Hg2 : The Hedonist

A Hedonist’s guide to…

Rome

Hotel Art
This appropriately named hotel lurks on the lovely Via Margutta, a street that was stuffed to the gills with artists' studios back in the 1600s.
AVC by Adriana V. Campanile
Shoes, glorious shoes, all the kinds you could wish for.
7th Heaven Bar
On a balmy summer evening, there are few sexier places to sup a clandestine cocktail than the roof terrace of the Aleph Hotel.
Gilda
Gloriously out of date, this is one of Rome's historic nightclubs, with all the trimmings.
Boscolo Exedra
Harking back to days of the Roman empire's lavish excess, the Exedra is the most bombastic of Rome's Boscolo hotels.
Rosati
Once the haunt of intellectuals from Pasolini to Italo Calvino, this art nouveau café no longer fizzes with left-wing polemics, but its old-fashioned cocktails and teatime treats still make it a very civilized spot.
Santa Lucia
Santa Lucia is a prime example of an excellent restaurant spitting-distance from the square, yet a world away from the caricature cartoon artists and tacky tat.
MAC
Be dazzled by colour and quality at this US cosmetics store.
Keats-Shelley House
Among the first Brits to tread the city's streets, the Grand Tour Romantic poets Keats and Shelley have informed much of our conception of Italy, and especially
Parco dei Principi
Swimming in 5 star style.
Franchi
An emporium of foodie delights and good old-fashion Italian sustenance.
La Taverna degli Amici
This heavenly refuge sits in the corner of an ivy-clad square behind the traffic hub of Piazza Venezia and just begs summertime lunchtime boozing.
Valentino
When in Rome, do what - albeit, wealthy - Romans do, shop at Valentino.
Palazzo Barberini
This gargantuan baroque palace was commissioned by the Barberini pope Urban VIII and was originally completed in a zealous five years of labour.
GiNa
This sleek, fashionable eatery behind the claustrophobic Spanish Steps positively screams Chelsea and is frequented by a similar brigade of Pilates-honed and ex
Bici e Baci
Scoot around Rome and see things off the beaten track.
Mezzo
Mezzo is a slinky, stylish, New York-style eatery with white walls and high ceilings.
Porta Portese
Do not flee this flea market.
Aspesi
Modern fashion and modern art all in one place.
Etro
Rivendita
Chocolates, coffee, wine and books all have their individual merits but when all four combine in one of the coolest boho spots in the city it makes for sheer indulgence.
Burberry Prorsum
Who doesn't love a bit of Burberry?
Fabrica
The best thing to happen to Prati for quite some time is Fabrica, an ex-factory turned patisserie cum bistro cum art gallery.
Maga Morgana
Release and indulge your feminine side through the clothes at Maga Morgana.
L’Ara Pacis
The Ara Pacis or 'altar of peace' was inaugurated in 9 B.C. to celebrate the wealth and security that the emperor Augustus had brought by pacifying Gaul and Spain.
Da Enzo al 29
On the other, less touristy side of Trastevere this unaffected, homely trattoria dishes up some of the best and heartiest pasta in Rome.
Tina Sondergaard
Retro fabric but up-to-the-minute designs can be found at the store of Tina the Dressmaker.
Coin
Have a wander around this Italian department store and wonder at the wares within.
Alexanderplatz
This intimate jazz club has brought big-name international musicians to the stage for twenty years.
Il Boccone
A relaxed, inexpensive and yummy lunch break in the heart of the city.
Degli Effetti
Spoilt for choice across the three stores of this Roman fashion giant.
Town House
The words to define this small and pleasant club in Monti are pop, Victorian, dark, underground and maybe a bit surreal.
La Terrazza dell’Eden
Relais Le Clarisse
This pint-sized hotel has just five simple rooms but ticks all the right boxes for comfort and location.
Ombre Rosse
Ombre Rosse will never be perennially cool or stylish, but it is reliable, the atmosphere is warm, the beer is cold and its location is without rival for whiling away a mellow evening in Trastevere.
Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna
Seventy-five relatively crowd-free rooms house Italy's largest collection of home-grown 19th- and 20th-century art that includes Boccioni, Morandi, Fontana and
Goa Club
Lost nights in some trance-music bubble on the beaches of the Asian subcontinent? The name of this club says it all.
ReD
This perpetually trendy design bar and restaurant is a great choice if you plan to attend a concert in the same complex of the Auditorium Parco della Musica, Rome's temple of classical and acoustic music.
Inn at the Roman Forum
The Inn looks out over the ruins of Trajan's market yet still feels decidedly off the beaten track.
The First Luxury Art Hotel
Perfectly located, effortlessly luxurious and a roof garden with spectacular views of the city. We just can't fault The First Hotel...

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