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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.
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.
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.
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.
This unpretentious enoteca is a popular spot to gather over excellent wines and creative small plates. Guests can take one of the bottles right off the well-stocked shelves or choose from a selection of wines by the glass, including some prized wines for very reasonable prices.
Set on a private terrace overlooking Trastevere, Ombre Rosse bustles with expats and other regulars who appreciate the cocktail creations and the ever-lively atmosphere. On weekends, the outdoor patio is the perfect spot to enjoy an aperitivo and nibbles before finishing off an evening with friends at the bar.
The full name of this little bar is Rivendita: Libri Teatro e Cioccolata, and that's exactly what you'll find in this charming hole-in-the-wall: books and chocolate. Open only in the evenings, the used-bookstore-bar combo offers wine, sweet cocktails, or drinks with double-entendre names that are served in edible shot glasses made of pure chocolate.
Most aperitivos tend to be more all-you-can-eat than refined predinner stop, but that is not the case at Taverna Volpetti. The chic, bistro-style wine bar and restaurant sources all its ingredients from the gourmet food store by the same name that sits just around the corner. The warm atmosphere, stellar wine list, and excellent cheese and salami make it the ideal place for a drink and a snack—or to stay put with a bottle and sip the night away.
Salami-and-cheese tasting menus and a seemingly unlimited selection of wines, Prosecco, vini santi, and grappe are highlights of this lovely (albeit tiny) enoteca with a very old-fashioned vibe. Inside, it's standing-room only; in good weather, you can sit outside at an oak barrique on a quiet cobblestone street leading to one of Rome's prettiest small squares.
