the best . . .

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PIAZZA FOR PICKING UP A ROMAN
Piazza delle Coppelle
Two blocks behind the Pantheon, the tiny Piazza Delle Coppelle has three great bars and narrow streets with ivy overhangs—and, at any given moment between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m., an inordinate amount of Italian hotties checking each other out. It’s what Campo de’ Fiori was years ago, before guidebook overexposure ruined it.

SUBSTITUTE FOR AN H&H BAGEL
Checco er Charttiere
Via Benedetta, 10–13; (39-06-581-7018)
Order a freshly baked cornetto (Italian croissant) with a caffé (which is really espresso); eat your meal standing at the counter alongside grumpy commuters and feel right at home.

REASON TO LEAVE CITY CENTER
Restaurant Sud
Via Antonio Bosio, 20a; (39-06-442-02701)
After a few days of cacio this and pepe that, you may well crave some non-Roman fare. At Sud, in the well-appointed Trieste neighborhood, the menu stems from Sicily and Calabria, the room is small and modern, and the clientele is entirely local.

PLACE TO BECOME A CATHOLIC
St. Peter in Chains
Piazza San Pietro in Vincoli
Built in 431 to honor the chains that bound Peter the Apostle, this is a house of worship we can get with. The main attraction—the chains under glass—impresses even ardent nonbelievers. It’s also home to Michelangelo’s Moses, which is, by any standard, divine.

Next: A Guide to Rome's Restaurant Scene