This place is fantastic. Upscale Italian food with neighborhood vibe. The wine list is nothing…read moreshort of excellent. My favorite is the Conterno Fantino Sori Ginestra Barolo 2003. Marco the chef is creative and friendly and greets many guests by name. I don't speak Italian but every time I have been there they have made me feel welcome, providing help with the menu and ordering. Be sure to make a reservation in advance. The place really starts to hop at 21:00 and goes strong into the night.

Having moved from London to Rome about 9 months ago, I have really been enjoying the Italian dining…read moreexperience. The dishes are almost always a wonderful blend of seasonal, fresh and flavorful ingredients. No over-processing. No overly reduced sauces. However, perhaps because I am living here rather than being a passing tourist, I have been growing tired of the stereotypical trattoria ambiance at most eateries. Therefore, I was ecstatic about discovering Primo al Pigneto. Located in a cool, edgy street in a working class neighborhood, the interior of Primo is like a slice of Soho, NYC or Palermo Viejo, Buenos Aires in Rome. The dishes consist largely of traditional Roman fare with a modern twist. The pasta all'amatriciana I ordered was excellent, as were the lamb shank and game hen that our friends ordered. The tagliata that my husband ordered was a bit less successful, as it had a tad too much fat that I would have preferred cooked at a higher temperature. (We didn't order antipasti and dessert as we weren't very hungry.) The wine list is extensive and reasonably priced. The place is not cheap, but it is all reasonably priced. Expect to spend about 40 euros per person for two courses (including wine).

If I could leave zero stars, I would! The guy that works at this store is horribly RUDE!!! We…read morewent in to shop and my daughter picked up an item and part of it dropped on the floor. The sales lady said "no problem that's the second time it's happened today ". A very rude guy followed us up the stairs like we were trying to steal something and then got in my younger daughter's face (10 years old) and yelled at her to not touch anything at all and said that he already warned her before... mind you this was a "toy" section and I never heard him say not to touch anything (we would have left at that point). When I saw him yell at her from across the room, I said we won't touch anything but please don't talk to my daughter like that, you can ask in a nicer way. This set him off!! He then got in my face and said I told you three times not to touch anything. What?!! When??!! He kept following me around upstairs yelling at me saying I need to pay for the broken item downstairs. I said ok no problem. I could pay for anything we break in the store, he snickered and said "yeah, right". I went downstairs to pay for the item (he never stopped talking and was being sarcastic and such a jerk). The lady behind the counter laughed and said no no you don't have to pay it was an accident and looked at him said "what are you doing?" Ugh! I left the store so angry. Not because he wanted us to pay, but because he bullied and scared a 10 year old girl. Goodness we were in the kids toy section. Apparently, he has personal issues and takes it out on customers. Shame! Aside from that...the store has some cool stuff. Too bad it overshadowed by bad customer service from one mean employee.

Though I'd read that Rome's Monti district was hip and very popular, the route I took from the…read moretrain station to my rental apartment didn't convince me: tourist restaurants and tchotchke shops galore. After a few days traipsing to Rome's other districts I was overjoyed to find the heart of Monti and realize it was exactly as I'd read. MercatoMonti was my destination but getting there was the reward. Walking down a street different than that I'd come in on I learned that the area was indeed filled with authentic shops, vintage stores, and intriguing looking cafes, bars, and restaurants. Be still, heart. Sitting amongst all of that is MercatoMonti, a converted parking garage (now part of a hotel) that's used on the weekend as an up-market shopping (non-food/drink) destination. Not a grand affair, but one with maybe 50 vendors, it proved a hugely successful place in which to part with a large wad of euro. Vendors hawked stylish, unique products, much of them hand-crafted. Stylish sunglass frames from the '80s updated with new Ray Ban lenses (90euro), leather/canvas backpack (80euro), a felt coat (70euro), and a camouflage jacket (40euro); clearly I needed to return to my apartment to stow away my bounty. Many of the vendors are "cash only" but there's ATMs nearby. The great thing about MercatoMonti, in addition to the good shopping opportunity, is that it puts you right in the thick of Monti. I'm surprised it's not rated more highly on yelp but I liked it. If you've got the urge to spend, MercatoMonti is a nice, hip place in which to do so.

Quite a nice market, but small and nothing like you would think of a traditional flea European…read moremarket. Mostly lots of clothes and jewelry, some are nicer that others. Merchants are very friendly and the ones I talked to actually were selling their own products. I found the selection to be quite odd however, like handmade kimonos, next to silky scarves, bulky jewelry, urban-style lamps, umbrellas and canvas bags. Prices are low and I did find two great items. Bottom line: great to check out if you are in the neighborhood but I would not go here specifically to see the market.