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Luisella Mariotti
With semiprecious stones, crystals, glass and nickel-free metals, Luisella Mariotti creates spidery, out-of-this-world jewellery. Original pieces at reasonable prices abound in her backstreet shop.
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Lumieres
Cut a swathe through the metallic stalks that have all but taken over this delightfully unpretentious shop and you'll discover a large collection of antique lamps. Styles range from Art Nouveau and Art Deco to 1950s.
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Maga Morgana
Maga Morgana, an independent boutique, stocks a mix of brightly coloured knitwear, woollen wraps, Minnie Mouse shoes and flimsy frocks. Some are Luciana Iannace's own designs; other items are sourced from Paris, Florence and elsewhere. Head down the road to Via del Governo Vecchio 98 (06 687 80 95) for silk and wedding dresses.
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Mandarina Duck
Chic, ergonomic, witty and made from high-tech materials in colours ranging from dove-grey to mustard, Bolognese company Mandarina Duck's bags strike a mean balance between usability and style. Whether you're after some sleek shoulder candy or a futuristic briefcase, this is the place.
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Marcoaurelio
The extraordinary handmade pieces at this small jeweller's often take organic forms: lizards, sea shells, even dogs inspire the shapes and styles. Beaten gold, silver and copper bracelets look like ancient treasures that you might find in a museum.
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MAS
Trashy MAS (Magazzino allo Statuto) is a bargain-hunter's dream, with lots of cheap and sometimes-cheerful clothes. If you have the patience, you can rifle through cages of knickers and vests; racks of leather jackets, suits and satin dresses; and shelves of kitchen utensils, bags and umbrellas.
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Materozzoli
Materozzoli, with a beautiful Art Deco front, is the sort of shop where Bertie Wooster would send Jeeves to stock up on toiletries before a weekend in the country. With a wide range of perfumes, shaving tackle, make-up and hairbrushes, it has everything one might need for one's toilet.
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Max & Co
Rome's young dandies, for whom clothes shopping is a serious business, come to Max & Co for MaxMara's funkier youth range. That means top-quality threads at not-quite-designer prices.
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Maxmara
Italians adore MaxMara - one of the country's most ubiquitous labels - for its classic, elegant style, ideal for creating the bella figura . There's nothing brash or brassy here: colours are neutral and simple, cuts superb and elegant, and fabrics luxurious. Branches include Via dei Condotti 17 (06 692 21 04) and Via Nazionale 28 (06 488 58 70).
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Mcqueen 72
Pimp up your feet with one of Rome's coolest collections of sneakers, including limited edition Diadora Deluxe, Reebok and New Balance, Dutch brand Patta and New York label A-live. Head upstairs for street-smart threads or flash your student card for a little discount.
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Mel Bookstore
Mel's, on three floors, has a good range of Italian literature, reference books and travel guides, as well as CDs, half-price books (general-fiction paperbacks) and a comprehensive comics section. There are a few in English and French, and a welcome upstairs bar.
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Mel Giannino Stoppani Librerie Per Ragazzi
Rome's best children's bookshop is an ideal place for parents to distract their kids. Large, colourful and well stocked, it has about 20,000 titles in Italian and a selection of books in French, Spanish, German and English. If the kids don't want to read, they can always tumble around in the play area while Mum and Dad flick through the Asterix books. There's also a bathroom equipped for nappy changing.
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Mercato delle Stampe
The Mercato delle Stampe (Print Market) is well worth a look if you're a fan of vintage books and old prints. Browse the permanent stalls and among the tired posters and dusty back editions you might turn up some interesting music scores, architectural engravings or chromolithographs of Rome.
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Mercato Di Testaccio
Testaccio's famous morning market packs a punch with its earthy old-school attitude and fresh, cheap produce - think crates crammed with mussels, counters piled with cheeses, and stall after stall of wallet-friendly footwear. Head in early, grab a slab of pizza rossa (pizza with tomato) and hunt yourself a bargain.
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Messaggerie Musicali
Rome's music megastore has CDs spread over three floors, and like most such places it has everything from easy-listening to opera, jazz and pop. It also boasts a well-stocked magazine section (everything from Q to Hello ) and a ticket agency.
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Misty Beethoven
Kinky gets slinky at this glossy-glam boudoir, designed entirely by the owner. Under a sexy chandelier made of black biros, stylish mistresses shop for Vivienne Westwood shoes and bags, Agent Provocateur perfumes, coquette corsets, scented candles and, if the mood takes them, naughty designer dildos.
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Mondello Ottica
If you're in Rome, you need shades. To fit in with the in-crowd, head here for the hippest brands. A sparkling white temple of sunglasses, Mondello Ottica has frames by leading designers, including Anne et Valentin, l.a.Eyeworks, Cutler and Gross, and the Belgian designer Theo. Prescription glasses can be ready the same day.
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Mondo Pop
For Gen-X/Y pop freaks who have it all. This new gallery-cum-shop stocks a rotating selection of products designed by cultish street artists such as Massimo Caccia, Cesko and MTV's Jeremyville - from pop-print T-shirts and poufs, to art toys and 'where-did-you-get-that?' bags.
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Moresco Ottica
Blink and you'll miss Moresco, a tiny optician's stocking frames by many major labels - Gucci, Chanel, Persol, Web and Luxottica to name a few. You can have your eyes tested and the friendly proprietor will organise prescriptions in a couple of hours.
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My Cup Of Tea
In a hard-to-find converted artist's studio (walk through the main entrance and ring the bell at the courtyard door), this self-dubbed 'creative incubator' showcases the work of emerging artists and fashion designers (with an emphasis on women's and children's fashion). Past stock includes felt jewellery from Italo-Brit Biondo, and kitschy celebrity portraits by Daniele Cima.
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Nardecchia
The enchanting antique prints sold at Nardecchia, a venerable institution on Piazza Navona, range from expensive 18th-century etchings of Rome by Giovanni Battista Piranesi to more affordable 19th-century panoramas.
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Notebook
This sprawling shop at Auditorium Parco della Musica has a hefty collection of art, film, music, design and travel books (mostly in Italian). There are also CDs, DVDs and Auditorium merchandise for smitten culture vultures. For the lowdown on upcoming literary events, do a keyword search for 'bookshop' on the Auditorium Parco della Musica website (www.auditorium.com).
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Nuyorica
Worship at this shrine to contemporary chic, with its Balenciaga, Marc Jacobs and Chloë clothes, shoes and handbags. It namechecks all the hippest mainstream designers and is worth a browse to sigh over, if not to buy. Nuyorica Roots (06 997 00 829; Via del Pellegrino 15) is around the corner, with a fine array of 'it' bags and too-hip-to-smile sales assistants.
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Officina della Carta
A tiny workshop producing attractive hand-painted paper-bound boxes, photo albums, recipe books, notepads, photo frames and diaries - all of which make terrific gifts. It also has a selection of better-than-average postcards.
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Officina Profumo Farmaceutica Di Santa Maria Novella
Step in for the scent of the place, if nothing else. This bewitching shop - the catchily named Roman branch of one of Italy's oldest pharmacies - sells exquisite lotions and potions under a Murano-glass chandelier. Founded in Florence in 1612 by the Dominican monks of Santa Maria Novella, many of its cosmetics are based on original 17th-century herbal recipes.
Read more about Officina Profumo Farmaceutica Di Santa Maria Novella
