More on Rome—boutiques!

April 26, 2019 6:17 AM

As per previous questions, my wife and I are going to Rome in a couple of weeks with our five year old. I’ve asked before about activities, but I’m curious what unique shops might be fun to visit. We’re planning to go to Al Sogno for a toy, but might be interested in housewares, textiles, silly hipster stuff, jewelry, gourmet items we can get through US customs, and alcohol.

Not really looking for Italian souvenirs as much as pretty things that would not otherwise be easily internettable at home. We don’t usually buy anything on trips, and since we’ll be touring with a preschooler, shopping is not going to be a big priority, but I thought it would be fun to know what’s fun and new.

Probably things in the center of Rome only. Someone mentioned Volpetti in a prior Ask, and that both the kind of thing I’m looking for, and probably the farthest out of central Rome I’d travel, since we would combine it with a trip to the Buco della serratura and Giardino Degli Aranci.

Thanks!

posted by Admiral Haddock to Travel & Transportation around Rome, Italy (7 answers total)

I was in Rome in December, walking around Trastevere, and there were a bunch of nice little leather shops with bags, belts, wallets, and whatnot.

Gourmet items - I enjoyed a meats-and-cheeses tasting at Gustarte and took back creme d'olio and salumi.
posted by entropone at 6:28 AM on April 26, 2019

The Campo dei Fiori has (is?) a beautiful outdoor market, full of fruit, bread, flowers (obviously). There are likely many treats and delicacies to please an any-year-old, although I cannot speak to the import controls for any of them.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 6:58 AM on April 26, 2019 [1 favorite]

I feel like I should be posting this anonymously as I find it vaguely embarrassing...
Generally speaking Monocle (which has a guide to Rome) is pretty good at finding locally based non-chain super fancy vaguely hipstery designy housewarey stuff. My wife also sources places through the high end magazines. Also doesn't hurt to network with touristic types who target your demo. We usually put things on a google map and when we're near something we go looking for it. Fortunately these places tend to cluster, so usually you find other places not in the guides that are cooler.

You won't find bleeding edge hipness this way, but you'll be not too far off.
posted by JPD at 7:24 AM on April 26, 2019 [1 favorite]

Seconding Campo di Fiori (you won’t find bargains there, but there are beautiful things). Banchi141 for pottery. If you walk along Via Santa Cecelia (tucked back by Santa Cecilia in Trastevere), there are some nice small craft shops.
posted by sallybrown at 7:47 AM on April 26, 2019

There's a shop on Via de Pettinari (which is the small road on the non-Trastevere side of the Ponte Sisto - basically, if you keep walking away from Tras as you cross the bridge, you end up on Via de Pettinari) that has some very cool housewares - enameled metal soap dishes, very lovely towels, throws, utensils, etc. It's on the right as you are walking away from the bridge, about a block down - if you get to the church, you've gone too far.
Sorry I don't know the name, but the AirBnB we've stayed at a few times is right down the street, so I just never noticed.
posted by dbmcd at 9:03 AM on April 26, 2019

Monti is the cool area for clothing boutiques now.

There's a great book you could get that gets into this from an informed insider's perspective: Revealed Rome Handbook. Lots of other useful info as well.
posted by fingersandtoes at 10:59 AM on April 26, 2019

The shop dbmcd is talking about is Lela. Stay has linens on Via dei Falegnami and if you’re interested in fabric there’s Fratelli Bassetti nearby on Corso Vittorio.
posted by romakimmy at 1:56 PM on April 26, 2019 [1 favorite]