When in Rome

Heinz Beck, chef at the three Michelin-starred La Pergola at the Cavalieri hotel in Rome, reveals his favourite places in the city

The best place to eat outside ... is Molto, a restaurant in a private courtyard in the elegant Parioli district. It is contemporary cooking based on Italian traditions, with lovely service. It’s casual and, unlike a lot of restaurants in Rome, is open on Sunday. In fact, I like to go on Sundays or Mondays when my own restaurant is closed. 122 Viale dei Parioli, www.moltoitaliano.it

For a business lunch ... I like to visit Da Felice, a real trattoria with a very Roman style of cooking. I was there two weeks ago with an Italian food critic from L’Espresso newspaper. They make good cacio e pepe, a spaghetti with pecorino and pepper. It’s quite heavy, so I eat only half portions there. 29 Via Mastro Giorgio, www.feliceatestaccio.com

The best food market ... is Campo dei Fiori, but you have to go early – after 11am you won’t find anything there at all, and they close at noon. It’s divided into two parts – flowers and food. Around the edges there are small café-bars so you can have a cappuccino as you go around. It’s all outdoors, which is what you want from a Roman market, it’s right in the centre and it’s one of the oldest markets still operating. It’s charming. Campo dei Fiori is south of Piazza Navona and open Monday to Saturday.

For a lazy weekend lunch ... I head to Osteria San Cesario, a restaurant to the southeast of the city where chef Anna Dente makes you feel pampered. It’s really “mamma cooking”, made with good, local ingredients, nicely cooked. Via F. Corridoni, 60 San Cesareo, www.osteriadisancesario.it

The market at Campo dei Fiori

For cakes ... my favourite is Mondi. In Italy we don’t have the tradition of going out somewhere in the afternoon for cakes with tea or coffee. But we do have several marvellous pastry shops. At Mondi they have a huge assortment of very original pastries. I buy them in the morning to have with some coffee later in the day. Mondi, 468 Via Flaminia Vecchia

My guilty pleasure ... is Il Gelato di San Crispino, which is right beside the Trevi fountain and isn’t to be missed when visiting Rome. It does get busy, but the ice-cream is high quality. You can have it in a bowl, cone or brioche. 42 Via della Pannetteria, www.ilgelatodisancrispino.it

Heinz Beck’s restaurant La Pergola is at the Rome Cavalieri hotel, 101 Via Alberto Cadlolo, www.romecavalieri.com

For information on Apsleys, Beck’s Michelin-starred restaurant at the Lanesborough Hotel in London, see www.lanesborough.com