I'm tempted to give this place 5 stars, but the service I received was so lacking that it would be…read moredishonest for me to do so. Otherwise, the selection is wonderful (as far as I was concerned.) They had hats of many varieties, sizes, and colors all cramped into a quaint little hole in the wall. If you divert your attention for a moment while walking past it, you could miss it.
To be fair, my feeling was that the kindly gentleman and woman attending the shop were less than patient with me because of tourist-fatigue; it was right before the peek month of tourist season (June,) and the narrow Roman side-streets were already difficult to traverse without brushing against other tourists. I assumed that they had been mainly dealing with bemused tourists, who (let's be honest) often have little consideration for the reality around them, and probably treated their shop like an exhibit/photo booth more than a family business that deserved more respect; I witnessed many people enter without any intention of buying, and I can understand how that can become tiresome.
The two shop keepers were much less indifferent once they understood that I was there to actually purchase a hat. By that point, it was sort of too late to change tunes, so they ever-so-smoothly transitioned into smiling faces, and more courteous mannerisms. They suddenly started making a bit more eye-contact, and a slightly more genuine effort to aid me in my search for the perfect black fedora.
I'm certain that the language barrier had something to do with their apparent refusal to take my inquiries about crown height/brim width/material seriously, but I felt (no pun intended) like I was rushed into picking one instead of helped to find one. No eye contact was even made by the woman, or man (who couldn't even be bothered to acknowledge a question when the woman relayed to him after she struggled with it) as I started to inquire about the various measurements and styles that are known among fine-hat wearers, and remain a mystery to those who haven't yet been taught.
I am an apprehensive traveler insofar as I am so concerned about avoiding touristy behavior, that I allow it to hinder the amusement I would otherwise have. Having said that, I probably could have asserted myself more confidently in the hat shop, instead of displaying a revered respect for them that disallowed me to even admit that I had reservations about the hat that I eventually settled for. Again, I didn't want to be fussy, because I felt that fussy was how a tourist would be. The irony is not lost on me.
The short of it is, that I didn't get the best service. I may have allowed for that by my own demeanor and I understand their disillusionment with tourists, so I can't say that this service was indicative of how people often get treated there. I also felt rushed into picking the best of the few hats that were offered as candidates that fit my criteria, and although I feel like I should have been made to feel as if I could nitpick more than I did, I do love the hat, and it is one of those purchases that I fell more in love with after the fact.
If you know how to bargain and deal, you are likely to have a great experience here. The prices are average, and the selection is par-for-the course. Very few hat shops of this calibur exist in the States.
