Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
- for example, look for winter beers made from chestnuts. Important addresses on the
artisanal-beer trail include Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fà (
Click here
) and Open Baladin (
Click here
).
Bars range from regular Italian cafe-bars that have seemingly remained the same for
centuries, to chic, carefully styled places made for esoteric cocktails - such as Salotto 42 (
Click here
) - and laid-back, perennially popular haunts - such as Freni e Frizioni (
Click
here
) - that have a longevity rarely seen in other cities.
Nightclubs
Rome has a range of nightclubs, mostly in Ostiense and Testaccio, with music policies
ranging from lounge and jazz to dancehall and hip-hop. Clubs tend to get busy after mid-
night, or even after 2am. Often admission is free, but drinks are expensive. Cocktails can
cost from €10 to €16, but you can drink much more cheaply in the studenty clubs of San
Lorenzo, Pigneto and the
centri sociali
(social centres).
Centri Sociali
Rome's flip side is a surprising alternative underbelly, centred on left-wing
centri sociali
:
grungy squatter arts centres that host live music and contemporary arts events. These
centres of anti-establishment counterculture were set up in the 1970s in disused public
buildings, such as factories, garages or industrial estates. Back then squatters often battled
with police, but nowadays most
centri sociali
have been around long enough to become
part of the establishment. However, they still offer Rome's most unusual and alternative
nightlife option. They're also a bargain, in accordance with their ethic of accessible cul-
ture. The best of these are Brancaleone(
Click here
) and Villaggio Globale (
Click here
).
Rome in Summer (& Winter)
From around mid-June to mid-September, many nightclubs and live-music venues close,
some moving to EUR or the beaches at Fregene or Ostia. The area around the Isola Tiber-
ina throngs with life nightly during the Lungo il Tevere…Roma, which sprouts bars, stalls
and an open-air cinema.
Be aware that in winter, bars often close earlier in the evening, particularly in areas
where the norm is to drink outside.
