A Nordic-Minimalist Loft near Via Merulana, Rome
Casa Cris is a two-bedroom loft for up to four guests, just off Via Merulana in Rome’s Esquilino quarter. It was designed by Dispensabile, a Rome studio founded in 2009 and led by the architects Germana De Donno, Sabrina Stanti and Elena Cardilli, known for their spare Nordic style. Once they'd completed their work, owner Cristina moved in her own art, books and music.
The front door opens straight into a bright kitchen. Make a pour-over coffee and take it to the long table in the living room, among the books and board games, or head out to the stalls around Piazza Vittorio for the day’s shopping. In the evening, gather everyone back around the same table for dinner.
If you need inspiration for that dinner, book ahead and Cristina will teach you two kinds of fresh pasta and their sauces, followed by an hour at the table eating what you made. If you'd rather get out into the city (which we recommend), she'll take you through the neighborhood on a small food tour.
Good news for families. The loft is also set up for young children, with a crib, a high chair and a playroom of age-sorted toys.
Layout
Casa Cris sleeps up to four guests in two bedrooms over two levels. The entrance opens into the kitchen, with the bathroom and its walk-in shower to one side and the living room beyond. One bedroom is on the mezzanine, up a stair behind the kitchen. The other is on the main level, just off the kitchen, with its own window.
• Bedroom 1: Queen, mezzanine
• Bedroom 2: Queen, main level, built-in storage
• Bathroom with walk-in shower
• Crib available
Experiences
Offered by host: Cristina’s three-hour pasta class (two hours making two kinds of fresh pasta and their sauces, then an hour at the table eating what you made), and small guided food tours of the city. Ask her to arrange either when you book.
Good to know
Check-in is self-service by smart lock, from 2 p.m., and check-out is by 10 a.m. Please note, if you are traveling with small children, the mezzanine bedroom is reached by a steep stair. There’s no television (by design) and no outdoor space. Rome’s city tourist tax is collected on arrival. Stays of 28 nights or more are welcome.
Amenities & services
Fully equipped kitchen with dishwasher, oven, stove, refrigerator, freezer, kettle, pour-over coffee maker and cooking basics, fast Wi-Fi, dedicated workspace, air conditioning, central heating, washing machine, drying rack, iron, walk-in shower, hair dryer, bidet, large dining table, books, music and board games, yoga mat, crib, high chair, children’s dinnerware, children’s playroom with age-sorted books and toys, free street parking, fresh linens and towels.
Available on request: Luggage drop-off, cleaning during your stay, babysitter recommendations.
Around
Esquilino is the neighborhood Romans call the middle ground: multicultural, unpolished and full of everyday life, a few blocks from the monuments. Via Merulana runs through it, the street Carlo Emilio Gadda made famous in his crime novel Quer pasticciaccio brutto de via Merulana. The Nuovo Mercato Esquilino and the stalls around Piazza Vittorio are where the neighborhood shops, and the gardens at Piazza Vittorio give children somewhere to run. For dinner, Cristina sends guests to Casa Dante, a bar and bistro in a former workshop on Piazza Dante where Roman writers and directors gather, and to Ardecore for long-fermented pizza on Via Buonarroti. The Palazzo delle Esposizioni and the Teatro dell’Opera are both close.
Location
Rome (Esquilino), Lazio, Italy. Nearest airports: Rome Ciampino (CIA, 15km) and Rome Fiumicino (FCO, 34km).
Best time to visit
Spring and early fall, when Rome is warm rather than hot, and Esquilino’s markets are at their best. In winter, the long table and Cristina’s pasta class come into their own.
