I love Trastevere, and so do most travelers to the eternal city. Trastevere means “beyond the Tiber.” It’s a very large “rione” or district of Rome. And quite frankly, what’s not to love? The neighborhood runs along the winding Tiber River and includes countless quaint cobblestone streets with some of the best restaurants and unique boutiques and shops in the eternal city, not to mention some of the most unique churches in Rome including the Basilica of Santa Maria in the main piazza, known for its incredible mosaics.
Visitors, however, often miss out because most tours stay in the busy area of Piazza Santa Maria. I always tell folks to find their way to what I like to call “the other Trastevere.” This area is a little under a mile from the main piazza, but it’s a world all of its own, nestled in the shadows of the magnificent Basilica of Santa Cecilia. If you want to see where the Romans hang, as well as live, in Trastevere this is it. It’s much more relaxed, but still filled with great places at which to do as the Romans and the rest of the Italians do before cena, as in stop for an aperitivo to whet the appetite. And speaking of appetites, there are no shortages of excellent eateries including two of my favorites, da Enzo’s, and dar sor Olimpio al Drago. Even if you don’t have time to stop for a bowl of carbonara or amatriciana, at least allow yourself the experience of seeing the other side of one of the most popular areas of Rome.