Rome for Foodies: How Amex Platinum Transforms Your Italian Trip

It was half past seven in the evening, late October. I was sitting on a terrace in Trastevere with a glass of Frascati in my hand, while the waiter set down a plate of cacio e pepe in front of me that was so perfect it left me speechless for a moment. The pepper had just the right bite, the pecorino was creamy without being heavy, and the pasta had exactly that bite you only get in Rome. You can't plan moments like that. But the circumstances surrounding them — those you can organise smartly.

For me, Rome is the city where food isn't a side note, but the main reason to go. And honestly: since I've been consistently using my Amex Platinum as a Belgian traveller for trips like this, the entire experience has been elevated to another level. Not in a flashy way. More in a way where everything just runs more smoothly: the departure lounge at Brussels Airport, the hotel that gives you an upgrade upon arrival, the travel insurance you don't have to think about.

In this piece, I'll take you through how I approached a Rome luxury travel trip, which Italy Amex Platinum benefits truly made a difference, and where you need to be as a foodie in Rome. Concrete, with numbers, and from my own experience.

Departing from Brussels: why the trip already begins at Brussels Airport

Most Belgians know the feeling. You're standing at five in the morning in the queue at security at Brussels Airport, half asleep, with luggage hassle that immediately starts ruining your day. That's precisely the moment when the Amex Platinum pulls its first trick. The Fast Lane security that comes with the card (normally €169/year) means you stand in a separate queue. Two minutes later you're through. I'm not exaggerating.

Then: the lounge. With Priority Pass Prestige, which comes standard with the Platinum card, you have access to more than 1,550 lounges worldwide. At Zaventem I usually use the lounge where you can quietly have breakfast with fresh fruit, hot dishes and coffee that doesn't come from a vending machine. Your guest gets in free. That alone has a value of around €500 per year if you were to purchase it separately.

The flight from BRU to FCO (Rome Fiumicino) takes barely two hours. Brussels Airlines flies there directly, and if you use your Membership Rewards points wisely, you can book that flight through partner airlines. With the standard earning rate of 1 point per €1 spent, you build up steadily. Activate the Booster option for €10 per month extra, and you earn 4 points per €1: that adds up quickly when you run your daily expenses through the card.

Something else I appreciate and that Belgian travellers sometimes overlook: there are no foreign transaction fees on international payments with the Amex Platinum. In Italy you pay in euros so that's less relevant, but the principle applies worldwide. Handy if you combine Rome with a side trip to London or Istanbul.

Rome boutique hotel points: Fine Hotels + Resorts makes the difference

This is where it gets really interesting. The Fine Hotels + Resorts programme (FHR) from American Express is, in my view, one of the most underrated benefits of the Platinum card. Here's how it works: you book a hotel from their network of more than 14,000 luxury hotels worldwide, and you automatically receive a package of benefits that you won't find anywhere else for the same price.

Complimentary room upgrade when available. Daily breakfast for two. Early check-in and late check-out. And a welcome gift worth approximately €100, sometimes in the form of a spa treatment, sometimes as a dining credit. The total value per stay can reach up to €650. Read that again: six hundred and fifty euros in extras, for a single stay.

In Rome you have strong FHR options. Hotel de Russie, near Piazza del Popolo, is one of my favourites. You're within walking distance of the Spanish Steps and the restaurant Le Jardin de Russie serves a breakfast that alone makes the room upgrade worthwhile. Hotel Eden, atop the Spanish Steps, has a rooftop terrace where you can look out over all of Rome at sunset. The St. Regis Rome is for those who want to go truly grand: butler service, marble bathrooms, and a location right next to Termini station.

Honestly, with my first FHR booking in Rome I had doubts. Would the hotel actually deliver? The answer was unequivocally yes. At check-in I was immediately led to a higher-floor room with views of the inner gardens, breakfast was included every morning in full (normally €45 per person), and upon departure I had used a €100 spa voucher that I'd received as a welcome gift. That's the power of FHR: these aren't empty promises, they're concrete benefits you experience on the spot.

Rome fine dining: eating like a local with Platinum benefits

Now for the real topic. Because Rome is above all a city to eat in. And I don't mean the tourist traps around the Colosseum where they charge you €18 for a limp carbonara. I mean the places where Romans themselves sit down, where the pasta was made that morning, and where the waiter doesn't give you a menu but simply tells you what's on today.

My favourites, built up over multiple visits:

• Roscioli (Via dei Giubbonari 21): half delicatessen, half restaurant. Their carbonara is legendary, but also order the burrata with anchovy. Reserve at least two weeks in advance.
• Da Enzo al 29 (Via dei Vascellari 29, Trastevere): no frills, just brilliant food. The cacio e pepe is a benchmark. Be there at 19:00, because reservations aren't possible and the queue grows fast.
• Armando al Pantheon (Salita dei Crescenzi 31): touristy location, but the food is authentically Roman. The amatriciana is exactly as it should be.
• Retrobottega (Via della Stelletta 4): modern-Italian, surprising, with a tasting menu that costs €65 and is worth every cent.
• La Pergola (Rome Cavalieri Hotel): three Michelin stars, chef Heinz Beck. Here you'll easily pay €250 per person. But when you pay with your Amex Platinum, you naturally earn points on that.

And then there's the Dining for 2 benefit that comes with the Amex Platinum. Three times per year, as a cardholder, you can enjoy a complimentary two-course menu for two at participating top restaurants. The value: up to €300 per year. There are participating venues in Belgium, and while the programme is primarily focused on Belgian restaurants, it's a wonderful way to continue your culinary journey before departure or after your return.

What I notice in Rome itself: most upscale restaurants and all hotels accept American Express without any issue. At smaller trattorias and pizzerias you sometimes run into the fact that they only take Visa, Mastercard or cash. My tip: always bring a backup card. But your dinner at Roscioli or La Pergola? There you can simply tap your Amex Platinum against the terminal.

The hidden benefits: insurance, concierge and Membership Rewards in Rome

There are a number of things you don't immediately see but that are enormously valuable when travelling to Italy. The travel insurance, for example. When paying with your Amex Platinum, comprehensive coverage is automatically active through Chubb and Europe Assistance. That means: trip cancellation insurance, flight insurance for delays or missed connections, baggage insurance for loss, theft or damage, and coverage for medical costs abroad.

I once experienced the benefit of this when my suitcase arrived two days late on a trip (not Rome, but the principle is the same). It was handled without any extra effort. No separate insurance form, no hassle with a separate travel policy. It was simply included with the card.

The 24/7 concierge service is something many cardholders don't think about, but it can be worth its weight in gold in Rome. A hard-to-get restaurant reservation? Call the concierge. Tickets to the Vatican Museums without queuing for hours? They'll arrange it. I don't use it for every little thing, but for those few moments where you're stuck, it's a lifesaver.

And then the points. Every euro you spend in Rome with the Platinum card earns Membership Rewards points. Those points never expire as long as your card is active, and you can transfer them to an impressive list of airline partners: Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, Air France-KLM, British Airways, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, and fifteen others. Concretely: if you spend €2,000 in a week in Rome on hotel, restaurants and activities, with the Booster (4 points per €1) you've earned 8,000 points in a single trip. You can later use those for a flight, a hotel night, or statement credits.

What does it cost, what does it deliver: the calculation for Belgian travellers

Let's be honest. The Amex Platinum card costs €65 per month. That's €780 per year. That's not small change, and it's healthy to ask: do I earn that back?

For a Rome trip as a foodie, the calculation looks like this:

Add it all up and you're well above €1,700 in value, compared to €780 in costs. And I haven't even counted the Membership Rewards points you continuously earn, the Hertz Gold Plus Five Star status, the Amex Offers discounts, and the Global Assist emergency service.

According to TravelLux.be, the Amex Platinum card is particularly valuable for Belgian travellers who take at least two to three international trips per year. And if you want to experience Rome as a foodie, you're exactly the type of traveller this card was designed for. The welcome bonus of 150,000 points (via the TravelLux.be referral link) on its own already covers a significant portion of your next trip.

You can always check the official terms and conditions and the full overview at americanexpress.com/be.

Frequently asked questions about travelling to Rome with Amex Platinum