There’s no escaping it: autumn is here. And to us, that means only one thing when it comes to travel: city breaks. We asked Gemma Miles, travel consultant at boutique-hotel experts Mr & Mrs Smith, for her intel on the best things to eat, do and stay in la bella città.

Eat

Stazione di Posta is well worth a visit: it’s innovative, creative but very down to earth and meals are inventive and colourfully served in calligraphic swirls and painterly dabs. They mix up an excellent cocktail, and serve Italian fare that’s locally sourced and packed with flavour. Or, try Fortunato Al Pantheon for more truly authentic Italian dishes, and for dessert head to Il Gelato di San Crispino on Via della Panetteria: the seasonal sorbet menu means the flavours are ever changing.

Do

The best thing to do in Rome is walk – strolling down picturesque cobbled side streets chosen on a whim, stumbling across Roman ruins, and so on. Make your way along Via Panisperna (popping into the Nora P design store for a quirky objet d’art) and meander down the hill to the Colosseum. From there, head to Hotel Palazzo Manfredi for an aperitivo in the rooftop bar – book ahead for the restaurant which has fantastic views over the Colosseum. Definitely don’t miss the Spanish Steps – even in the rain they’re eminently Instagrammable eye candy – or the Pantheon. And I always recommend a visit to the Giardino degli Aranci: peep through the keyhole for a particularly special view…

Stay

One of my all-time favourite spots is elegantly retro Casacau, steps from the Trevi fountain. It’s a series of apartments rather than a traditional hotel, so you can live like a real Roman (albeit one who gets a handy breakfast bag of pastries and eggs delivered each morning). Label fiends will find the boutiques of Via Condotti nearby, and more adventurous shoppers venture to the shops of Via del Boschetto. Or, if you fancy living like Roman royalty, try Residenza Napoleone III, tucked into the corner of a former palace; it’s utterly tranquil. Of hotel’s two suites, the Residenza Napoleone Suite is the grander, but the Roof Garden Terrace Suite makes up for its lack of oil paintings with spectacular city views

Voting’s now underway for the Smith Hotel Awards 2015 – pick your favourite stays at smithhotelawards.com before 30 September. The results will be announced in London on 5 November.