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"E mo’ che fammo?" ("And now what do we do?" in local dialect) . . . For a great night out in Rome, all you need to do is to wander, because ready entertainment is sure to find you on every corner. It’s important to follow Rome’s rule of thumb: if you see an enoteca, stop in. Though most enoteche are tiny and offer a limited antipasti menu, they cover more ground in their wine lists and often have a charming gang of regulars. For the linguistically timid, there are also several stereotypical English and Irish pubs peppered around the city, complete with a steady stream of Guinness, darts, and rugby on their satellite televisions. Those oversize flat-screen TVs also show American football, baseball, and basketball—ideal for those who don't want to miss a playoff game.
Although Rome offers a cornucopia of evening bacchanalia, from ultra-chic to super-cheap, all that glitters is not gold. Insiders and visitors alike understand that finding "the scene" in Rome is the proverbial needle in the haystack: it requires patience and pursuit. Your best asset will be your ability to talk, since word-of-mouth is the most accurate source. Entertainment guides like Roma 2night provide great logistical information including up-to-date listings of bars and clubs. Most visitors head out in the centro storico to find some fun; Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Campo de' Fiori, and even Trastevere may be filled with tourists, but more recently, several niche and boutique bars have opened. (In contrast, the Spanish Steps area is a ghost town by 9 pm.) If you want to get out of the comfort zone, head to the Testaccio and San Lorenzo areas. And wherever you go, remember: Romans love an after-party, so plenty of nightlife doesn't start until midnight.
When it comes to clubs, discos, and DJs in Rome, Testaccio is considered a mecca. Testaccio’s Via Galvani is Rome’s Sunset Strip, where hybrid restaurant-clubs, largely identical in music and crowd, jockey for top ranking. On average, drinks range between €10 and €15, and one is often included with the entrance (€10–€20). In summer, many clubs relocate to the beach or the Tiber, so call ahead to confirm location and hours.
An ivy-covered wine bar in the center of Monti, Rome's trendiest 'hood, Ai Tre Scalini has a warm and cozy menu of delicious antipasti and light entrées to go along with its enticing wine list. After about 8 pm, be prepared to wait—this is one extremely popular spot with locals, and they don't take reservations.
For a winning combination of creative cocktails and incredible views of the Colosseum, this bar in Palazzo Manfredi can't be beat. Bar manager Matteo "Zed" Zamberlan cut his teeth in New York's top drinking establishments, and here his creativity is on full display. The cocktails are pricey, but they come with a bounty of snacks from the hotel's acclaimed restaurant.
Irish-Italian bartender Patrick Pistolesi worked his way up the ranks at establishments in Rome and New York City before opening this cocktail bar that's regarded as one of the world's best. His first solo venture is an expression of his bold aesthetic and philosophy of hospitality. Inspired by the Japanese cartoons he watched as a kid, the space is dark and dramatic with flashes of neon. The creative cocktails feature ingredients like ginger-lemongrass cordial and miso and arrive at your table impressively quickly. Pair them with Asian-inspired snacks like vegetable dumplings or BBQ pork-filled bao.
This upscale watering hole feels miles away from the packed alleyways of the rest of Trastevere. Not much larger than the vintage railroad car the bar is designed to resemble, the interior is swathed in blue velve, and the staff are dressed as porters from another age. The classic cocktail bar comes from the master mixologists behind Rome's most popular speakeasy and has a studied menu of mixed drinks, hard-to-find spirits, and a great selection of Champagne. Reservations are essential and can be made online.
With just eight seats, this is Rome’s smallest and quirkiest cocktail bar. Dedicated to a serious historical study of spirits and creative cocktails, Lonely Avenue (named for the Ray Charles song) has a catalog of over 400 drinks. While patrons are free to dictate a specific order, the bar operates more on conversation: the two expert mixologists kick off an easy dialogue (in Italian or English) on flavors and emotions in order to suggest and concoct the perfect personalized drink.
This bar may be the best place in the city to sample la dolce vita. Celebrities, blue bloods, and VIPs hang out in the gorgeous Piazzetta Valadier where cocktails are well above par. There's also a selection of coffees, teas, healthy smoothies, and a full food menu if you need to refuel. It's especially popular for aperitivo, when canapés are served alongside the drinks.
A coffee stand by day and cocktail bar by night, this outdoor establishment began life as a city tram car back in 1903. Now the historic carriage has been converted to a kiosk permanently stationed on a park corner with retro tables and garden seating. A trendy crowd descends at sunset for an evening Spritz, and seats are at a premium until the wee hours of the morning. Since it is entirely outside, Tram Depot is mainly open in the warmer months of the year (April through November); but weather permitting, the kiosk stays open on the weekends year-round.
The excellent musical programming and the black-and-white-checker floors at Rome's most important live jazz and blues club evoke Harlem's 1930s jazz halls. The bar and restaurant are always busy, so reservations are suggested.
Piazza di Spagna's historic wine bar literally corners the market on prime people-watching. Cozy up to the counter to sip a drink under the charming frescoes, or snag a coveted outdoor table. In addition to a vast selection of wine, Antica Enoteca has delectable antipasti, perfect for a snack or a light lunch, as well as a full menu of pastas and pizzas.
This craft beer bar draws the neighborhood's hipsters and artsy types for artisanal brews from Italy and beyond. There's not much standing room in the tiny, graffiti-laden interior, so most people sit at the long picnic tables just outside. For the beer-averse, there are natural wines, plus Campari sodas or gin and tonics on tap.
At this long-standing gathering spot for students and creatives drawn in by the cheap drinks and lively atmosphere, the crowd spills out onto the neighboring cobblestone streets until the early morning hours. Spritzes are slung from a premixed container to keep the line moving, and most customers don’t bother asking for a glass for their bottle of beer. The lack of creature comforts is a part of the eternal charm.
Open since 1984, Big Mama is Trastevere's homegrown institution for live music, including jazz, blues, rhythm and blues, international, and rock. Tables can be booked online for their nightly shows.
This chummy, no-frills pub is too nice to be considered a true dive bar, but the dim lighting, rock playlist, and locals-only vibe make it a reliable spot for a night out. The outdoor tables are so close together that making friends with neighboring revelers is essentially required.
This underground cocktail bar and lounge feels like a cross between a speakeasy and a gastropub. Mismatched vintage tables and chairs, rugs, exposed brick walls, and black-and-white photographs give it a shabby chic vibe. The creative cocktails are the main draw, but the burgers are also good. From 6 pm until 8 pm, you can get an aperitivo with a drink and a nice selection of small bites for €13–16.
This cozy spot outside the Vatican is furnished like a familiar living room with a giant leather sofa and armchairs, making it easy to meet the people sitting next to you. Aperitivo (Italian happy hour) is served every evening, with a selection of classic cocktails, wine, and beer, plus the option of adding a small plate for €5.
Nattily dressed businesspeople and harried tourists enjoy signature martinis at the street-side Café Doney, Via Veneto's grand dame, in front of the Westin Excelsior. The outdoor tables offer prime people-watching, while the seats inside are set under impossibly sparkly chandeliers.
An intimate club with live music performances nightly, Charity hosts local and international jazz musicians in a relaxed atmosphere.
This classy cocktail bar a few blocks from the Vatican makes you feel transported to a cozy salon in New York or London. In addition to some original creations, the bartenders make reliably good classics, including excellent dirty martinis. The kitchen stays open until midnight, so it's also a good spot for a late bite.
The proximity of this traditional enoteca (wine bar) to Montecitorio, the Italian Parliament building, makes it a favorite with journalists and politicos, who often stop in for a glass of wine after work. But it's the tantalizing smell of truffles from the snack counter, where a sommelier waits to organize your tasting, that will probably lure you inside. There's also a celebrated restaurant where you can book a table and enjoy a parade of elegant Italian plates. Don't forget to check out the wineshop, too.
Ercoli was founded as a specialized deli in Rome’s elegant northern neighborhood of Parioli. The Trastevere location is a warren of hidden rooms leading from a coffee bar to the open kitchen, but at the heart of the space is a cocktail bar with stadium seating. Built in what was once a theater, the seats face the on-stage bar, where expert mixologists craft drinks. The "Tini," a creative riff on the classic martini, is the specialty here.
This traditional Irish pub, the oldest in Rome, probably hasn't changed much since it first installed its rustic wooden features in 1976. Expect raucous nights of beer and singing.
Situated just around the corner from Castel Sant'Angelo, Fonclea jams with live music—from jazz and Latin American to R&B and '60s cover bands—every night of the week. Entry is free.
A charming beer and wine bar and restaurant, "G e G" has an at-home atmosphere, from the relaxed vibe to the shabby chic decor. It tends to fill up quickly, but there's also a charming outdoor terrace.
Specializing in the vintages produced by smaller vineyards from Sicily to Venice, this historical wine bar also has a menu of Italian delicacies (meats and cheeses) that likewise represents the entire Italian peninsula. The burrata with sun-dried tomatoes is a perennial favorite. The tiny bar is well designed but is always busy and never accepts reservations. If all the seats are taken, you might be able to sip wine on the step outside while taking in the snippets of Roman life passing by.
This rooftop wine bar and restaurant wins the prize for the perfect aperitivo spot, with excellent drinks and appetizers, as well as a breathtaking view of the comings and goings on the Spanish Steps. Reach it by climbing the monumental staircase that it overlooks, or getting a lift from the elevator by the entrance to the Spagna Metro station.
This wine bar is run by the Trimani family of wine merchants, whose shop next door has been in business for nearly two centuries. The ambience is somewhat spartan, and the food can be a bit hit or miss, but oenophiles will be pleased with the extensive wine list, which has some hard-to-find premium bottles for very fair prices. There are also around 20 wines available by the glass.
One of just a handful of hidden bars in Rome, this intimate bar looks like a Prohibition-era haunt and serves the kind of classic cocktails you find in New York speakeasies. It's seating room only, so reservations must be made online in advance. Upon booking, you'll receive a password via email. Serious cocktail aficionados can also purchase specialty bitters and mixology tools at the Emporium across the alley from the drinks spot.
A long menu of imported brews makes this a true beer oasis, although there are also good wines available by the bottle or the glass. Locals love the generous happy-hour buffet that runs from about 6 pm to 8 pm every day, but come early to snag one of the outdoor picnic tables that overlook the piazza. Best known as a low-key drinking spot, the bar also doubles as a specialty food store that stocks Italian jams, chocolates, and pastas.
Atop the medieval Hostaria dell'Orso, La Cabala is an after-dinner club and late-night dance party whose VIP room hosts wannabe models. Depending on the evening, the vibe can be chic, hipster, or clubby. Rome's version of a supper club, La Cabala is part of the Hostaria dell'Orso trio of restaurant, disco, and piano bar. The dress code is "stylish."
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