Top 10 Bars in Rome

Last updated: October 2026

The best bars in Rome range from a password-only speakeasy and a world-ranked cocktail bar to quiet wine cellars that have poured the same chalkboard of glasses for decades. Rome drinks differently from other capitals: aperitivo before dinner matters, the evening starts late, and the best places are often small rooms in lanes you would walk past by day.

This guide covers 10 of the best bars in Rome, with a practical box for each one: how to get there, how long to allow, the best time to go and one tip. Further down you will find a short glossary of what to order, bar routes for one to three nights, where to stay, how to get home late and a budget guide. Hours and booking rules change often, so use the links to official pages and check before you go. If you are planning a winter or festive trip, our guide to Rome as a New Year’s Eve destination shows what the city offers when the bars are at their busiest.

Quick answer: What are the best bars in Rome? For cocktails, start with Drink Kong and The Jerry Thomas Project. For a classic aperitivo, try Freni e Frizioni in Trastevere, for old-fashioned wine bars choose Il Goccetto or Casa Bleve, and for a view book Terrazza Borromini near Piazza Navona. Bar San Calisto and Antica Birreria Peroni are the easy, relaxed options.

Quick comparison: the best bars in Rome

1. The Jerry Thomas Project

The Jerry Thomas Project is the best-known speakeasy in Rome, a hidden room in the lanes of the historic centre that takes cocktail history seriously. It is named after the 19th-century American bartender whose guide to mixing drinks helped define the craft, and the menu leans on classic recipes made with care rather than flashy invention.

Getting in is part of the experience. The bar has no street sign to speak of, entry is by reservation, and guides describe a password that you receive after answering a quiz on the website. That means this is not a bar for a spur-of-the-moment visit. Plan it a few days ahead, read the booking rules on the official site, and arrive on time, because tables are limited and the room is small.

Inside, expect low light, a long bar and bartenders who will happily talk you through a drink if you tell them what you usually like. Order something from the classics section if you want to taste what the room is known for, or ask for a recommendation by spirit. Several guides mention a small membership fee and cash payment, which are the kind of details that can change, so confirm both when you book. Food is limited to light bites, so eat first or plan dinner afterwards.

The setting is walkable from the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Campo de’ Fiori, which makes it easy to fit into an evening of wandering. Treat it as a destination bar for one special drink or two, not a place to stay all night.

• How to get there: On foot from Piazza Navona or Campo de’ Fiori, using the address on the official site, as the entrance is discreet.
• How long to spend: About 1 to 2 hours.
• Best time to go: Later in the evening, after dinner, on a booked slot.
• Tip: Read the official booking page first, and check the membership and payment rules before you set out. See the official website for the current process.

2. Drink Kong

Drink Kong is the Rome bar most likely to appear on international lists. It was ranked number 40 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list for 2025, according to the official 50 Best page, and it has featured on the list in several recent years. It is run by the Roman bartender Patrick Pistolesi and has a retro-futuristic look, with a design that feels closer to a film set than a traditional bar.

The cocktails are the draw. Expect drinks built around unusual ingredients and techniques, with a menu that changes and an emphasis on flavour combinations you will not find in a hotel lobby. Staff are used to explaining the list, so if you are not sure where to start, describe what you like and let them steer. Highballs and lighter drinks are a good way to begin, and the more adventurous options are there when you want something stranger.

The bar is in the Monti district, on Piazza di San Martino ai Monti, a short walk from Termini and the Colosseum. That makes it a handy first stop if you arrive in Rome by train and want a serious drink without crossing the whole city.

Because it is popular with visitors and locals alike, tables can be hard to find at peak times. Booking where possible, or arriving early, will save you a wait. The late-evening crowd tends to be younger and louder, while the early evening is calmer.

• How to get there: Metro to Cavour (line B) or Termini, then a short walk to Piazza di San Martino ai Monti.
• How long to spend: About 1.5 to 2 hours, for two or three drinks.
• Best time to go: Early evening for a quieter room, or later for the buzz.
• Tip: Ask the bartender for a recommendation based on what you like, and book ahead if the website offers it.

3. Stravinskij Bar

The Stravinskij Bar is the courtyard bar of the Hotel de Russie, a Rocco Forte hotel on Via del Babuino between Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps. The setting is the main attraction: the terrace sits in the Piazzetta Valadier, overlooking the hotel’s historic garden, which was designed by the architect Giuseppe Valadier. It is named after the composer Igor Stravinsky, one of the hotel’s celebrated early guests, according to hotel press material.

It is the place to go when you want an elegant, unhurried drink in a garden setting, particularly on a warm evening. The hotel describes it as one of the city’s most celebrated cocktail spots, and the drinks are classic and polished rather than experimental. The bar has been redesigned in recent years, with outdoor design by Paolo Moschino and a menu created with the bartender Salvatore Calabrese, so check the hotel site for the current list.

This is a smart-casual venue, so leave the hiking shoes at the hotel. Prices sit at the top end of the Rome range, which is part of the deal at a five-star property. A single drink and some nibbles are enough to enjoy the setting, and you can follow it with dinner elsewhere on Via Margutta or around Piazza del Popolo.

If the weather is poor, the indoor space gives you the same hotel service without the garden. Many guests combine it with a walk through the nearby Pincio gardens, which have views over the city.

• How to get there: Metro line A to Flaminio or Spagna, then a short walk along Via del Babuino.
• How long to spend: About 1 to 1.5 hours.
• Best time to go: Early evening in warm months, for the courtyard.
• Tip: Dress smartly, check the hotel’s official site for the current menu and booking rules, and consider reserving for the terrace in summer.

4. Salotto 42

Salotto 42 is a stylish bar on Piazza di Pietra, facing the columns of the Temple of Hadrian, and it is one of the nicest places in the historic centre to sit outside with a drink. It is a short walk from the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain, so it fits easily into a day of sightseeing.

Guides describe it as a relaxed lounge-style bar with vintage furniture, a good drinks list and a calm atmosphere, closer to a living room than a nightclub. The name says as much: “salotto” means sitting room. Cocktails are carefully made, there is a short food menu of finger food, and the music is deliberately low-key so you can talk.

The best seat is on the square itself, where the ancient columns are built into the wall of the old stock exchange building. In the evening, with the floodlights on, it is hard to think of a more Roman backdrop. It is also a good choice for a first drink before dinner when you want somewhere calm in the middle of busy streets.

Prices are above the average for central Rome, reflecting the location, so treat it as a place for one or two good drinks rather than a long session. If you want to eat nearby afterwards, the lanes around the Pantheon have plenty of trattorias, though it is wise to book dinner in advance at busy times.

• How to get there: A 5 to 10 minute walk from the Pantheon, or from the Trevi Fountain.
• How long to spend: About 1 hour.
• Best time to go: Early evening, when the square is lit and the terrace is pleasant.
• Tip: Ask for an outside table facing the temple columns, and check the bar’s own channels for current hours.

5. Freni e Frizioni

Freni e Frizioni is a converted mechanic’s garage in Trastevere that has become one of the city’s favourite places for aperitivo. The name means “brakes and clutches”, a nod to the building’s past. The look is relaxed and a little scruffy, with a spill-out crowd on the small square outside, and it works best as your first stop of the evening.

The reason people come is the aperitivo. In the early evening a buffet of snacks is laid out for customers who buy a drink, and guides say it leans towards vegetarian dishes. It is no replacement for dinner, but it is a good way to eat lightly and cheaply while you work through the cocktail list. The list covers Italian classics such as the Negroni and Spritz alongside house creations, and the bartenders are quick even when the room is full.

It gets crowded, especially at weekends, with students, locals and visitors mixing together. If you want a seat, arrive soon after the aperitivo starts, or take a drink outside and stand with everyone else. The official Turismo Roma listing gives the address on Via del Politeama, and the bar’s own website has the current details.

Trastevere is the natural place to continue the night. The streets nearby are full of other bars and restaurants, and you can walk back towards the river or take a late bus or taxi from the main roads.

• How to get there: Tram 8 to Trastevere, or a 15 minute walk from Campo de’ Fiori across the river.
• How long to spend: About 1.5 hours.
• Best time to go: Early evening, for the aperitivo buffet.
• Tip: Go early, as seating is limited, and check the bar’s website for the current aperitivo arrangements.

6. Terrazza Borromini

Terrazza Borromini is a rooftop terrace above Piazza Navona, on the top floor of the Eitch Borromini Palazzo Pamphilj hotel. Rome has many rooftop bars, but this one has a view that is hard to match: the terrace sits between the bell tower and the dome of the church next door, so you look at Borromini’s baroque architecture almost at eye level.

According to the hotel’s own site, the terrace belongs to the hotel’s restaurant, which serves a Mediterranean menu that changes with the season. For visitors who mainly want a drink, that means you should check whether bar-only seating is offered at the time you want to go, and whether a reservation is needed. A drink at sunset is the classic way to use it, and Rome sunsets turn the stone of the surrounding rooftops gold.

The terrace is small, which keeps it from feeling like a tourist production line, but it also means popular times fill early. Booking is sensible in spring, summer and early autumn. If the weather turns, the indoor spaces keep the same service, but the main appeal is outdoors.

Expect prices to be higher than at a street-level bar, because you are paying for the view. A glass of wine or a classic cocktail is plenty if you only want the experience. After your drink, Piazza Navona is on your doorstep, and the nearby lanes lead to the Pantheon and Campo de’ Fiori in about 10 minutes.

If you prefer a free view, the Gianicolo hill and the Pincio gardens are alternatives, though without a drink in your hand.

• How to get there: On foot from Piazza Navona or the Pantheon, a few minutes’ walk.
• How long to spend: About 1 to 1.5 hours.
• Best time to go: Around sunset, on a clear evening.
• Tip: Reserve ahead and ask whether drinks only are possible at your chosen time.

7. Il Goccetto

Il Goccetto is an old-school wine bar in the lanes near Campo de’ Fiori and Via Giulia, and it has been serving wine for decades. A Gambero Rosso article describes it as a long-running wine bar that opened in 1983, and its reputation rests on a chalkboard of wines by the glass and a deep list of bottles, mainly Italian.

The room is small and traditional, with wooden shelves of bottles to the ceiling and the sort of unfussy service that comes from staff who know the wines well. This is the place to try something outside the usual: ask what is open by the glass, say whether you prefer light or full-bodied, and let them pour something from a region you may not know, such as Lazio itself, Sicily or Piedmont. There is also a simple food menu of cured meats, cheese and a few cooked dishes, so you can have a light dinner at the bar.

Sources disagree on opening days and hours, and some mention that payment is by cash only, so check ahead before you build an evening around it. That is typical of small, family-style Roman places, which often change their days and have limited online presence. Reservations are sensible in the evening, because with so few tables a walk-in can easily be turned away.

If you are interested in wine, it is a good partner to Casa Bleve, which is a short walk away and offers a more formal setting. Many visitors drink at one and eat at the other.

• How to get there: A 10 minute walk from Campo de’ Fiori, or Bus 40 or 64 to Largo di Torre Argentina and then walk.
• How long to spend: About 1 to 2 hours.
• Best time to go: Early evening, before the dinner rush.
• Tip: Confirm days and payment methods by phone or on the bar’s own page, and book if you want a table.

8. Casa Bleve

Casa Bleve is a wine bar and restaurant inside a 16th-century palazzo on Via del Teatro Valle, a few minutes’ walk from the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. It was founded in the early 2000s by the couple Anacleto and Tina Bleve, who began with a small wine shop, and it is known for a large list of rare and hidden wines.

If Il Goccetto is the neighbourhood wine bar, Casa Bleve is the grown-up version. The space is grand, with high ceilings, columns and dark wood, and it feels more like a formal dining room than a casual bar. You can come for a glass of wine and a plate of cheese or cured meats, or stay for a full meal with a bottle chosen from the long list. Staff will usually help you pick if you give a rough idea of your taste and budget.

The wine list covers Italy in depth, with plenty of small producers, and you will find unusual bottles by the glass at times. Rome is not only about white and red table wine, and a visit here is a good chance to taste Lazio whites alongside grand names from further north.

Sources give different opening hours, and some are out of date, so verify before you go. Reservations are recommended, especially in the evening and at weekends. Prices are higher than in a casual bar, so it suits a special evening rather than a quick drink.

• How to get there: A short walk from Piazza Navona, the Pantheon or Largo di Torre Argentina.
• How long to spend: About 1.5 to 3 hours, depending on whether you eat.
• Best time to go: Evening, with a reservation.
• Tip: Tell the staff what you usually drink and let them suggest something new, and check the current opening days before you go.

9. Antica Birreria Peroni

Antica Birreria Peroni is a historic beer hall near the Trevi Fountain, on Via di San Marcello. According to Turismo Roma, the building began in the early 1900s as a beer and ice depot, and in the 1920s the painter Albani decorated the rooms with frescoes. That history is still visible in the high ceilings and long communal tables.

It is a straightforward, good-value place, which makes it a useful break from the more polished bars on this list. The draught beer is Peroni, often served in large measures, and the food is hearty, in a German-influenced style with roast meats, sausages and simple Roman dishes. Guides single out the mixed roast platter as a signature order.

It is not a craft beer bar, and nobody pretends it is. It is a social, noisy room where groups share tables and the pace is relaxed. That makes it good for families, friends and anyone travelling on a budget who wants a proper meal with a drink rather than a quick aperitivo. It is also useful at the end of a day of sightseeing around the Trevi Fountain, when the surrounding streets are crowded and many restaurants are expensive.

Opening days and hours vary by source; reports mention it closing on Sundays and for part of August, so check before you plan around it. Arrive early at weekends, because the large tables fill quickly with groups.

• How to get there: A 5 minute walk from the Trevi Fountain, or from Piazza Venezia.
• How long to spend: About 1 to 1.5 hours.
• Best time to go: Early in the evening, before the groups arrive.
• Tip: Share a few plates and a jug of beer, and check the current days and holiday closures first.

10. Bar San Calisto

Bar San Calisto is a cheap, old-fashioned local bar in Trastevere that has been a neighbourhood fixture for a very long time. It sits on Piazza di San Calisto, just off the busy Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere, and people come for its simple drinks, its low prices and its no-nonsense atmosphere.

Reviewers highlight the thick hot chocolate in winter, usually topped with cream, and the cheap beer and spritz in summer. There is no table service: you pay at the till, take the receipt to the counter and collect your drink. Seating is limited, so most people drink outside on the square, sharing the space with students, locals and the occasional tourist.

The bar closed briefly for refurbishment and reopened in February 2026, according to Wanted in Rome. The changes were modest, with new floor tiles and a marble counter, and the football memorabilia went back on the walls. Expect a plain room that is not trying to impress anyone, which is exactly the point.

San Calisto is best at the cheaper end of an evening, as a stop between more expensive bars, or as a late-night drink when you want something simple. Do not expect cocktails, a menu or a quiet corner. For the full Trastevere evening, pair it with an aperitivo at Freni e Frizioni earlier on.

Prices are low by central Rome standards, which is why it stays popular with younger drinkers and residents. For a similar no-frills local-bar atmosphere in another capital, see our guide to the best bars in Madrid.

• How to get there: Tram 8 to Trastevere, then a short walk to Piazza di San Calisto.
• How long to spend: About 30 to 60 minutes.
• Best time to go: Late evening, for a cheap final drink, or on a winter afternoon for hot chocolate.
• Tip: Check the current hours before you go, and carry some cash in case card payment is limited.

How to choose the right bar in Rome

Start with the mood you want. For serious cocktails choose Drink Kong or The Jerry Thomas Project. For aperitivo with a crowd, go to Freni e Frizioni. For wine and conversation, Il Goccetto or Casa Bleve will suit you. For a view, book Terrazza Borromini, and for a cheap, simple drink head to Bar San Calisto or Antica Birreria Peroni.

Also think about the area. The historic centre has the most variety within walking distance, Trastevere is best for a bar crawl on foot, and Monti and Esquilino suit travellers staying near Termini. Book anything with a password, a terrace or a small room.

What to order in a Roman bar

• Aperitivo: the early-evening drink with snacks, usually in the early evening before dinner. A Spritz, Campari soda or glass of Prosecco is typical.
• Negroni: gin, Campari and sweet vermouth in equal parts, a staple at cocktail bars.
• Vino della casa: house wine, often served in a carafe at casual bars.
• Amaro: a bitter herbal digestif, drunk after dinner.
• Birra alla spina: draught beer, ordered by size (piccola, media, grande).
• Cioccolata calda: thick hot chocolate, a winter favourite.
• Supplì: fried rice balls with a mozzarella centre, a classic Roman bar snack.

Suggested routes for 1, 2 or 3 nights

One night: Start with an early aperitivo at Freni e Frizioni, walk through Trastevere, then cross the river for a final cocktail at The Jerry Thomas Project, booked in advance.

Two nights: Add an evening around the historic centre. Begin with a drink at Salotto 42, move to Il Goccetto or Casa Bleve for wine, and finish at Terrazza Borromini if you book a late slot.

Three nights: Spend your third evening around Monti, with a cocktail at Drink Kong. If you want something cheaper, end with a beer at Antica Birreria Peroni or a simple drink at Bar San Calisto.

Where to stay for a bar-hopping trip

• Centro Storico: the best base for walking between bars, with the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Campo de’ Fiori all close.
• Trastevere: lively and atmospheric, with many bars on your doorstep, but noisy at night.
• Monti: a charming, central neighbourhood close to the Colosseum and Drink Kong, with good restaurants.
• Near Termini: practical for trains and the airport link, and cheaper, though the area is less atmospheric.

Getting around Rome at night

Central Rome is best explored on foot, and most of the bars above are within a 15 minute walk of each other in the historic centre. For longer hops use the metro, trams or buses, and note that Rome’s metro stops running late, with night buses replacing it afterwards. According to ATAC, night buses now run more frequently on Saturday nights after the last metro trains, and extra staff are on duty on Thursday to Saturday nights as part of the city’s night plan. Check ATAC’s official pages for the current timetable, as service changes seasonally. A licensed taxi from an official rank or booked by app is a safe choice for late returns.

Etiquette and timing

Romans usually have aperitivo in the early evening and dinner late, so bars are quietest early. Many bars charge more for a drink at a table than at the counter. Tipping is not expected in the way it is in some countries, but rounding up or leaving small change is appreciated. Cocktails are usually served with snacks, which are part of the price. Dress codes are rare, but smart-casual clothing is a good idea at hotel bars. If you prefer beer to cocktails, our guide to the beer halls and beer gardens of Munich shows how another city does the big communal table.

Budget guidance

• Budget: Bar San Calisto and Antica Birreria Peroni, plus standing at the counter of any local bar.
• Mid-range: Freni e Frizioni, Salotto 42 and Il Goccetto for a drink or two.
• Splurge: The Jerry Thomas Project, Drink Kong, Stravinskij Bar, Terrazza Borromini and Casa Bleve.

To save money, drink at the bar rather than a table, choose aperitivo places that include snacks, and mix one or two pricier bars with cheaper stops. Check the current menu on each official website before you go.

Discover More of Italy and Europe

Once you have planned your evenings in Rome, head south with our guide to the best towns on the Amalfi Coast for sea views and lemon groves. If eating and drinking is the main reason you travel, our pick of the best places to eat in Barcelona is a good next city.

Featured image: Photo by Julia Solonina on Unsplash