Three Rome Rooftops
In a city built on seven hills, the view is best from above. These are my top three.
I’ve never been afraid of heights.
Maybe it’s coming from a small, flat, landlocked town in the heart of the heartland that makes me crave the openness that altitude allows.
I’ve always been drawn upward, toward open skies.
In college we scrambled up to the roof by stacking chairs on tables, and using an emergency fire ladder in reverse.
It was only three floors off the ground, and the climb down was no less treacherous. All the same, we risked scraped palms and broken knees to spend some time among the treetops and rooftops of our Lincoln Park campus.
I can’t count the number of days and nights I spent dining, drinking, and daydreaming at my old home in Harlem, Manhattan.
Vicinity to Laguardia Airport and historic Strivers Row houses meant unobstructed views 100 blocks to the south, at least. During Covid, when we lived like the smallest Russian doll, on the roof, we could breathe and see forever without fear.
Rooftops of Rome
Rome is a series of cities and civilizations built atop one another. Stratified history garlanded in green, there’s plenty to see on the ground.
The narrowest vicoletti of the old city center never feel suffocating. There’s an intrigue to the serpentine streets of old Rome, a charm to getting lost, and finding quiet corners where cars can’t pass.
That said, Rome was founded on a hilltop, and its grandeur warrants a wide-angle lens.
Rooftops offer an instant escape from suffocating quantities of tourists. In a city where history and mythology merge into one, there’s a little magic when you get closer to the clouds.
The list goes on and on, but these are my top three Roman rooftops at the moment.
Masa Rooftop
I would never have discovered Masa if I hadn’t dragged myself out of bed on a Saturday morning for running club.
There, met Davide, one of the owners, who invited me to come by anytime. I’ve since been back a dozen times—to work, for aperitivos, birthday parties, and live jazz.
A hidden gem atop The Major hotel, Masa rooftop offers stunning views of the Santa Maria Maggiore Cathedral and surrounding rooftops of old-center Rome. In one swoop you’ve got one of the city’s most impressive domes in your face, as well the terraces and balconies of nearby homes.
There’s something sweet about watching someone water their tomato plants or hang out laundry amid the magnitude of Rome— a glimpse of what it might feel like to live here.
I’m no longer a visitor in this city, but when I travel to other ones, I can’t help but wonder. Could I call this place home? If that’s you, you’ll love this view.
Eat & Drink
Mediterranean meets Middle East is the theme here. Think hummus and fresh-caught seafood crudo with shakshuka, saffron, and pumpkins seeds, a fabulous variety of salads ranging from rice and grain-based to more traditional leafy options. Creative pastas, melt-in-your-mouth shawarma, and lettuce-wrapped fish filets with seaweed and fig ragù.
Choose from a small but curated wine list and seasonal, multi-sensory cocktails made with herbal and spice infusions designed to complement the pan-Mediterranean menu. As pretty to look at as they are to sip on.
Open 11 AM- late.
MASA
Hotel The Major: Via di S. Maria Maggiore, 143, 00185
TEL +39 338 229 3943
SITE | @masarooftop
Notos Rooftop
The Rome outpost is the first property from luxurious eco retreat, Six Senses group. It was designed as a true urban oasis, a sanctuary from one of Rome’s most congested tourist areas.
There’s a Roman bath in the basement, and there’s a leafy lobby bar and restaurant where light streams in through a jungle-like canopy of trees.
The expansive rooftop bar offers views on all sides, most impressively the massive white marble Altare dell Patria (“Altar of the Fatherland”) that dominates nearby Piazza Venezia.
Eat & Drink
Keep in mind this a five-star establishment with prices to match. That said, exceptional quality, local and organic ingredients are all in line with the Six Senses health and wellbeing ethos. The menus features beef tartare, seasonal vegetables, and flavor-packed pastas topped with rosemary marinated duck, cardoncelli (aka king oyster) mushrooms, and parsley emulsion.
An aperitivo is the perfect compromise. Snack on crispy cod, fried anchovies with parsley, salads, and seafood crudo.
Sip on a well-rounded list of Italian wines by the glass and bottle, including at least one local wine from Lazio, the region surrounding Rome, and delicious craft cocktails infused with fruit, flowers, and herbs.
Monday to Friday: 5PM-Midnight / Weekends: Noon-Midnight
NOTOS
Six Senses Rome: Piazza di San Marcello (Via del Corso)
TEL +39 06 8681 4510
SITE | @notosrooftop
Seu Pizza Con Vista
Come for the view and stay for the pizza. Either way, your senses will thank you.
Seu Pizza Con Vista crowns the W Rome Hotel. Located in the elegant and leafy Ludovisi quarter, it’s a short walk from Via Veneto and the Piazza Brasile entrance to Villa Borghese.
Slightly uphill and six floors up, the view is framed in Roman pines and sweeps the city. It’s the kind of place where an aperitivo turns into dinner, and dinner becomes drinks.
The pizzaiolo Pier Daniele Seu has been winning awards since he opened his first spot in Trastevere in 2018. He’s known for his perfect hybrid of chewy Neapolitan and crispy, Roman-style crust, and creative gourmet-adjacent toppings.
Just last week I tried one with watermelon, fermented black garlic, and fresh and dry oregano. The stewed red flesh of the watermelon melded so harmoniously with roasted tomato. It blew my mind that I’d never thought to combine the two, raw or roasted.
6PM-Midnight
Photo: Lucrezia Varrella
W Hotel: Via Liguria, 26
TEL +39 06 894121
SITE | @seupizzailluminati