Rome Shopping Tips by belgianchocolate

Fantastic Ham.: Mercato Andrea Doria! Food or beverage Review

If you enlarge the picture you can see an Italian
mama waiting for the vendor to cut her
delicious dried ham , cut slice by slice at
the local market.

This was my favorite market in Rome from
the ones we visited. Also in a very nice neighbourhood. This one is in open air.
The stalls stay there day and night , but it
is only open in the morning till the early afternoon.

What to buy:
If your renting an appartment or staying in a
BB and got your own kitchen you can take
with you some of the meat specialities..
cheese , olives ...

We absolutely enjoyed the colorful stands and
the atmosphere.

What to pay:
Local market , local prices.
Do you want to take with you the real stuff ,
or are you going to pay loads for it at the airport. :-)

Address: Via Andrea Doria

Directions:
Near the via Tunesi.
Lots of busses pas by..
Metro Ottaviano is just a little walk away.

Theme: Food and Drink

Black market.: Is this a shopping tip?

We had quit a laugh with our own joke.
You can see this sort of shops all over Rome
but a concentration of stalls with fake
Louis Vuitton handbags can be seen in front
of the 'Castel Sant' Angelo'.

Yeah yeah , it's fake. Ever since J-Lo sat on
that hunk with this handbag everybody wants
to have one. But it is not within everybodys budget.

We joked it was the Black market since all
the vendors were black.


The strangest thing we saw was a policeman
buying fake sunglasses near Termini.
We saw them talking to a vendor and were
curious what would happen. Was this man getting
arrested? Nope , they are supporting this business.

Well , your in Italy! Wasn't that the most corrupt
country in the world? They got a reputation
to keep.

Theme: Other

Mercato Piazza Alessandria: That nice Italian atmosphere... Food or beverage Review

I love these places. And I always do some
effort to track at least one down.
So we took the bus from 'Termini' towards
the 'porta Pia'. In the middle of the
'Piazza Alessandria' is a covered market.

The atmosphere is relaxed and different
from the places that got flooded by tourist
here they are quit amused by it. People
are helpfull and friendly.

What to buy: Some fresh fruit.
I also bought some olives and a combination
of mushrooms and vegetables in vinegar and
oil. A delicious and fine sort of salami ,
a fieuw tranches of th famous italian dried ham ,
.....

What to pay: Very little if you aske me...

Address: Piazza Alessandria

Theme: Food and Drink

Bakkery: Hello cookies... Food or beverage Review

We were gathering our breakfast together..
to eat it in the zoo a little bit later.
So first we went to the covered market and
afterwards we ran into this bakery.

It is almost like I got an extra censor to
walk unconciously towards these place...

What to buy:
Bread , cookies , cold drinks ,
those delicios stick with sesame seeds...
And much much more...
I know it is of the beaten path.
But it is the real Rome.

It must have been one of my most royal
breakfasts in Rome.

Address: Via Bergamo 37/39

Directions: Somewhere between 'porte pia' and
'villa Borghese'.

Phone: 068553883

Theme: Food and Drink

Souvenirs (General): A plaster molding atelier... Souvenirs (General) Review

It is harly a shop , but we liked it ,
and just like many people we stopped and
had a look.

What to buy:
Plaster suns , little angels , the mouth of truth ,
or why not , a table foot...

All that for a couple of euros.
Very nice.
Everything is made just behind that
table you were looking at.

Address: Via Appia Antiqua

Directions: Outside the city walls ,
not far from the catacombs of San Sebastian -
along that famous ancient road.

Theme: Other

Castroni!: Specialita da tutto il mundo! Food or beverage Review

This is one of those rare shops you walk by
and immediately want to enter. At least I do.

They say they got specialities from all over
the world. But I got carried away by the intence
smell of fresh roasted coffee beans. Wow!
Next thing asking for attention was the
counter filled with chocolates. Italian chocolates.
If you buy those they pack them for you in
a coffee pack. (price , I forgot , chocolates are
never too expensive for me. ;-))

There is just too much to try...
You will have to take a look for yourself.
In the back was a wine bar - and a place to eat
very informal. Crowded and these were
not tourists. A good sign? I guess.

What to buy: Maybe you can check on their website first , to
get some inspiration and calculate how
much place left you got in your luggage.

They also got more then one shop in Rome.

Address: Via Ottaviano 55

Directions: Near the Vatican....

Theme: Food and Drink

Website: http://www.castronigroup.it

Food or beverage: Elite ! Food or beverage Review

What is in a name : Elite!
It is actually a supermarket. But it is slightly
different from the usual ones.

The decoration of the shop is quit posh...
Wooden shelves , marble floor , paintings on the
ceiling. A lot of common products. BUT of course
also a lot of specialities. Have a look at the
cheese and meat counter. It just looks fab..

Why we stopped here? We saw all these
bottles of limoncello. A divine Italian liquor.
The perfect gift I think.
If you go in , you might get some other ideas as well.
Why not take a little jar of pesto for you mom
in a not so common flavour?

Address: Via Cavour 230/236

Directions: If you are visiting 'SanPietro in Vincoli'
to see the amazing statue made by michelangelo -
just walk down the stairs and turn left.
It is very near.

Phone: 06 485 687

Theme: Food and Drink

Porta Portese!: Mercato delle pulci!

I don't think that flea market is a correct name
for this event. Let me start saying that is is
huge. I've read somewhere that the market
has a 1000 stalls. (and that only 10% got a
license. lol)

We enjoyed it very much.
Frederik even bought shoes. Those white
extravagant Italian ones you wont find
easely anywhere else , and that for a very
low price. I was temted to buy a nice
italian leather wallet from a posh shop
from the via condotti for 33% of the price.
Very cheap , because it was last years
collection. Who cares?

Anyway , you should go here to sence some
couleur locale and get in touch with the real Rome.

What to buy:
Leather jackets for very low prices ,
wallets , clothes for 1 , 2 and 3 Euro.
If you walk farher away from the Porta Portese
you'll find the flea market area. Very nice.

Address: Porta Portese

Directions: Trastevere - start walking at the PP
and take the tram back. Afterwards enjoy a drink
in that area.

Theme: Other

Food or beverage: La bontà del pane Food or beverage Review

When we walked by the first time I was standing
still and staring inside. This bakery was some
sort of treasure island...
The man behind the counter was making
gestures 'this is really good'.

Since it opens 8 in the morning , we knew
were we would get our breakfast.

A wide range of bread , sweets , pasta fresca...
pizza. Simply delicious......

Address: Via cipro 8

Directions: Opposite of the metrostation Cipro -
where you stop for visiting the vatican museum.

Phone: 39720351

Theme: Food and Drink

Food or beverage: Panella Food or beverage Review

The display in the window is just mouthwatering!
The place is stuffed with sweet and savory goodies.
My attention got especially caught by the baked
figures , used as a decorative element to make
a present with sweets look better.

All those sorts of crispy sticks with sesamy
seeds. You don't know what to choose.

Address: Via merulana 54

Directions:

Metro Vittorio Emanuele is nearby ,
if front of the
'museo Nazional d'Arte Orientale'.

Phone: 06-4872651

Theme: Food and Drink