Bars à Rome
Bars and Wine bars tradition in Rome…don’t miss it!
Rome's nightlife tends toward the staid, but if partying is your thing you needn't go home disappointed.
Rome's nightlife may seem rather tame to those accustomed to the cutting-edge buzz of other European cities. A typical night out for Romans usually involves a long dinner with a group of friends, starting after 9pm and continuing until after midnight.
Many of Rome’s traditional neighbourhood bottle shops have become, at the very least, charming places to grab a drink and a slice of the “bella vita” romana. At best, they are chic wine bars or bars with a “dopo cena” (after-dinner) scene, offering a wide variety of drinks and a beautiful crowd for people-watching. Rome’s pubs are divided between a handful of long-standing UK-style institutions and a host of newer casual joints.
Bars in the centre of town are good places to begin. Most have tables outside where you can sit around and people-watch until the small hours. There have lately been initiatives aimed at reducing noise by earlier closing hours, but this isn't yet widespread. Campo dei Fiori, the Piazza Navona area, and Trastevere are some of the best places for an evening out. Locals and tourists alike stroll around the streets all evening, or sit at the many welcoming bars, which range from the stylish to the homely. If you want drunken good times, meeting other foreigners and predatory locals, head for one of the hundreds of Irish/Scottish pubs.