For cosmopolitan shopaholics

Via del Corso is Rome's equivalent of London's Oxford Street; the ancient street is the city's busiest shopping thoroughfare. The area between Via del Corso and the Spanish Steps (in the Piazza di Spagna)

Via del Corso is Rome's equivalent of London's Oxford Street; the ancient street is the city's busiest shopping thoroughfare. The area between Via del Corso and the Spanish Steps (in the Piazza di Spagna) is cosmopolitan and buzzing, made up of narrow streets lined with expensive cafes and exclusive boutiques.
Close to the Spanish Steps are the park of the Villa Borghese, attractive Piazza del Popolo, the legendary Fontana di Trevi and the pretty artists' lane, Via Margutta. There are several nice restaurants and bars in this area.The Metro station at the Spanish Steps, Spagna, is three stops from Termini on Linea A. Via del Corso is served by a number of buses, and most of the city is within walking distance (the Pantheon is just a few streets away).
The irregular form of Rome "Piazza di Spagna" opens itself in front of the hill of the Pincio, at the footsteps of the stairs of the "Trinità dei Monti" (Trinity of the Mounts) and it is an ideal departure point for the famous and fashionable Via Condotti. The actual form of the entire area starts to define itself at the beginning of the 16th century when it is decided to change, on the project of Carlo Maderno, the construction of the Franciscan church of the Trinity of the Mounts, then consecrated by Sisto V in 1587 after Christ. Since there were not the necessary funds to realise the stairs, guaranteed by a testament legacy dating from 1660 of the French diplomat Stefano Gueffier, and since the diatribes on the ownership of the land were not resolved, the connection between the top of the hill and Piazza di Spagna was made of two pathways going down through the trees. The stairs of the Trinity of the Mounts is realised only between 1723 and 1726 after Christ, by Francesco De Sanctis, as a series of stairs and terraces, never linked to any form of spatial symmetry and in a non-ending scenographic movement thanks to the use of straight paths, curves and polygonal. The square where located the college of the Jesuits of the "Propaganda Fide" since 1662 after Christ, last work of Borromini, and the column of the Immaculate dating from the 19th century, takes the name of "Piazza di Spagna" during the 17th century, when the entire area becomes considered as a territory part of the Spanish Embassy.
At the footsteps of the stairs of the Trinity of the Mounts, Pietro Bernini, father of the more famous Gianlorenzo, because of the effect of the low pressure of the water supply system in the area, chooses to realise a fountain without jets that makes the water flow off from the forms of a sunk boat; he therefore sculptures what is retained, rightly, one of the most particular fountains of the entire Rome: the "Fountain of the Barcaccia".
Resturants:

Al Presidente
Via in Arcione 94-95 This restaurant under the walls of the Quirinal palace is one of the few really reliable addresses in the menu turistico-dominated Trevi Fountain area. The creative Italian menu is strong on fish: primi include a deliciously creamy asparagus and squid soup, while one of the highlights of the secondi is the fish and vegetable millefeuille. Outside tables. Price: deluxe Address:Via in Arcione 94-95 Info:(06 679 7342). Meals served 1-3.30pm, 8-11pm Tue-Sun. Closed 2wks Aug; 2wks Jan.

Antica Birreria Peroni
Via di San Marcello 19 This long-running, classic birreria is the perfect place for a quick lunch or dinner. Service is rough-and-Roman but friendly, and the food is good and relatively cheap. Sausage is the main act, with three types of German-style wurstel on offer. Price: budget Address:Via di San Marcello 19 Info:(06 679 5310). Meals served noon-midnight Mon-Sat. Closed 3wks Aug.

Antica Enoteca di Via della Croce
Via della Croce 76b A tasteful revamp of this wine bar has retained most of the original 1842 fittings, including the marble wine vats and a venerable wooden cash desk. There’s a cold antipasto buffet at the bar, and a restaurant with tables in the long back room. It also operates as an off-licence. Price: moderate Address:Via della Croce 76B Info:(06 679 0896). Open 11.30am-1am daily. Closed 1wk Aug.

Antico Caffe Greco
Founded in 1760, this venerable café was once the hangout of Casanova, Goethe, Wagner, Shelley and Byron. Today it has its sofas packed with tourists, while locals cram the foyer. Info:Via Condotti 86 (06 679 1700). Open 10.30am-7pm Mon, Sun; 9am-7pm Tue-Sat. Closed 2wks Aug.