World City Guide

Nightlife

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 cafés 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 expatriates, 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, the fortnightly Wanted in Rome magazine (whose website www.wantedinrome.com is updated on a regular basis), and the monthly 2night booklet (available free in many bars or online at 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. Drink prices vary considerably – a glass of wine at a city centre wine-bar can cost anything from ¬2-7 (depending on the quality and whether you are standing up or sitting at a table), while a cocktail in a nightclub could be ¬12. Half a litre of draught beer usually costs around ¬5. Drinks and coffees are always cheaper when consumed standing at the bar!

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 ex-pats 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 façade looks onto a notoriously popular summer terrace. For a romantic pre-dinner aperitif, take a table at Caffè di Marzio, Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere 15, and enjoy a glass of wine overlooking this delightful piazza in the heart of Trastevere.

Casinos: Gambling is banned throughout Italy (with the exceptions of Venice, San Remo and Aosta).

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 unofficial 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 dancefloor, 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 39, is frequented by ‘gays and their friends’ and plays predominantly house music with occasional live concerts. Close by, Zoobar, Via Monte Testaccio 22, plays house, rock and new wave to a mixed and cheerful crowd. 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 sophistacted ethnic and industrial setting of wood combined with wrought iron. At no. 13 of Via Libetta another staunch Ostiense favourite is Classico Village (website: www.classico.it) which offers two dancefloors and a restaurant in a former factory, as well as some very good Italian pop, rock and jazz concerts.

Consult weekly publication Roma C’è (website: www.romace.it) for details of what’s on that night.

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. 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 (near the Tiburtina metro stop) (website: www.lapalmaclub.it). Nearby in Testacccio, Caruso-Cafè de Oriente, Via Monte Testaccio 36, hosts performances from local and visiting Caribbean, Cuban and Brazilian musicians, while Villaggio Globale, Spazio Boario, ex Mattatoio Lungotevere Testaccio 22/Via di Monte Testaccio 22 (it has two entrances) (tel: (06) 575 7233), offers a nice line in alternative and world music.

For something totally different, visit the Centri Sociali (see Culture). 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, offers an eclectic mix of rap, reggae, cyber punk and grunge.