An expert expat’s tips for Rome’s San Saba district

In 2019, blogger Olivia Windsor exchanged her home in Coburg, in Melbourne’s north, for Turin, in Italy’s north, to learn more about its food and wine. She fell in love with the country and a Piemontese local, and they now live in the district of San Saba in Rome.

Olivia Windsor: “Whatever you do, don’t eat at restaurant in Rome before 7.30pm.”

Olivia also designs and hosts small-group tours in Italy’s lesser-known regions. See italianwinetales.com, untolditalytours.com

See

Just down our street, the Baths of Caracalla were opened by the mad emperor Caracalla in AD 216 as a place of leisure and social activity. Do the augmented reality experience to see what the baths would have looked like back then, and in summer, make sure you get tickets to the evening opera performances such as La Traviata.

Walk past the Pyramid of Caius Cestius, a Roman-era pyramid built between 18-12BC, and pop into the tranquil non-Catholic Cemetery just around the corner; the resting place of the Romantic poets Keats and Shelley, and the Italian philosopher and writer Antonio Gramsci, it is perfect for escaping the hustle and bustle of the city.

The Baths of Caracalla.Credit: iStock

Do

Take a walk to the Parco del Celio, a park known locally as Il Biscotto for its elongated, biscuity shape. There are wonderful villas inside, a convent, green space and even little pony rides for kids. Climb the stairs to San Gregorio Magno al Celio (the Church of Saint Gregory the Great) and admire the 13th-century Cosmatesque floor.

The Mother Teresa of Calcutta Centre is next door, and you can pop in and see where the Saint stayed in the original building. Perhaps the best discovery in the steep street leading up to the park is the Case Romane del Celio; go underground to discover 20 frescoed rooms dating back to the first and fourth centuries. Afterwards, wander through the grounds of Villa Celimontana and admire the garden full of 16th-century statues and fountains.

Eat

My absolute favourite restaurant is Piatto Romano in nearby Testaccio. It’s full of Roman dishes you’ve never heard of before. Don’t miss the misticanza wild greens salad with sumac, the baked marinated anchoviesand the traditional pajata (milkfed veal intestines) with rigatoni. See piattoromano.superbexperience.com

Drink

Aperitivo at Il Pane di San Saba is a hyper-local spot in my neighbourhood; a secret side door leads into the courtyard, which is lit up with fairy lights of an evening. I always get a spritz made with Select Aperitivo, some of their great focaccia and arrosticini (Abruzzese lamb skewers). It’s a real locals-only spot. See ilpanedisansaba.it

Avoid

Don’t eat at a restaurant before 7.30pm at the absolute earliest in Rome. If they open earlier, they’re a restaurant that caters primarily for tourists and not locals, and the quality of your meal might not be as good as it could be in Rome.

Thrive

Italians take colpo d’aria (the belief that a gush of cold air can make you sick) seriously, so don’t sit in front of an open door and always keep your neck well covered.