Best for Romance: A great place to pop the question or just enjoy a romantic evening is Relais Le Jardin, in the Hotel Lord Byron, Via G. de Notaris 5 (tel. 06-361-3041), a stunner of a place that also just happens to serve the best Italian cuisine in town. The decor is as romantic as the atmosphere; it's all white lattice and bold Italian colors highlighted by masses of fresh flowers. The setting is in a Relais & Châteaux-member hotel, an Art Deco villa set on a residential hilltop in Parioli, an area of embassies and exclusive town houses at the edge of the Villa Borghese.

Best for a Celebration: Romans have been flocking to Checchino dal 1887, Via di Monte Testaccio 30 (tel. 06-574-6318), since the early 19th century for fun and hearty food. With a bountiful array of wine and foodstuffs, every meal seems like a party. The tables are packed nightly, and the place is a local legend. You'll have fun while still enjoying some of the best cuisine in town.

Best Decor: By night, chic Romans and savvy foreign visitors alike show up at El Toulà (The Hayloft), Via della Lupa 29B (tel. 06-687-3498), an elegant establishment set near the fabled Caffé Greco and some of the most upscale boutiques in Rome. It's no bargain, but once you see the sumptuous setting and, more important, enjoy the cuisine, you'll think you've gotten your money's worth. Haute cuisine is served in a subdued, tasteful setting of antiques, paintings, ever-so-discreet lighting, and to-die-for flower arrangements.

Best View: The stars really do come out at night at Les Etoiles (The Stars), in the Hotel Atlante Star (tel. 06-687-3233), which has been called "the most beautiful rooftop in Italy." This restaurant is a virtual garden in the sky, with a 360° view of Roman landmarks, including the floodlit dome of St. Peter's. Try for a table alfresco in summer, but even in winter the same incredible view can be seen through picture windows. Fortunately, the food--delicately prepared Mediterranean cuisine using the freshest of ingredients--lives up to the setting.

Best Pizzeria: Even the hardest-to-please Roman pizza lovers head for Pizzeria Baffetto, Via del Governo Vecchio 114 (tel. 06-686-1617). This is a popular and fun place, drawing a young crowd. The crusts are delightfully thin.

Best Wine List: The food is only secondary at the Trimani Wine Bar, Via Cernaia 37B (tel. 06-446-9630), but the wine list is fabulous, a deluxe tour through the vineyards of Italy. One of the best tasting centers in Rome for both French and Italian vintages, this elegant wine bar offers a dazzling array of wines at reasonable prices. The Trimani family has had a prestigious name in the wine business since 1821; simply sit down at one of the tables and let the pouring begin.

Best Value: Less than $20 gets you one of the finest fixed-price menus in Rome at the Ristorante del Pallaro, Largo del Pallaro 15 (tel. 06-6880-1488). Each dish is lovingly prepared by the chef-owner, Paola Fazi, who urges her diners to Mangia! Mangia! The moment you're seated at the table, the dishes start to arrive--first a selection of antipasto, then the homemade, succulent pastas of the day, followed by such meat courses as tender roast veal. Everything's included, even a carafe of the house wine.

Best for the Kids: After their tour of the Vatican or St. Peter's, many savvy Roman families head for the Ristorante Il Matriciano, Via dei Gracchi 55 (tel. 06-321-2327). It's not fancy, but the price is right, and in summer you can opt for a sidewalk table. Let your kids feast on good, reasonably priced homemade fare that includes such crowd pleasers as ricotta-stuffed ravioli. At the next table you're likely to see some priests from the Vatican dining. And, of course, after they've behaved themselves in all the churches and museums, you'll have to reward them with gelato from Tre Scalini, Piazza Navona 30 (tel. 06-687-9148), or Giolitti, Via Uffici del Vicario 40 (tel. 06-699-1243).

Best Continental Cuisine: The city's finest restaurant is now La Terrazza, in the Hotel Eden, Via Ludovisi 49 (tel. 06-478-121), edging out a position long held by Sans Souci. In the newly and fabulously restored Hotel Eden, you can dine on Continental cuisine that is both bold and innovative. The seasonal menu offers the most polished, sophisticated cuisine in Rome; perhaps you'll choose a "symphony" of seafood or a warm salad of grilled vegetables.

Best Pan-Italian Cuisine: Italian food as you've (almost) never had it before is served at the Relais Le Jardin, in the Hotel Lord Byron, Via G. de Notaris 5 (tel. 06-361-3041), a refined citadel of haute cuisine. In a luxurious setting, you'll feast on traditional fare prepared with a light, innovative touch, with specialties from such regions as Lazio and Abruzzi. The most demanding Roman palates wine and dine here and enjoy the freshest of seasonal produce, beginning with the bright zucchini blossoms of spring.

Best Emilia-Romagna Cuisine: The area around Bologna has long been celebrated for serving the finest cuisine in Italy, and the little trattoria Colline Emiliane, Via Avignonesi 22 (tel. 06-481-7538), maintains that stellar reputation among Romans. The pastas here are among the best in Rome, especially the handmade tortellini alla panna (with cream sauce) with truffles. You can order less expensive pastas as well, all of them good. Their prosciutto comes from a small town near Parma and is reputedly the best in the world.

Best Roman Cuisine: The tempting selection of antipasti alone is enough to lure you to Al Ceppo (The Log), Via Panama 2 (tel. 06-841-9696). Try such appetizers as stuffed yellow or red peppers, or finely minced cold spinach blended with ricotta. Only 2 blocks from the Villa Borghese, this is a dining address jealously guarded by Romans, who often bring friends from out of town here. They feast on the succulent lamb chops, charcoal-grilled to perfection, or other grilled meats, such as quail, liver, and bacon.

Best Tuscan Cuisine: For the most tender and delicious bistecca alla fiorentina (beefsteak Florentine style) in Rome, head for Girarrosto Toscano, Via Germanico 58 (tel. 06-3972-5717). The chefs grill the meats to perfection, using only virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper for seasoning. You get an array of other dishes as well, including one of the best selections of antipasti in town, everything from vine-ripened melon with prosciutto to a delectable Tuscan salami. Oysters and fresh fish from the Adriatic are also served.

Best Seafood: Sure, it's expensive, but the fresh seafood is superb at Quinzi & Gabrieli, Via delle Coppelle 5-6 (tel. 06-687-9389), where simple preparations let the flavor of the fish shine through. Nearby is another fantastic fish house, La Rosetta, Via della Rosetta 8 (tel. 06-686-1002). The clear choice in Trastevere is Alberto Ciarla, Piazza San Cosimato 40 (tel. 06-581-8668).

Best Nuova Cucina: Near the Piazza Victor Emanuele, Agata e Romeo, Via Carlo Alberto 45 (tel. 06-446-6115), serves one of Rome's most inventive and creative cuisines in a striking dining room done in Liberty style. If you'd like a sampling of the best selections of the day, you can order one of the fixed-price menus, available with or without wine. The menu reflects the agrarian bounty of Italy, with ample choices for everyone: meat eaters, fish fanciers, and vegetarians.

Best in the Jewish Ghetto: For centuries, Romans have flocked to the Jewish Ghetto to sample Jerusalem artichokes. No one prepares them better than Piperno, Via Monte de' Cenci 9 (tel. 06-6880-6629), which serves savory (though nonkosher) Roman food. Of course, you can order more than these deep-fried artichokes here. A full array of delights includes everything from stuffed squash blossoms to succulent pastas.

Best Desserts: It's a bit of an exaggeration to say that people fly to Rome just to sample the tartufo at Tre Scalini, Piazza Navona 30 (tel. 06-687-9148), but we'd consider it, just to dig our spoons into a grated bitter chocolate-covered ice-cream ball swathed in whipped cream. On almost any night you'll find people lined up three deep at the ice-cream counter outside. If you can take your mind off the tartufo, you'll have a ringside seat at Rome's most beautiful square, Piazza Navona, facing Bernini's Fontana dei Fiumi.

Best Alfresco Dining: In Trastevere, Piazza Santa Maria comes alive at night. If you reserve a sidewalk table at Sabatini, Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere 13 (tel. 06-581-2026), you'll have a view of all the action, including the floodlit golden mosaics of the church on the piazza, Santa Maria in Trastevere. At the next table you're likely to see . . . well, just about anybody (on our most recent visit, Roman Polanski). In addition to the view, you get some of the best grilled fish and Florentine steaks here.

Best for People-Watching: Join the beautiful people--young actors, models, and artists from nearby Via Margutta--who descend at night on Piazza del Popolo. Young men with their silk shirts unbuttoned alight from sports cars to go on the prowl. At Dal Bolognese, Piazza del Popolo 1-2 (tel. 06-361-1426), not only can you take in this fascinating scene, but you'll also enjoy fine Bolognese cuisine as enticing as the people-watching. In the 1950s, Via Veneto was the place to be for Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, and other Hollywood types. Today the celebs are long gone, and Via Veneto is more about overpriced tourist traps than genuine hip. But lots of folks like to stroll this strip anyway, or enjoy the passing parade from a table at the Caffé de Paris, Via Vittorio Veneto 90 (tel. 06-488-5284).

Best for a Cappuccino with a View: Perhaps the best-located cafe in Rome is Di Rienzo, Piazza della Rotonda 8-9 (tel. 06-686-9097), which stands directly on Piazza della Rotonda, fronting the Pantheon. On a summer night there's no better place to be than "the living room" of Rome, as the square before you has been dubbed, as you sit and slowly sip your cappuccino. On the beautiful Piazza Navona, there's also Tre Scalini, Piazza Navona 30 (tel. 06-687-9148), for espresso, something sweet, or a more substantial bite to eat.

Best Tavola Calda: One of the best tavola caldas (hot tables) in Rome is at Bar Cottini, Via Merulana 286-287 (tel. 06-474-0768), which is convenient for those staying in hotels around the Stazione Termini. The food is artfully displayed, and the selection is bountiful--not only freshly made salads but also hot pastas and just-prepared main courses. Portions are mammoth, and tempting desserts such as a melt-in-your-mouth chocolate cake are prepared by the in-house bakery.

Best Picnic Fare: When the weather is cool and the day is sunny, it's time for an alfresco meal, and there's no better place to purchase the makings of a picnic than the Campo de' Fiori open-air market, between Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and the Tiber. The luscious produce of Lazio is on display here right in the heart of the old city. If you wish, you can purchase vegetables already chopped and ready to be dropped into the minestrone pot. Romans are particular about their food--you'll see some people inspecting cherries or other items one by one by one. There are also several excellent delicatessen shops on the square. Visit one of the shops selling freshly baked Roman bread, pick up a bottle of wine and a companion--and off you go.

Best Restaurant for Celebrity-Spotting: Glitz and glamour reign supreme at Sans Souci, Via Sicilia 20 (tel. 06-420-14-510), Rome's flashiest dining room. You'll rarely find a Roman here, but those on the hipster international circuit show up. Another chic choice is Café Riccioli, Piazza delle Coppelle 10A (tel. 06-6821-0313), where you'll often spot models and other beautiful people having a light dinner of sashimi.