The Ultimate Guide to Shopping in Rome – Our 6 Top Tips

The Italian capital is packed with designer brands, luxury department stores and indie boutiques. Here's our guide  to making the most of your time on the shopping streets of the Eternal City.

The beating heart of Rome lies within the Aurelian Walls, covering the seven hills of the original city and home to sightseeing musts such as the Forum and Pantheon. Here too are the main shopping streets – including the fashionista paradise that is Via dei Condotti – around the Spanish Steps. Stretching between the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain, Monti is where Romans in-the-know do their shopping; one of the city’s hippest neighbourhoods, it’s packed with cool boutiques and vintage stores as well as delis and small supermarkets.

Further pockets of shopping excellence are found out of the centre, in areas such as boho Trastevere. Sitting west of the River Tiber, its antiques emporiums and artisan craft stores are run by cool young creatives. Sitting just outside the ancient city walls close to the Vatican City, art nouveau Prati has a blend of high-end fashion and affordable international brands, and tucked into a meander on the river Tiber, super-trendy Testaccio is the slightly gritty district for sourcing unique fashions and organic groceries.

Little introduction is needed to Rome as a luxury shopping destination. If it’s big-name leather goods, jewellery or haute couture you’re after, you’ll find it all in the coveted streets around the Spanish Steps.

Designer shopping destinations in Rome include Via del Corso, arguably the city’s most famous shopping street – but bear in mind that it gets progressively less glam as you venture further away from Piazza Venezia.

If you’re staying in central Rome hotels near all the monuments, you’re handy for Insta-worthy snaps by the Trevi Fountain before getting your bella figura on in Via dei Condotti, one of the most exalted shopping addresses in Rome. It's dripping with high-end retailers including Jimmy Choo, Tiffany & Co and Bulgari.

La Rinascente is Rome’s uber-exclusive flagship department store. A beautifully curated cornucopia of luxury selling anything high-end from Polo Ralph Lauren shirts to Alessi kitchenware, it has prices to match. Buy gourmet treats from the upper floor, where there’s a Prosecco bar with a roof terrace – perfect for watching the sunset. 

Via del Tritone 61. Open daily 10am–9pm. Metro Line A to Barberini.

Don’t miss out on the gourmet delights of 'slow food’ emporium Eataly Roma, where you can feast in an assortment of gastronomic concessions – from flame grills to pizzerias – before plundering the shelves for Italian-produced olive oils, fine wines and truffle spreads.

Piazzale 12 Ottobre 1492. Open daily 9am–midnight. Metro Line B to Piramide.

Running westwards roughly parallel to the Tiber from Piazza Navona, Via dei Coronari is lined with antiques shops and galleries selling sleek handblown glassware – if you’re planning a proposal in Rome, chances are this is the street where you'll come upon that unusual (and pricey) art nouveau ring.

Although Rome is famed for its ultra-high-end leather goods and designer stores, it's perfectly possible to shop in the city without maxing out the credit card. Look beyond the centre and you’ll discover enticing markets, mid-range international chains and – if you’re prepared to venture into the suburbs – a discounted outlet mall.

Every day Rome’s piazzas teem with bustling local markets, selling anything from spicy chilli peppers and Lazio cheeses to knock-off antiques via pre-loved clothes. Here are five of the best.

Set in a beautiful piazza, this most famous of Rome food markets has one eye firmly set on tourists, and prices are more expensive than less-central bazaars. With a tempting array of organic fruit and vegetables, a hundred types of artisan pasta and locally produced salamis, it’s best visited first thing in the morning before the crowds arrive. 

Campo de' Fiori. Open Mon–Sat 6am–2pm.

A purpose-built covered market offering well-priced clothing, leather accessories and retro outfits. The star of the show here, however, is the food – a fact underlined by the number of local connoisseurs who flock here daily for quality comestibles. You can lunch on arancini rice balls and Rome's signature pasta dish, cacio e pepe with pecorino cheese and black pepper, at the enticing street-food stalls.

Via Aldo Manuzio. Open Mon–Sat 7am-3:30pm. Metro Line B to Piramide.

A much-loved local institution, Rome’s largest market is a sprawling indoor bazaar with around 300 stalls and different coloured zones for fish, meat or fruit and veggies. Among the delicacies, you can pick up dainty pastries and takeaway pasta dishes, have a haircut or pick up a Roman gladiator fridge magnet as a souvenir.

Via Andrea Doria 3. Open Mon, Wed, Thu, Sat 7am-2pm; Tue and Fri 7am–7pm. Metro Line A to Ottaviano.

Rome’s number-one market for ethnic foods is a rowdy multicultural affair set in a former barracks near Termini station. Here you can stock up on Indonesian galangal, Middle Eastern saffron, halal meats and exotic fruits like lychee – and this is one food market where haggling is acceptable, so bring your bargaining skills with you.

Via Principe Amedeo 184. Open Mon–Thur 5am-3pm; Fri–Sat 5am-5pm. Metro Line A to Vittorio Emanuele.

Back in Trastevere, this Sunday jamboree is where seasoned treasure hunters unearth that elusive priceless antique or diamond necklace. You will have to work through a lot of tat to come up with a rare genuine bargain, but they are to be found if you persevere. Keep a tight hold on your belongings as pickpockets are rife among the crowds.

Piazza di Porta Portese. Open Sun 7am-2pm.

Cutting a swathe through sophisticated Prati, Via Cola di Rienzo is home of relatively affordable and well-known brands such as Timberland and Lacoste, with a sprinkling of high-street staples including Zara and Pandora. 

If you’re hunting for bargains, Designer Outlet Castel Romano is the place for you. This sprawling nirvana of style offers up to 70% discount on household names such as Versace, Vuitton, Armani and Burberry in over 150 shops. It’s 30 minutes south of central Rome, so drive there (there’s free parking) or take the shuttle bus services from Termini railway station – handy if you’re staying at the hip JO&JOE Roma – or EUR Fermi metro station.

Hidden away behind Piazza del Popolo, Via dell’Oca is a secret bastion of contemporary design virtually unknown to non-locals. Sashay from hat shop to hip boutique to concept stores safe in the knowledge that whatever you buy will give you serious Italian flair. Cobbled Via del Governo Vecchio is another enclave that flies under the radar, with a quality choice of men’s tailors and chic second-hand finds; it’s five minutes’ walk west from Piazza Navona.

For unique, artisanal products, seek out Maison Halaby, the brainchild of Lebanese designer Gilbert Halaby, and rejoice in his gorgeous, vividly coloured leather handbags, unusual Lowry-like paintings or cheerily patterned cushions – and enjoy a glass of Champagne as you browse.

Via di Monserrato 21. Open Mon–Sat 9am–7pm.

Rome being an expensive city, you might not find the thrifty bargains you were anticipating, but nevertheless there are many vintage stores to be discovered. First stop could be the streets of Trastevere, leading the way in sustainable fashion with a clutch of stores selling pre-loved clothes and accessories, or the hallowed portals of Monti, where prices are steeper but you might just hit on 1970s Gucci bags or pristine designer sunglasses behind gleaming shop windows.

Treat yourself to something new (to you anyway) and do some good as well at charity-run Mercato Vintage Ecosolidale, where you can have a rummage through racks of donated clothing.

Via del Porto Fluviale 2. Metro Line B to Piramide.

General opening hours are 9am–1pm and 4pm–8pm Monday to Saturday. Major supermarkets and department stores stay open all day, and most open on Sunday, along with stores in the main shopping streets in the tourist areas.

If you’re keen to bag a bargain posh frock, Rome’s sales (i saldi) take place twice a year; they begin the first Saturday in January and extend to mid-February. The summer sales start on the first Saturday in July and continue until late August.

The prices at most shops (and certainly the department stores) in the city centre are set in stone, and attempting to strike a deal may cause offence. However, many street vendors and stall holders in the flea markets regard haggling as part of the Rome shopping experience and are often willing to compromise on price – an exception to this rule is the food markets, where what you see is what you pay.

It is part of Italian shopping culture to greet people when you walk into a shop. A simple “buongiorno” will be met with smiles all round – and when you leave, always say “grazie” – even if you didn’t buy anything!

We’ve shown you how and where to shop – be it for bling or bargains – in Rome, so now it’s your turn – get ready with the wallet and go spend some money!