The Monocle Travel Guide to Rome

Trattorias and tailors. Museums and masterpieces. Aperitivo and lush aesthetics. The Eternal City leaves nothing to be desired.

Energetic and sprawling, brimming with culture and piled high with layers of history: Rome is a beguiling, vivacious ever-changing creature. Good guidance is essential: it's easy to be waylaid by the big-ticket sites, myriad trattorias and cobblestoned shopping streets. Then again, who doesn't enjoy being distracted by a scenic spot to perch for aperitivo?

We've pushed past the charm of gingham tablecloths and raffia-covered wine bottles to find the innovative chefs making their mark on the food scene and the best spots for an authentic plate of cacio e pepe. The finest shops are handpicked here too, from centuriesold tailors to up-and-coming designers, and we'll lead you through the bamboozling array of galleries, museums and architecture - even going underground at times - to reveal lesserknown gems. And then there are the colourful neighbourhoods that lie off the well-beaten path, the best rooftop venues for a late-night boogie and the places to head for an earlymorning run to work off all that pasta.

No matter how well you think you know the Eternal City, this guide will give you a fresh perspective. After all, it has reimagined and reinvented itself for millennia so there's always something new to discover.