Rome Shopping

  1. A.P.E.

    Partners-in-style Eleonora and Andrea turn vintage fabrics into fresh, idiosyncratic creations - think '70s punk art sewn onto T-shirts; denim bags pimped with Liz Taylor prints; and woollen tube necklaces adorned with bits from Parisian lamps.

    Read more about A.P.E.

  2. Agau

    Brightly coloured precious and semiprecious stones from India are used by Italian designers to form the dazzling modern jewellery at this reasonably priced shop. There's another branch at Via della Vite 57 (06 693 80 699).

    Read more about Agau

  3. Ai Monasteri

    So this is how monks pay the rent. This apothecary-like, wonderfully scented shop sells herbal essences, spirits, soaps, balms, deodorants, antiwrinkle creams, bubble bath and liqueurs, all created by monks and beautifully packaged with the sense of another era. Even the propolis is made from holy bees. To boost your love life try the Elixir d'Amore (Elixir of Love), though quite why monks are expert at this is anyone's guess.

    Read more about Ai Monasteri

  4. Al Sogno

    Even from outside you know that Al Sogno is more than your average toy shop, with elaborate window displays featuring elegant Edwardian dolls. Inside is an expensive wonderland, the mezzanine floor straining under the weight of dolls and stuffed animals. The museum-like don't-touch atmosphere is best suited to well-behaved kids.

    Read more about Al Sogno

  5. Alberta Gloves

    As snug as, well, a glove, this tiny, crammed shop meets every occasion: elbow-length silk gloves for that special evening; crochet for your first communion; tan-coloured driving gloves for touring the Alps in your roadster; black kid-leather gloves for icy morning commutes; black fingerless numbers for kinky nights out. Gentlemen will also find a good range of braces.

    Read more about Alberta Gloves

  7. Aldo Fefè

    Started by the owner's father in 1932, this tiny arched workshop produces beautifully hand-painted paper. Products include wrapping paper, little chests of drawers, writing paper, picture frames and photo albums, among other things.

    Read more about Aldo Fefè

  8. Alinari

    This is the oldest photographic business in the world. The Florentine Alinari brothers founded their enterprise in 1852, and produced more than one million plate-glass negatives in their lifetime. Here you can buy beautiful prints of their work depicting Rome in the 19th century, as well as some meaty coffee table books on photography.

    Read more about Alinari

  9. Almost Corner Bookshop

    This is how a bookshop should look. A crammed haven full of rip-roaring reads, every inch of wall space contains English-language books and travel guides. There's an excellent selection of contemporary novels and bestsellers as well as more obscure titles. If you can't find what you want, the English-speaking staff will order it in.

    Read more about Almost Corner Bookshop

  10. Angelo di Nepi

    This Roman designer combines Italian cut and style with rich Indian fabrics and colours: sumptuous reds, burnished gold, intricate embroidery and heavy silk create wonderfully eye-catching clobber. You'll find a second branch at Via dei Giubbonari 28 (06 689 30 06).

    Read more about Angelo di Nepi

  11. Anglo-American Bookshop

    Particularly good for university reference books, the Anglo-American is well stocked and well known. It has an excellent range of literature, travel guides, children's books and maps, and if they haven't got a book you want, they'll order it.

    Read more about Anglo-American Bookshop

  12. Advertisement

  13. Animalier e Oltre

    Like the attic of an eccentric, bohemian, aristocratic family, this shop is full of bric-a-brac, curios, antiques and furniture. Wrought-iron furniture and leather sofas sit alongside a mammoth selection of animal-shaped antiques - obviously one family member had an obsessive streak - that includes reproductions of 19th-century French animalier sculptures.

    Read more about Animalier e Oltre

  14. Antica Caciara Trasteverina

    The fresh ricotta is a prized possession at this century-old deli, and usually snapped up by lunch. If you're too late, take solace in other creamy specialities such as burrata pugliese (a creamy cheese from the Puglia region), or simply drool over the fragrant hams, bread, baccalà (salted cod) , cheeses, peppers, Sicilian anchovies and local wines.

    Read more about Antica Caciara Trasteverina

  15. Antichi Kimono

    Not only does local designer Gloria Gobbi turn vintage Japanese obis into corsets and bags, she's known to transform Uzbekistani carpets into coats, selling them alongside her eclectic handmade jewellery and other fetching accessories by Euro artisans. There's even a small selection of silk scarves and quirky accessories for male individualists.

    Read more about Antichi Kimono

  16. Arsenale

    Female fashionistas revere Arsenale's understated cool, where you'll find svelte, structuralist creations by Roman designer Patrizia Pieroni. Fabrics are heavenly and the look is just right for that art show opening.

    Read more about Arsenale

  17. Artemide

    For lamps that light up the world of interior design, head to Artemide. Whether moonlike white globes or so minimalist you hardly notice them til you clock the price tag, this is light as art.

    Read more about Artemide

  19. AS Roma Store

    The financial and on-field fortunes of AS Roma, one of Rome's two football teams, have made sorry reading in recent years. Boost the team's coffers by buying a replica shirt or a Roma key ring at this, one of their official club shops, which also sells game tickets.

    Read more about AS Roma Store

  20. AVC by Adriana V Campanile

    Roman designer Campanile's shoes and boots are wearable, stunningly chic and practical - and not insanely priced. There are several other branches, including one in Galleria Alberto Sordi (06 678 34 84).

    Read more about AVC by Adriana V Campanile

  21. Bartolucci

    You can't miss this wonderful toy shop, where everything's crafted in pine by the Bartolucci family. It's guarded by a cycling Pinocchio and a full-sized wooden motorbike, and within are thousands of ticking clocks, beautiful cars, planes and more Pinocchios than you're ever likely to see in one place. You can have wooden signs (hang your hat on Pinocchio's nose) personalised with your name.

    Read more about Bartolucci

  22. Bassetti Tessuti

    Hidden away in a run-of-the-mill palazzo (palace), Bassetti Tessuti is a sprawling, technicolour temple to textiles. From fine Italian wools and silks, to cheetah-print faux fur, a jaw-dropping 200,000 fabrics line its endless sea of soaring, cracked rooms. Brothers Emidio and Lorenzo Bassetti set up shop in 1954, serving everyone from couture royalty to needle-savvy homemakers.

    Read more about Bassetti Tessuti

  23. Baullà

    Baullà sells classic women's clothes and some accessories - all understated, informal chic of exceptional quality. Expect beautiful knitwear, linen jackets, jewel-bright chenille scarves and a selection of original bags and shoes.

    Read more about Baullà

  24. Advertisement

  25. Bertè

    On Piazza Navona, this famous toy shop specialises in beautifully sculpted wooden dolls and puppets, but has a great mishmash of other stuff, from tractors to pushchairs and doll houses to tea sets. Good for a pre-/post-sightseeing bribe/reward.

    Read more about Bertè

  26. Bibli

    Intelligentsia types flock here to stock their bookshelves, hobnob at the regular readings and launches, and discuss plots and characters over cake at the in-house café. There's a limited selection of books in English. Aperitivo is served from to and brunch at weekends from to for particularly peckish bookworms.

    Read more about Bibli

  27. Bibli Bookshop

    On an artsy Trastevere street, Bibli is a buzzing warren that manages to be a bookshop, cultural centre and café, with a little courtyard and delectable cakes. A great place to pass a pleasant hour or two browsing, it regularly hosts poetry readings and book presentations. There's a limited selection of books in English. There's aperitivo (around €8 , to ) and brunch ( Saturday and Sunday) for peckish intelligentsia.

    Read more about Bibli Bookshop

  28. Bocca Di Dama

    Run by fresh, young creative-types, this new-school pasticceria (pastry shop) injects traditional sweet recipes with a dash of contemporary quirk - think handmade chocolates sold with euphemisms and architect-concocted bonbons with names such as bacio dell'architetto (the architect's kiss). Stock up on all-natural seasonal cakes, biscuits and heavenly handmade marmalades.

    Read more about Bocca Di Dama

  29. Bomba

    Discerning Romans worship Cristina Bomba's sartorial creations. Here they're mixed with Metradamo and Liviana Conti gowns, Nafi De Luca millinery, Donatella Pellini jewellery and idiosyncratic footwear from Fiorentini & Baker. There's a small selection of modish ties and shoes for men, while bespoke fans can book a Monday appointment with the in-house tailor (a basic dress or suit takes about a week to complete).

    Read more about Bomba