The rain never did end up stopping in Rome (no seriously, you see all the drops in the photo?), and I could’ve cared less because I had a most wonderful day with Luisa & Tine who are both so fantastic as they responded to all my extreme traveler questions coming from someone who has never bought a city guide in her life and always ends up at the Zara just down the street instead of visiting any museums (shame) and who isn’t at all afraid of using intro sentences that are entirely too long (shame number 2).

Luckily, this time, I came across the two best guides you could ask for and we spent the day laughing and zipping in between raindrops eating mouthfuls of Nutella (shame number 3).

So, here’s the guide to Rome from the coolest girls on the block. Yep, couldn’t be simpler. You’ll notice I snuck in some of the questions you gave me last time, as I’m just like Tine & Luisa : I like traveling with a team. So thanks to all of you!

Where to get coffee…

Piazza Sant’Eustachio is the best café in Rome, and the cappuccino is suuuuper creamy.

Where to go for a snack…

To the Bar Del Fico (NFTG : I think that fico means cute. Isn’t that cute?)

Where to get in some people watching…

At the bar Della Pace in the morning. It’s the most authentic, old Romans, you get the picture. But there’s also Calisto à Trastevere where you get the most delicious gelato for 1€. We love to watch everyone there. It’s a mix of chic tourists and old Romans, so anti Lonely Planet! Ha! (See! Right there! This is why I never buy city guides, ah!)

Something you HAVE to eat in Rome… And where?

The suppli! (A stuffed rice ball) and artichokes à la Romana (you’ll love them) (NFTG : I’m so crazy about artichokes, and I know you couldn’t care less, but I just needed to say it…), wich are good in the roman ghetto at the restaurant Da Giggetto.

Oh yeah!! There’s the granitta di caffee con panna! (coffee with whipped cream!) (NFTG : What’s this? I want I want!!!) The best is at the Pantheon in La Tazza D’Oro.

Also, no buts, you have to get the pizza al taglio del forno from Camp Dei Fiori.

A good restaurant for lunch with friends…

For light lunch with friends, Da Gina on the Piazza Di Spagna : the make great salads and the ambiance is totally girly.

For dinner, l’Osteria Chiana without a shadow of a doubt… You’ll end dinner dancing and singing with the owners who are two of the most beautiful young roman men.

The best pastry shop…

The 5 Lune : a tiny little bakery, so delicious. Get the raspberry cream cake. And the nutella tarts!!!!! (NFTG: So I think you’re getting that I have a bit of a history with the nutella tarts, a roman speciality that the girls made me taste that I dream about all night long… and during the day too).

Your favorite multi-brand shop?

There’s Degli Effetti (They’ve got a great selection of great designers), Butella, and Aynulindale, there, or where you got that picture of your Porselli! Oh and don’t forget Delfina Delettrez, whose jewelry is super beautiful !

Where to buy stuff on the cheap…

The vintage shops near Via Del Governo Vecchio, especially Omero e Cecilia. That’s where you got your good butt pants! (NFTG : Aaaaah, you wanna see?) In general, Omero and his wife Cecilia, and we usually end up talking for hours with them, and sometimes even finish totally getting drunk with some wine Omero bought from his friend net door! (NFTG : The vintage shop of our dreams, right?) We love them, they’ve got this wonderfully paternal side with us…

Oh, and there’s also the Piazza Augusto Imperatore market, every 2 weekends out of 4. (NFTG : Wait so every other weekend? Wasn’t quite sure.)

A hair salon?

Our stylist is Ony, via Delle Coppelle. He’s amazing because he can really get what you want without cutting 8 inches off if you asked him for just a trim! :-)

Your spa?

There’s an amazing new spa, they’re thai, in the Barberini quarter. Good for friends and lovers alike! You can ask to have the spa all to yourself!!!!!

Your guilty pleasure destination?

Oh man we end up there so often, wayyyy more often than you’d think!!!! We pass tons of time in the shadiest bar right down the street from us, don’t remember the name, it might not even have one, but sometimes we feel like we really look like shit and don’t exactly want the world to know!!!

The perfect day in Rome… And you can say anything, even sleeping!

Dream all morning and speak to no one :-). Go have breakfast at Calisto, watch the people go by… Get a second cappuccino (The second capoccino is mandatory if you want to really make a good people watch), go back to the house and change because in the morning you left wearing just whatever, draw/create, head out again to go get lunch with some friends at Da Gina, by then you’re more open and more awake and can talk more!

Then head out shopping together, have a cup of tea and get back to the house to try on your new stuff.

Then take a shower, put on some music, get yourself ready to head out to a gallery opening (there’s always something in Rome). And then head out to eat with friends (NFTG : these girls spend their entire lives in restaurants!!!!), but this time, invite the boys along too! (because you feel more beautiful at night) at l’Osteria Chiana. Then take in an awesome concert at Circolo Degli Artisti and finish up by partying it up until sunrise!!!

How to get around… Bike? Car? Metro?

MOTORINO!!!!!!!!! (vespa)

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Ah, and to close, a photo of Luisa, that I couldn’t get with Tine on the top picture because she was too busy smooching her dog Hiro. Okay… Yeah… I understand!

Okay, I send big hugs to all! It’s way too early and I gotta head out… I have a rendezvous with Istanbul!!!

More City Guides:

Alexandra / Paris
Giorgia / Milan

Translation : Tim Sullivan

I’m in Rome and it’s been raining here for two days now, but who cares? I just met the coolest girls ever.

Everyone, meet Tine and Luisa, the two designers of the brand TL180. I contacted them because I love their bags and a friend told me just how fantastic they are. I also got a hold of them because last time I was in Rome, I confess I felt slightly adrift among the hoards of tourists and I didn’t really get a good feel for the city.

And then in just one tiny afternoon, not only did I totally fall for them and their lifestyle, but they totally changed my point of view on the city. We met up for coffee, and then never left each other’s side.

But I’m not going to say too much now as there’s a good chance you’ll hear more about Luisa and Tine tomorrow. They’re on their way to pick me up in a bit and give me a complete tour of the city… vintage shops, restaurants, karaoke (?), and they are even bringing on some rain boots for me. Now that’s southern welcoming !!!

So I will be back soon, and in the mean time, go take a look at their site, send them all your love (those girls are real angels) and, please, do something about this torrential rain. Make it stopppppp!!!!!

Translation : Tim Sullivan

PS : Oh and please enjoy my first “image carousel” !!! Well, at least that’s how we call it in France ! Baci !