Rome Bars & Nightlife

The bar at the retro Hotel Locarno is permanently packed with Rome’s most fashion-forward crew.

This is the ideal spot to wander into after a day of sight-seeing at the Vatican. Giulio Passami l’Olio or "Giulio Pass the Oil" is a relaxed, traditional, restaurant with wooden tables, a small bar and no fuss. The wine list is over a thousand titles long and even better, the cacio e pepe comes with shaved truffles on the top.

A bakery by day, and bar by night, Panella, (on the route to Santa Maria Maggiore) has been giving locals their gluten fix for the last hundred years.

This little bar is so inherent to this piazza, it doesn’t have a name (or website or phone number).

Sit outside right on the Piazza Farnese, order one of the four hundred wines offered and people watch.

The perfect intimate bar to come with a friend or lover to chat, people watch and primarily, drink.

Even though Rome is one of the most-visited capitals in the world, the local way of life hasn’t changed and you’ll find authentic aperitivo spots in every neighborhood. Caffé Perú is an unassuming hole-in-the-wall next to a newsstand. This tiny bar is on prime real estate in the Piazza Farnese, but is totally unpretentious and so untrendy it’s actually trendy. Always full of artists and students, it's perfect for hunkering down on one of the stools outside with a drink and a panino any time of day—a true slice of old Rome.

Harry’s big claim to fame is a starring role in Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, making it a great pit stop while wandering Via Veneto. The food is good, but the drinks are better—best enjoyed al fresco and with a side of people watching. While it’s an “American bar” the waiters bring out little snacks with your drink order in a manner that’s decidedly Roman.

Billed as a wine bar, this indoor/outdoor spot in Monteverde focuses on small-production Italian wines—plus an unexpected (though incredibly impressive) offering of tequila and mezcal cocktails. Come in the afternoon for coffee and stick around for aperitivo; to keep on theme with the wines, the plates of cheeses and cured meats, various toasts, and salads are all sourced locally. If you really want to stay put, the dinner menu is small but mighty and changes regularly.

Many locals would agree that the leafy terrace at the Hotel De Russie, a Rocco Forte Hotel is one of the best bars in town, weather permitting—otherwise head inside. It’s definitely a scene, meaning that the people-watching is top-notch, though the cocktail menu—a dozen or so martini options, all the classics (sidecar, old fashioned, etc.), and the signature Stravinskij Spritz (don’t be fooled, it packs a punch)—totally carries its weight. Food-wise, there are fancy sandwiches, classic salads, and of course, pasta.