This is the third and the last part of my previous posts titled “A Visit to Rome – Beautiful and Eternal” and “A Visit to Rome – Beautiful and Eternal (Part-2)“. (Photo above: Villa Borghese, Rome, thetimes.co.uk)

On our third day in Rome, our first destination from our hotel in the morning was Villa Borghese – a marvelous park in Rome, a must visit I should say. We had also been to Villa Borghese on our previous visit to Rome as a family. Our hotel then was close to Via Veneto, the street with one of the entrances of Villa Borghese.

When our taxi driver passed by Via Veneto this time, I immediately recognized this pleasant street also home to the famous historic Harry’s Bar, where once Frank Sinatra was taking a stage…

Entrance of the legendary ‘Harry’s Bar, Roma‘ on Via Veneto and inside the bar (Photos: yelp.com / harrysbar.it)

Via Vittorio Veneto (Photo: viator.com) – a historic, fashionable and elegant street of Rome which also appears in Federico Fellini’s 1960 film “La Dolce Vita“, a portrait of the period between the end of the 1950s and the early 1960s in Rome. Via Veneto, with its cafes, clubs and luxury hotels, was then the hangout of celebrities like Audrey Hepburn, Tennessee Williams, and Coco Chanel who would once gather at “Harry’s Bar“, “Café de Paris“(now defunct), and “Doney Cafè” lining the street. (turismoroma.it, viator.com)

Hotel “The Westin Excelsior“, Via Vittorio Veneto, 125, Rome / Terrace of ‘Doney Cafè & Restaurant‘ inside The Westin Excelsior (Photos: cntraveler.com /

Note that Via Veneto is also home to Palazzo Margherita built in 1890 (now the US Embassy), originally owned by Ludovisi family, later ceded to the Savoy and became the residence of Queen mother Margherita until her death in 1926. (turismoroma.it)

Villa Borghese, Rome, Sept. 13, 2024. My daughter who adored the park is trying to get a nice shot. In the background is Casina del Lago, a small sweet cafe of the park nearby the lake.

Villa Borghese is one of the largest public parks of Rome spread over a vast area in the city center with beautiful gardens, tall ancient trees, sculptures, ponds, cafes, a lake, rowboats, a carousel, a zoo, a famous waterclock built in 1867 and exhibited in Paris, and a museum – ‘Galleria Borghese‘ with Bernini sculptures and Caravaggio paintings. A lot to do within an inspiring nature…

The beautiful lake within the park with rowboats. Swans were roaming nearby. (Photo shot by my mobile phone, Sept. 13, 2024)

My daughter and I strolling in Villa Borghese – a very pleasant start for a day, with fresh air and a beautiful inspiring nature / At Casa del Cinema within the park (a cinema as well as a cafe) where we shared a pistachio croissant under the rain – a pleasant break

While you wander in this beautiful park, you may also have the chance to visit an elegant renowned museum : “Galleria Borghese“.

Galleria Borghese (Photo: tourscanner.com) – Home to some of Bernini’s best sculptures and paintings by Caravaggio and Raphael, in a 17th century villa – once the private home of Cardinal Scipione Borghese (visit-borghese-gallery.com)

Sculpture of Venus Victrix by Canova, completed in 1808 (portrait of Pauline Bonaparte, Napoleon’s sister, depicted as the goddess Venus, commissioned by her husband, Camilio Borghese) / Sculpture of David by Bernini, completed in 1624 – one of many commissions to decorate the villa of Cardinal Scipione Borghese (visit-borghese-gallery.com / headout.com)

Walking through Villa Borghese, we arrived at Piazza del Popolo, a historic elegant square of Rome with beautiful fountains and statues, two twin churches and an Egyptian obelisk.

Piazza del Popolo (People’s Square), Rome (Photo: italia.it)

Me with a Botero statue and my daughter with one of the lion statues of the fountains in Piazza del Popolo, Sept.13, 2024

As we were wandering around this beautiful ancient square with pleasant details, a chic cafe caught my eye and I couldn’t help going inside. The elegant decoration, exclusive canapés, and a sign indicating that the cafe celebrated its 100th anniversary last year made me realize that I wasn’t drawn inside “Rosati” in vain…

Caffè (Bar) Rosati, Rome – Italian restaurant and one of Rome’s oldest cafes overlooking Piazza del Popolo (Photo: romaluxury.com)
(Opened by the Rosati family in 1922, this historic charming cafe had been a meeting place for intellectuals including the great film directors Federico Fellini and Bernardo Bertolucci who were among the customers of Rosati.) (barrosati.it)

Inside Rosati (Photos: tripadvisor.it) (Exclusive canapés in the vitrine, prepared with ‘smoked salmon, eggs, red and black caviar‘ and similar were very tempting.) (As a coincidence, Rosati is also included in the book titled “Italian Chic by Daria Reina and Andrea Ferolia published by Assouline“, in my archive.)

Piazza del Popolo, home to the primary entrance to Villa Borghese, is located under the gardens of panoramic Pincio Hill (The Pincio Terrace) – a grand public park with one of the best views of Rome, especially towards sunset. The Spanish Steps end on top of Pincio Hill – closeby Villa Medici (mentioned in Part 1 of this post).

The Pincio terrace and promenade at sunset – where Audrey Hepburn liked to stroll once. Luca Dotti, the son of Hepburn, mentions her mother’s ‘long solitary promenades at the Pincio‘ in his book “Audrey in Rome” (Photo: turismoroma.it)
(The Pincio Terrace is connected to Borghese gardens by a pedestrian bridge. You can reach the Pincio climbing the stairs from Piazza del Popolo, or walk through Villa Borghese following the signs to Pincio terrace.(villaborghesetours.com))

Note also “Piazza Garibaldi” on the Janiculum Hill and “Giardino degli Aranci (The Orange Garden)” on the Aventine Hill counted among the spots with the best panoramic views of Rome.

In a scene of ‘Emily in Paris‘ series, Marcello takes Emily to Janiculum Hill for a panoramic view of Rome where they witness  a shot being fired from a cannon at noon, an ancient Roman tradition. (popsugar.com)

The Orange Garden (Giardino degli Aranci) on the Aventine Hill with a magnificent view of the city of Rome (Photo: turimoroma.it) (I have read that singers regularly come here in nice weather at sunset and sing old Italian songs (The book ‘Soul of Rome’ by Carolina Vincenti).)

A scene of the ‘Emily in Paris‘ series at Hotel Eden, the iconic elegant hotel located near the Spanish Steps where Emily stays. Its rooftop restaurant, La Terrazza, offers a spectacular view of Rome (L to R: Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu as Sylvie Grateau, Samuel Arnold as Julien, Bruno Gouery as Luc, Lily Collins as Emily, Courtesy of Netflix via firstclassmagazine.co)

Following Piazza del Popolo, my daughter and I walked to Prati closeby, over a bridge on the Tiber river. I had planned the day before to take her to Prati – as a nice neighborhood not so touristic. We walked in the chic streets of Prati passing by elegant residences and experienced a different atmosphere of Rome than the historical center. We discovered a cosy trattoria at a corner in Prati, where mostly native Italians were dropping by for lunch, which my daughter liked a lot – the place and its home-made pasta.

The pleasant buffet of the cosy trattoria we discovered in Prati, close to Piazza Mazzini (Photo I took with my mobile phone)

Home-made pasta (with meat and mushrooms) we had in the trattoria / In Prati (Photos taken by my daughter, Sept. 13, 2024)
(Prati is counted among richest neighbourhoods in Rome along with Parioli and Aventino with elegant buildings. Audrey Hepburn and Andrea Dotti had moved to Parioli from their initial apartment close to Campo de’ Fiori, following the birth of their son Luca Dotti. Hepburn used to spend her afternoons in the park Villa Balestra on top of a hill in Parioli. (amalfistyle.com, italysegreta.com))

The shopping street ‘Via Cola di Rienzo‘ in Prati, a long wide street with high-end boutiques, bookshops, restaurants, wine bars, cafes and cinemas – just next to Vatican City (Photo: rome-cabs.net

Tiber River and Rome cards (Photos taken by my daughter)

After Prati, my daughter and I walked back across the Tiber to the historical center. Our dinner was ‘great and very tasty thin pizza slices‘ from “Roscioli“, a Roman classic I had mentioned in Part 2 of this post.

We decided to finish the day with a night view of Trevi fountain and Piazza di Spagna, which we did, but before that we had hot drinks at a very sweet place around Campo de’Fiori my daughter found out, which I want to mention here: “Forno Monteforte“…

Forno Monteforte, a bakery and cafe offering bread, pizza, sweets and pastries -where we enjoyed our hot drinks in a cosy atmosphere at a quite cold weather (Photo: fornemonteforte.com) / In front of “Forno Monteforte” (Via del Pellegrino, 129 Rome)

Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps) at night / Hot drinks at Forno Monteforte, Rome – with the book titled “Soul of Rome” by Carolina Vincenti, which I discovered at a bookshop at Campo de’Fiori. (Photos taken by my mobile phone, Sept. 14, 2024).
Here are some tips from the book:

‘The Roman Bistro of Your Dreams‘: L’Arcangelo, Via Giuseppe Gioachino Belli, 59 / “Discover Contemporary Roman Cooking“: “Retrobottega“, Via Della Stelletta – wine shop, pasta bar and restaurant with a pasta workshop (Photos: larcangelo.com / identitagolose.it)

‘In The Purest Roman Tradition‘: “La Vecchia Roma“, Via della Tribuna di Campitelli – top quality traditional Roman cuisine / ‘A Quiet Bar With a View‘: “Bibliobar“, Lungotevere Castello – outdoor cafe right across from ‘Castel Sant’Angelo‘ by the Tiber decorated with old books with good and cheap coffee (Castel Sant’Angelo is mentioned in Part 2 of this post) (Photos I took with my mobile phone from the book “Soul of Rome” by Carolina Vincenti)

The terrace of Ristorante Vecchia Roma in Campitelli (Photos: Tripadvisor)

On our last day in Rome, we wandered around the city center, dropped by our beloved Trevi fountain and Spanish Steps, indulged in some shopping and discovered more tastes of Rome…

Cones and cookies: jolly tastes around Trevi Fountain (Photos taken by my daughter)

My daughter posing at the Spanish Steps / a display of the jolly toy store Hamleys, Rome

In front of and inside Hamleys in Galleria Alberto Sordi on Via del Corso. We strolled along Via del Corso, a main shopping street of Rome starting from Piazza di Spagna.

We had our lunch at a pleasant ancient trattoria, which appears in the series ‘Emily in Paris’ (Season 4): “Antica Trattoria Angelino” – where once Goethe, and intellectuals like Pasolini and Anna Magnani frequented…

Lunch at Trattoria Angelino founded in 1658 located in Piazza Margana – a small ancient quiet hidden square of Rome close to Piazza Venezia. We had fettuccini with tomato and mozzarella, which my daughter adored.(Photos taken by my mobile phone, Sept. 14, 2024)

Note also “Da Giggetto Al Portico D’Ottovia“, another restaurant featured in Emily in Paris Season 4, located beside Portico of Octavia, an ancient Roman walkway.

A scene of ‘Emily in Paris‘ in Giggetto Restaurant (Lily Collins as Emily, Flavio Furno as Gianni, Eugenio Franceschini as Marcello in ‘Emily in Paris’. (Photo: Giulia Parmigiani/Netflix via people.com)

I would also like to mention “Restaurant Trattoria al Moro” dating from 1929, which I came across in the book “Italian Chic by Daria Reina and Andrea Ferolia published by Assouline“, in my archive. Trattoria al Moro is nearly a century-old classic place near the Trevi Fountain – a favorite of Fellini and Valentino among other Romans. (cntraveler.com)

Trattoria al Moro nearby Trevi Fountain (Photo: Website of Restaurant Trattoria al Moro)

As my daughter and I were walking in the center, we passed by a small restaurant: “La Nuova Piazzetta ai Fori Imperiali & Piazza Navona” – a lovely small outdoor place nearby Piazza Navona offering pizza and hand-made pasta.

Rose-shaped pasta (Photos: Tripadvisor / reddit.com) (As a pleasant memory, a woman who was making the pasta dough at a glass partition beside the tables at La Nuova Piezzetta gave my daughter a rose-shaped pasta dough as a present…)

In front of “Mr. 100 Tiramisu” which we dropped by several times – offering 100 different varieties of tiramisu (mentioned in Part 1 of this post) / My daughter in front of Roscioli deli (Roscioli Salumeria con Cucina) / For a quick and very affordable thin Italian pizza with an unforgettable taste try Antico Forno Roscioli nearby – a must of Rome.

There is no seating at Antico Forno Roscioli, but it’s worth eating standing up for the taste. If you want to eat good Italian pizza at a restaurant you must try “Pizzeria Ai Marmi” in Trastevere. We went there for dinner on our last day as per the recommendation of the person at the front desk of our hotel.

In Trastevere on our last night in Rome / “Pizzeria Ai Marmi” (Viale Trastevere, 53) – a popular pizzeria with excellent thin Roman wood fired pizza

Inside Ai Marmi (Photos taken by my daughter)

I had mentioned about the bohemian Trastevere, and the famous Corsetti restaurant in Trastevere dating from 1921 where Audrey Hepburn used to dine in Part 2 of this post. (Click for the link).

Audrey Hepburn on a vespa and playing cards with Gregory Peck in two scenes from the film “Roman Holiday”, 1953 (Photos: Paramount/Getty Images)

Audrey Hepburn lived in Rome for more than twenty years, since the filming of Roman Holiday in 1953, during her marriages with Mel Ferrer and then Andrea Dotti with whom she had two sons – Sean Ferrer and Luca Dotti. (The book ‘Audrey à Rome (Audrey in Rome)’ by Luca Dotti, in my archive (quote translated from French))

Audrey Hepburn / Audrey Hepburn and her second husband Andrea Dotti with Hepburn’s son Sean Ferrer, 1969 (Getty Images)

Luca Dotti tells in his book that with the film Roman Holiday, Hepburn became almost ‘a second Colosseum: an icon of the city, an icon of a different, free-and-easy Roman spirit…’. He also reveals that during the years she lived in Rome, many people knew her mother as a woman who was fond of taking her children to school and going on long walks with her dogs. He tells about her visiting small local grocery stores and cooking for herself and for friends, especially spaghetti al pomodoro, her favorite dish. (vanityfair.com)

Audrey Hepburn at home in Rome / Hepburn serving ‘spaghetti al pomodoro‘ she cooked (Reading that it is her favorite dish made me smile as it is just mine.) (Photos: Audrey Hepburn Estate Collection via italysegreta.com)

Rome (Photos: thetimes.co.uk)

Audrey Hepburn on the terrace of Hotel Hassler, Rome, with the telegram announcing her best-actress award, for The Nun’s Story, from the New York Film Critics Circle, 1960. (vanityfair.com) (Hotel Hassler, the legendary hotel of Rome is mentioned in Part 1 (A Visit to Rome – Beautiful and Eternal) of this post.)

“Every city is unforgettable in its own way. But if you ask me which one I prefer, I would say Rome…” (Audrey Hepburn in the film ‘Roman Holiday’ (translated from the French book ‘Audrey à Rome’))

Audrey Hepburn in the streets of Rome / The cover of the book ‘Audrey in Rome‘ by Luca Dotti
(Photos: Pinterest / thefashionglobe.com)

It was very pleasant to have a trip to Rome with my daughter,

and discovering things in this eternal city – around the footsteps of Audrey Hepburn, a jolly symbol of Rome as well as of elegance and grace …