Department Stores in Rome {Shop Like a Roman}

When I was in Paris a few weeks ago I spent the better part of the morning at one of my favorite places in Paris. Not the taking in the Matisse and Renoir's at Musée d'Orsay watching the chic Saint Germaine crowds pass by at the Cafe Deux Magot, but at the legendary Le Bon Marche. This is a tradition of mine. I start at the beauty counters, move to the shoe department, linger in the house and stationery floor and eventually end up at Le Grande Epicere where I purchase a suitcase full of french groceries. Here in Rome we do not have department stores with quite the grandeur or selection that the grande boulevards of Paris offer, but we do have two reasonable department store options.

La Rinascente
Piazza Fiume

The kitchen and home section on the basement floor is one of the best in town. Hard to find baking ware, bright dishes from Solimene in Vietri and Florentine Rchard Ginori, gorgeous linens and a great luggage selection are just the start of what is great about this store. The garden center has well priced pots of herbs for a small balcony or lemon trees and bougainvillea to fill a large terrace. Summer will be here before we know it and the bathing suit selection here in great. There is a tiny corner on the top floor that is sold as a food hall and a quite chic looking restaurant.

COIN
Piazzale Appio 7

I always forget that a few tram stops away from the Colosseum is the terrific department store COIN. The cosmetics section stretches out for almost the entire ground floor. They have both high end like Chanel and drugstore stables like Revlon. I sometimes spend so much time in this one section I never make it to the many other floors! For clothing you will find Marc Jacobs, the lower end lines for Max Mara, Armani and Valentino and the store's house brand Koan, which always has something cute and affordable. The home section has pretty sheets and towels and a small selection of furniture and lighting.