This article is part of Traveller’s Destination Guide to Rome. See all stories . I didn’t intend to stay in the preferred address of Rome’s upper-crust.
My budget was modest. So, when I booked a hotel in Prati, I did so purely based on its proximity to Vatican City and its no-frills price tag. But while wandering the neighbourhood on a Saturday morning, I realise I have made a mistake.
The elegant boulevards, the high-end European fashion houses lining the streets and the general air of affluence are undeniable. I’m in Rome’s gilded cage, surrounded by meticulously restored art nouveau buildings, which feel a touch more French than Roman, and well-dressed residents. Prati’s proximity to the Vatican attracted the city’s elite.
Credit: Getty Images The grand shopping boulevard – Via Cola di Rienzo – forms the neighbourhood’s spine, bookended by two piazzas. Think of it as Rome’s answer to Fifth Avenue. Designer labels occupy every second store, with historic cafes and gourmet emporiums such as Castroni – rumoured to have one of the city’s finest coffee selections – dropped in between to break up the shopping.
Despite Prati’s upscale exterior, beyond the main drag among a maze of tree-lined streets, the neighbourhood’s true character emerges. Traditional delis, their windows embellished with cured meats, share the streetscape with trendy wine bars and vegan burger joints. Greek tavernas sit beside modern Japanese restaurants and across the road fr.
