november-2011

Above: JetAway editor Robina Dam
and baby Roman. St Peter’s Basilica in
the Vatican can be seen in the distance
NOVEMBER– DECEMBER
rinking aperitivos in the early evening,
having a late dinner under the stars and
then hitting the hotel bar for a nightcap:
that pretty much summed up the last
holiday I had in Rome with friends a few years
ago when I was single.
Fast forward and I’m returning to the city of
la dolce vita, not only with a bloke in tow, but
a one-year-old baby, aptly named Roman.
So how can you make the most of a city
break with baggage (in the nicest possible way)
of a different kind? And how best to adapt your
itinerary to fit the needs of a young family while
still making the most of Rome?
The stereotype of children-loving Italians is so
true that it kicks off right from the start: a nun in
the queue for the taxi rank helped with our luggage
(we had God on our side). Then came our macho
taxi driver (a former policeman whose official
vehicle used to be a Lamborghini – only in Italy
would this be normal) who couldn’t do enough to
help us. Frankly, why go anywhere else with a
bambino? In the Eternal City, you’re on safe ground
to do the following:
Eat Out
It’s so much easier to do here. Italian restaurants are
not only cool about having little ones scampering
around; they often actively engage with the kids
while you chow down pasta.
In the centre of town near the Piazza Navona
is a gem called Ristorante Maccheroni (44 Piazza
delle Coppelle). Even non-Roman Italians make
a point of visiting this former butcher’s shop which
has retained the meat hooks and white tiles. The
basic-looking interior belies the amazing food,
priced around £8-£10 for main courses. While we
tucked into plates of (you guessed it) macaroni with
provolone cheese and trofie with courgette flowers
and saffron, the baby was whisked off into the
kitchen by the staff. He returned uncooked.
For one of the best pizzas in town, check out
the Al Forno della Soffitta (62-64 Via Piave), with
its huge wood-burning oven taking centre stage.
On the bar are cured hams which the silver-fox
owner carves carefully as you can see on its
interactive website, alfornodellasoffitta.it. It
looks like a cosy neighbourhood restaurant
but people come from all over the city for its
award-winning pizzas priced at £8-£9 (it was
a semifinalist in a national pizza competition).
Jet2.com 37