. Rome is first on our list of hot travel shopping destinations and FABRIC magazine sent one of our local Italian shop-a-holics to explore the hidden boutiques of Rome and write us a comprehensive insider’s guide to boutiques in city that brought us Valentino.

A bit of a fun history: before Valentino became The Last Emperor, Rome had its share of Hollywood days in the Fifties with the more economical studios of “Cinecittà”. Roman tailors and designers like Roberto Capucci, Sorelle Fontana and Emilio Schubert in the USA shot to fame with the “Made in Italy” brand.

We decided to dig a little deeper into the path less travelled and take a look at Rome’s hidden independent boutiques. You won’t find many tourists wandering into these shops, and you might have to get by with a little more Italian (or pointing and smiling), but the unique finds are will worth it!

Rione Monti

In the center of Rome, Rione Monti is located between the Quirinal and the Coliseum, where you will find a variety of its alternative boutiques and the relaxed and laid back atmosphere.

Jump in a cab and ask to go to “Piazza Madonna dei Monti.”

The first boutique you will run into is has two discreet and elegant shops within close walking distance to each other each carrying a a different mix of clothes. They stock brands such as Missoni, Pringle of Scotland, and Almeria and there are beautiful cashmere pieces to go with the fancy shoes and well-edited accessories.

Your next stop will be “Via degli Zingari”, where Misty Beethoven and YU are located. Misty Beethoven sounds more like more of a stripper name, but the lingerie here is of the high-end type and there are also shoes, dresses and perfumes for a fully-dressed night out on the town. Down the street, YU is a little boutique, which was recently opened by two young ladies carrying their own label for knitwear, swimwear and underwear. The collections are classic but also fresh and young. If you are lucky enough to stop here early on your trip, within about a week you can get a custom piece of knitwear that you can call your own.

When bank accounts shrink, go vintage. Via del Boschetto houses Pulp, a vintage boutique, that has second-pieces are surprisingly good prices, while Le Gallinelle has its own label of vintage-inspired garments and also offers particular hats, both for women and men.

Via Leonina hosts Super, a petite store stacked on two floors. Each floor has its own identity, but makes Yoko Ono proud with the mostly white clothing. Super presents itself as a multifunctional space, ready to present every form of design that is needed for a launch pad. The two floors feature different merchandise all made in limited productions, from new designers to vintage clothes and retro design pieces.

In Via Urbana you can find Styler and Smalto. The latter has a broad assortment of quality shoes, whereas Styler offers a selection of design and quality garments.

Eat and drink:

After your shopping spree, refresh yourself at La Bottega del Caffè a nice bistro where you can go at anytime of the day. Good for lunch, the menu is strong on salads and pasta. It is also has a surprisingly decent tea selection. Wash it all down with a traditional aperitivo.

Campo de Fiori

The beauty of “Campo de Fiori” is that it changes all the time. The surrounding streets offers a range of stores from the fairly affordable to the ultra-hip and fancy boutiques.

Just off the square is Via dei Baullari. Your first stop should be at Sole, a small boutique fully loaded with girly pieces. Next stop is Solo, which features handmade creative leather goods and a small variety of lingerie and jewelry.

Also veering off from “Campo de Fiori” is Via del Pellegrino. The first boutique you will come across is Nuyorica. Put on your Sunday best as the super posh boutique has the more usual selection of luxury Italian brands, as well as a selection of Lanvin, Balenciaga and Chloè.

Almost at the end of Via del Pellegrino is Regola 71, owned by a signora and her daughter who will help you pick a new outfit with their eye for unique and fun.

Nearby is a jewel-box travel bookstore, called La libreria del viaggiatore where there is a selection of books chatting about Rome’s history.

On the opposite corner of “Campo de Fiori” is Via de Giubbonari, where several “fast fashion” shops are located. Among all of those commercial ones there are a few good ones: Manila Grace, for romantic women’s wear; Elle, which is famous for its label mix of Italian and French name; and Pandemonium if you want to toughen things up with an urban vibe.

In Via dei Pettinari you will find a shop called Borini. But you have to pay attention to not miss it, as there is no sign. The storefront is plain but the shoes definitely are not. This is where Roman TV producers go to outfit their feet. The owner, Franco is constantly traveling back and forth from le Marche, an Italian region, where loads of factories specialize in fine leather goods.

From “Campo de Fiori” you cross “Corso Vittorio Emanuele”, where you will see “Piazza Navona”, and its famous Bernini fountain. Shooting off the Piazza, Via del Governo Vecchio is a vintage paradise.

There is everything from clothing to jewelry. The most famous one is Cecilia&Omero that offers a constantly changing selection.

Meanwhile, Luna e L’Altra was the first Roman boutique that welcomed the Belgium fashion designers. Josephine de Huertas, is of the contemporary mold, stocking labels such as Missoni, See by Chloè, 7 for all Man Kind, and Arsenale  that has its own house label of garments and accessories.

Continue your cultural and shopping tour and let Rome surprise you with its eternal beauty. Visit the Pantheon (from greek pan-theon à all of the gods), a temple dedicated to all of the Roman gods that will captivate you up to now.

The streets that are ringing are plenty of shops. In “Piazza Capranica” for example, is Degli Effetti, a stylish boutique carrying cutting edge women’s wear. Since you are already in the area, have a coffee break at Caffe Tazza d’Oro to taste one of the best roman espressos.

In Via di Campo Marzio you can find Davide Cenci, a historical Roman boutique. This is the place where many of the elegant roman men  go to buy their suits and tuxedo. However, it is also worth for the ladies, to check out their women’s wear and shoes assortment. The very classic and elegant atmosphere will pay off for everything.

Via della Stelletta hosts Officine, which is perfect to buy colorful necklaces and earrings. In the same street you also find a store called Sirni Pelletterie, well-known for its craftsman lab of high quality leather goods.

Eat and drink: If you are there at aperitivo time (6pm- 9pm), take a seat at La Taverna del Campo andenjoy the view of the square, whilst sipping a glass of wine and nibbling on peanuts. For dinner go and have a slice of baked pizza at Il Forno di Campo de Fiori.

In the middle of Via dei Giubbonari, exactly in Largo dei Librai, is Filetti di Baccalà. Know all over Rome for its delicious codfish fried filets, that you can either take to go or to eat in. If you are there in summer it is very nice to sit there and enjoy the surrounding atmosphere.

Roscioli , is not just a bakery , but also a specialty food store stocking a variety of wine from all the different Italian regions, as well as many types of cheese. It also includes a little nice restaurant. Just have a seat and get inspired from the view and the smell of the food. Everything offered on the menu is delicious.

Near the ruins of Portico d’Ottavia, Giggetto interprets the specialties of Roman and Jewish cuisines. Open since 1923, the resto is famous for its crispy artichokes, filets of codfish, gricia pasta and and much more.

Via del Corso

If retail therapy is what you are looking for then Via del Corso, with its broad variety of high street shops is a must.

Even though shopping in department stores is not typically Roman, there is one old stalwart La Rinascente that is worth a trip. Thanks to Italian Vogue editor Franca Sozzani, La Rinascente has continued on a path of constant renewal like the Material Girl herself. The new Galleria Alberto Sordi, just in front of the seat of the Italian Senate, houses more ordinary fare including Zara, Jam, La Feltrinelli bookstore, Guess by Marciano, Pianegonda and Adriana Campanile.

Located just behind “Piazza Colonna”, is Spazioespanso. It’s noteworthy purely because of its devotion to niche fashion. There is an obsession over uniquely tailored items and the products range from all over Europe. There are also some great home design pieces to look out for.

Spanish Steps and via Condotti

Here the shop owners used to charge you just to just step into their store. Now it is home to the mass luxury designers such as Prada, Dior, Gucci, Sergio Rossi, Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Roberto Cavalli, Ferragamo, La Perla.

But don’t just stay on the well tread map, stop by lesser known stores such as Nia&Co for its well-edited selection of jackets and coats.

Galassia on Via Frattina offers more avant-garde fare, stocking the Japanese favorites Yohji Yamamoto and Issey Miyake, as well as the creations of Jean Paul Gaultier and Vivienne Westwood.

Via del Babuino is home to more fashion stores like Miu Miu and Emporio Armani; together with Via Margutta it is also known for antiques and furniture boutiques.

Eat and drink: Caffè Greco is an antique café in style of the 800’s, located in Via Condotti. It is usually very crowded because of the excellent espresso. For a full blown restaurant, Beltramme on Via della Croce.Gusto has a nice selection of Roman goodies.

Trastevere

From latin trans tiberim, across the river. Trastevere offers a bit of bohemia.

Get lost in the maze of narrow streets and visit “Piazza S. Maria” in Trastevere and its beautiful church.

In Via della Scala, you can find Scala 14 Sartoria, a charming apparel boutique; trust the taste of the owners Erio and Giuseppe to select your outfit  whether it be for everyday life or for a special occasion.

Also charming and sophisticated is RomaStore, a unique perfumery carrying many non-commercial beauty lines. Amazing also for the creative way of the windows display.

Fabrizi, has up until recently been a store where you could find the finest leather and many diverse tools to take care of your shoes. Now it has renewed the offer and offers jewelery men tied from Marinella, nevertheless maintaining leather as their core business.

Verso sud, in “Via S. Francesco a Ripa” is a women’s apparel store, carrying not only Italian but also French labels. Azi in Via Luciano Manara has many design objects for home. Even if you don’t want to buy anything its nice to have a look and stroll around the store to see what they sell.

Eat and drink: Enoteca Ferrara , was awarded the “Oscar” of 2003 from the Italian Sommelier Association. Located in a former convent, it still has the stone vaults of the old cloister. The wine list can be daunting with more than 850 different labels, but you can’t fault them for not having any choices! Meanwhile Augusto has a casual vibe and is a neighborhood joint for those living nearby.

Freni e frizioni is very popular among young people. If you go there around 7pm to get a glass of wine you may end up spending the whole night there especially al fresco in the summer time. From Freni e Frizioni, walk down the stairs, turn right, and let the smell of freshly baked bread lead you to La Renella. The wood burning stove churns out warm, doughy bread with peanuts baked inside. Enjoy!