Shout it from the Rooftops!
Shout it from the Rooftops!
When my friend in Rome said he was taking
me to a great restaurant with a view, all I thought was, ‘I’ll be the judge of
that’! Nowadays, everything is hype and
almost always anti-climatic…Boy, was I wrong! Aroma, the rooftop
terrace restaurant located in Palazzo Manfredi, overlooks the Colosseum
and the Colle Oppio (Emperor Nero’s gardens). The view is spectacular as is the
cuisine! Ringrazio il mio buon amico!
By the way, Palazzo Manfredi, a 14 room 5-star Relais & Chateaux hotel, is
a hidden treasure—even if there is a suite equipped with a gym, you can still
go around the corner and work out at Madonna’s new fitness club to burn
off those extra pasta calories!
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| With my friend extraordinaire, Uri, at Aroma. The Coliseum is so close you can almost touch it! |
Be the first to know: tucked away on a side
street near Piazza del Popolo, Via del Corso and Via dei Condotti (only the best shopping streets),
The First Hotel is the best kept secret in Rome. It
has 29 contemporary, oh-so-chic rooms and suites, a Michelin star restaurant
and the rooftop terrace is to die for (don’t take me literally)—think Nikki
Beach meets heaven!!!
WEBSITE:
First Hotel
WEBSITE:
First Hotel
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| Look at the lovely view from First Hotel's rooftop terrace! Breathtaking! |
OMG...The Regina Hotel
Baglioni, located on the Via Veneto, is reinventing itself…starting
with the over-the-top 3 bedroom, 4 bath, 6000 sq ft ‘Roman Penthouse’
with a 360 degree panoramic view overlooking the Eternal City! It
has custom-made furniture, a $20,000 Murano glass chandelier in the
master bedroom (doesn’t everyone have one?!), a technogym, private butler, chef and barman—-and , on a clear
day, you can see Sardinia from your private rooftop terrace
jacuzzi pool!
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| Area GM, Luca Virgilio and I on the the penthouse rooftop terrace where we take in the panoramic view. |
Opening in November, Hotel D.O.M.(as in Dom
Perignon) is near Piazza Navona overlooking the ancient ruins of ‘Stabula
Augusti’—think Ben Hur!!! With only 24 rooms and suites, a rooftop terrace
infused with rosemary & lemon essential oils and authentic period pieces of
art & artifacts, this elegant hotel is just like the champagne that *ahem*…bears
its name!
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| Rooftop terrace of Hotel D.O.M. - Opening in November!!!! |
Rome’s Monti District is a neighborhood that is still under the radar and one you should visit before everyone discovers how fabulous it is. A couple of my top picks are: Basilica San Clemente Church with breathtaking 12th century mosaics and a section which was once a pagan temple—what’s more, you could have the Church to yourself since so few people know about it!
It’s ironic that the coolest café is named Caffe
Propaganda when, truth be told, this café, restaurant, tearoom and
bar is the place to be day or night—with baristas making your cappuccino,
pastry chefs whipping up sinfully delicious panna cotta with orange caramel,
chefs preparing meatballs(with oxtail)! or mixologists serving jasmine
infused champagne cocktails, why would you go anywhere else?
WEBSITES:
San Clemente BasilicaWEBSITES:
Caffe Propaganda
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| Left photo: Inside the Basilica San Clemente Right photo: Standing with one of the lovely baristas of Caffe Propaganda |
J.K.Place is one of the hottest
hotel brands in Italy and the much anticipated, long awaited J.K.Place
Roma has finally opened in the heart of Rome steps away from Piazza di
Spagna. With only 30 rooms and suites, they spared no expense from Rosewood
canopy handmade beds, Italian marble bathrooms and LED Satellite TV with over
700 channels!!! The public area is one continuous lounge where one could eat, drink and be social all day long. Be sure to visit the hip bar where master
mixers serve up signature drinks like the Mr. Bellavista Spritz and the JK
Sour. (see ingredients below) Everything about this hotel has that cool JK twist!
Signature Cocktails
Mr. Bellavista Spritz:
Bellavista Sparkling wine, white martini, lemon zest and blu curaçao
J.K.Sour:
Amaretto di Saronno, passion fruit, brown sugar and a twist of lemon
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| At the new J.K. Place Roma Hotel with the charming GM, Samuel Porreca |
