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Indagare member A.B. visits Rome often and shares with us her favorite hotel and restaurants.

“I stay at a wonderful place called Crossing Condotti (crossingcondotti.com), owned by the same people who own Crossing the Rock in Sicily. I either stay at the townhouse just off Via Condotti, but most recently they were full and offered me their new apartment nearby, which was even better. It is perfect for anyone who doesn’t need the services of a full-fledged hotel, and the concierge Marco is extremely resourceful.

“Some of my favorite restaurants in Rome include Armando al Pantheon an excellent trattoria near the Pantheon. I have been going since 1999 and the food is always fantastic. Reservations are necessary for dinner. All’Oro in the Parioli neighborhood, is not-to-be-missed. I recommend booking a reservation way in advance. Ristorante Settembrini (Via Luigi Settembrini 25; 39 06 323 2617) is a very chic place in the Prati neighborhood and La Gensola serves delicious seafood in Trastevere.

“In Florence, I love Trattoria Sostanza, known as Troia for its Florentine steak. The restaurant is legendary for being a no-frills place with hand-written menus and a cash-only policy. Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina in the Oltarno is a great little wine bar across the piazza from the Pitti Palace. They do a wine-tasting (mainly Tuscan wines from the best producers and you can also buy the bottles here—we bought an excellent Brunello). They also serve small plates of food to go with the wine and you can make an evening out of it if you don’t want a big restaurant-type meal.”

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Indagare member Carroll Pierce and her daughter recently visited London to see the Olympics, and discovering and returning to some of the city’s best restaurants.

Despite the Olympics going on, the central part of the city is relatively quiet. Cabs are everywhere, but we’ve mostly been taking the tube. We did get a private car to take us to Greenwich Park one day as it was more time efficient.

The cross county phase of the three-day equestrian eventing was one of the most enjoyable days Hadley and I have ever had. We trooped up and down the entire course and seemed to be the lone cheering section for the American riders. We’re finding the contrast between the world news on the Middle East and the harmony in the Olympic crowds striking. The fans, no matter their nationality, are so joyous, polite and appreciative.

I made no advance dinner reservations and was just going to wing it, but we did do some cruising on Indagare and GOOP and some favorites included The Botanist (7 Sloane Square; 44 207 730 0077) for quick breakfasts, and Tom Aikens, where we had a spectacularly original meal. We also visited Aikens’ “farm-to-table” restaurant, Tom’s Kitchen, which was so good I can’t wait to go back. Hadley said the salad was like “eating a garden.”

I wanted Hadley to see Bibendum (81 Fulham Road; 44-20-7581-5817), so we went there one night, but it was not as good as I’d remembered. Kitchen W8 was good, but not great.

The design exhibit at the V&A is amazing, particularly the works by Heatherwick Studios, who designed this summer’s Olympic torch display.

Read a summer London update.

Read Indagare’s London destination report.

Buy a copy of Indagare’s Mapped Out: London Essential Three-Day Itinerary for Families.