Rome may not be the hippest of capitals, but for those who know the right places, it is possible to party all night. Romans go out late and the fun only really commences after dinner. The wine-bars and cafes lying between Campo de’ Fiori, Piazza Navona and Via della Pace are the places to be seen. Irish pubs are also popular with Italians and expats, and can be a good place for a fun and informal night out. The biggest concentration of nightclubs lie in the Testaccio and Ostiense districts. One of the main drags in Testaccio, Via di Monte Testaccio, is literally lined with bars, pubs, live music venues and clubs. In Ostiense the scene has taken off in recent years and this is where to find some of the hippest new bars and so-called ristodisco, places where you can both eat and dance. The gay scene is alive and kicking and accounts for many of the more avant-garde night spots. The weekly Roma C’è (out on Wednesdays) and TrovaRoma (out on Thursday free with the La Repubblica newspaper) publications, and the online 2night (website: www.2night.it) have good and reliable information on nightlife in Rome.
The legal drinking age in Italy is 16 and the absence of licensing laws means that drinking is possible at all hours. Most wine-bars and birrerie stay open until 2400 in winter and 0200 in summer. However, in general, people are more interested in seeing and being seen - alcohol is almost an afterthought.
Romans tend to dress more casually than their counterparts in Milan and Florence, although most women do their best to look stunning for a night out.
Bars: The Vineria, right in the middle of Campo de’ Fiori, is still very ’in’ and makes a perfect rendez-vous for an early evening drink. Customers range from well-known actors to local winos, although lately the atmosphere has become a little more ’wannabe’. Otherwise, Il Nolano at number 11 is as good for people-watching and always less packed. Just a few doors down at number 20 is the Drunken Ship, good for those in search of English-speaking expats and tourists. Equally popular but rather more refined is Antico Caffè della Pace, Via della Pace 5, close to Piazza Navona. The cosy interior is adorned with antiques, while the ivy-clad facade looks onto a notoriously popular summer terrace. For an after-dinner digestivo and good-value people-watching look no further than Freni & Frizioni, Via del Politeama 4-6, a bar housed in a former car workshop (hence the name - Brakes and Clutches) in Trastevere. In fine weather it spills out into a square near the Lungotevere filled with burning candles. For something a bit more chilled-out and artsy, head to Societe Lutece, Piazza Montevecchio 17, near Piazza Navona.
Clubs: House music remains a firm favourite here, although a number of smaller and more alternative clubs play rock and revival. In summer, many clubs close, giving way to the countless outdoor venues that spring up around town and beside the sea near Ostia. The rich and famous hang out at Gilda, Via Mario dei Fiori 97 (website: www.gildabar.it), close to Piazza di Spagna. Disco music dominates the dance floor, there’s a piano bar reserved for private parties and a well-run restaurant. In summer the establishment moves out to Fregene, on the coast, for Gilda on the Beach, Via Lungomare di Ponente 11 (website: www.gildaonthebeach.it). Alien, Via Velletri 13-19 (website: www.aliendisco.it), is brash and bold, with sexy dancers paid to gyrate to house, commercial and revival. In Testaccio, Alibi, Via Monte Testaccio 40, is frequented by ’gays and their friends’ and plays predominantly house music with occasional live concerts. Close by, Fake, Via Monte Testaccio 64, is a temple to electronic and hip hop sounds in a décor that combines Roman brick walls and brash pop-art motifs. Some of Europe’s best DJs play at Goa, Via Libetta 13, close to Mercati Generali in the post-industrial landscape of the up-and-coming Ostiense area. House, jungle and techno music predominate amid a sophisticated ethnic and industrial setting of wood combined with wrought iron. At 3 Via Libetta, another staunch Ostiense favourite is Classico Village (website: www.classico.it); which offers two dance floors and a restaurant in a former factory, as well as some very good Italian pop, rock and jazz concerts. Just a few steps away is the glam 1930s-themed Distillerie Clandestine post-industrial trendy Ostiense-Testaccio triangle for expertly mixed cocktails at Via Libetta 7 (tel: (06) 5730 5102; website: www.distillerieclandestine.com)
Consult weekly publication Roma C’è (available at any newsagent) for details of what’s on.
Live Music: Jazz lovers should head for Alexanderplatz, Via Ostia 9, near the Vatican (website: www.alexanderplatz.it) because when the big names come to town, they often come here. Big Mama, Vicolo di San Francesco a Ripa 18 (website: www.bigmama.it), is notoriously cramped but pulls some good up-and-coming musicians, plus a few big names. Nearby in Testacccio, Caruso-Cafè de Oriente, Via Monte Testaccio 36, hosts performances from local and visiting Caribbean, Cuban and Brazilian musicians, while the Villaggio Globale, Lungotevere Testaccio 22 (tel: (06) 575 7233), offers a nice line in alternative and world music. Likewise, Fonclea, Via Crescenzio 82A (website: www.fonclea.it), in the Prati area (close to the Vatican), stages jazz and rhythm and blues concerts. There’s a late-night restaurant and the bar serves excellent cocktails and a wide selection of whiskeys. For more new or rarefied jazz sounds and ethnic music, try the La Palma, Via Giuseppe Mirri 35 (a short bus ride from the Tiburtina metro stop) (website: www.lapalmaclub.it). Top-notch live jazz, pop and soul can also be heard at various outdoor venues during the summer, such as Villa Celimontana and the La Palma jazz club. The city now also has its very own Casa del Jazz, Viale di Porta Ardeatina 55 (website: www.casajazz.it), which is garnering a reputation for itself. Come here for jazz-related concerts and talks followed by brunch or a meal at the restaurant.
For something totally different, visit the Centri Sociali (see Culture below) that are often located a little out of the centre. One that is well known as a live music hotspot is Brancaleone, Via Levanna 11 (website: www.brancaleone.it), where a decisively alternative and dressed-down crowd attends concerts, films, art exhibitions and club nights. Likewise, Circolo degli Artisti, Via Casilina Vecchia 42 (website: www.circoloartisti.it) offers an eclectic mix of rap, reggae, cyber punk and grunge. More central is the Villaggio Globale in the old abattoir (ex-Mattatoio) in the heart of Testaccio’s clubbing district.
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