Nightlife in Rome – The Hottest Bars in the City
If your vacation in Rome is in full swing and you want to experience it at night, you won't be disappointed. It is one of the best European cities at night, and it's fun to spend the late hours in another country and a different culture, especially when it's Italy (and Rome in particular)! The options are endless: dance clubs, restaurants, rooftops, pubs... and bars of course. It's impossible to forget them, and the concept of nightlife can't be complete without them. The good news is that Rome is full of desirable bars, and the even better news is that some of them have made the lists of the best bars in the world. Here's the scoop: they're included in our recommended list below! Are you ready for the night of your life?
- Netanela Biton
- May 22, 2022
Drink Kong
Drink Kong is a relatively new bar that, since its opening, has been included in the lists of the best bars in the world three years in a row: in the best 50 bars of 2021 (in the 19th place!) and in the 100 best bars in 2020 and 2019. It is designed in a hip modern style with a Japanese touch, black background, bright neon lights and long sofas suitable for large groups of people. It is one of the most famous cocktail bars in Rome with an entire high-tech laboratory that was behind the research on the drinks and their production. The liquor menu has a vast selection, and the limited-but-refined food menu has classic Asian dishes such as bao and dumplings, as well as international and special dishes such as octopus tacos with potato foam, green sauce, olives and Cajun seasoning, and a croissant with pastrami, pickles and tuna sauce. This bar has become a real brand, and as befits a brand, it also sells merchandise! Among the items you will find bags, shirts and hats with its logo – King Kong. King Kong has never been hotter, and Drink Kong is definitely the king of bars in Rome!
The special detail: a fine cocktail bar
Address: Piazza di S. Martino Ai Monti 8
Jerry Thomas Speakeasy
The current bar has also been included in the list of the best bars in the world for several years in a row, and in 2019 it was chosen in the 50th and honorable place out of 100! When you arrive at the bar placed in the heart of Rome you will feel like you traveled back in time, because the “theme” is the 20’s: it’s a smoking speakeasy bar. The decor is periodic, “smoky” and mysterious with leather chairs and couches typical of the 1920s, old fashioned clothing of the bartenders, dimmed lighting, the jazz and blues music of those years, classic cocktails and many bottles of spirits displayed behind the counter. This is a real destination for cocktail lovers and they are indeed excellent with ingredients of the highest level. The bar is private and exclusive: its door is “secret” and in order to sit there you’ll have to present a secret password, just like in the movies! It’s become an icon and it also sells items, such as bottles of premium (and very expensive) alcohol and even a perfume named after it. Please note that the place is closed on Mondays and that you must reserve a place in advance on its website. Open sesame!
The special detail: a mysterious speakeasy-style bar
Address: Vicolo Cellini 30
The Court
Get your trumpets and drums ready because this bar is ranked number 71 on the list of the 500 best bars in the world! (and has won many more awards). It is official that it’s one of the best bars in the globe, and its reputation precedes it. The Court is a terrace bar in the 5-star Palazzo Manfredi hotel and in an excellent location in the center of Rome, with a stunning view of the Colosseum and the remains of the archaeological site Ludus Magnus (the largest gladiator school at the end of the first century AD). In addition to a view of the history of Rome, you will also enjoy classic and innovative cocktails (with unconventional ingredients such as truffle butter and herbs), that were created using advanced techniques by the bar staff. If you are not into cocktails, you will be happy to discover “mocktails”, cocktails without alcohol! There’s a dress code as befits a prestigious bar, so you don’t have to wear a Gucci tuxedo or a gold-embroidered dress, but neither sweatpants or crocs… One of the meanings of the word “court” in English is “the king’s court”, and when you arrive there will definitely feel like being in Vittorio Emanuele’s court!
The special detail: an extraordinary view of the Colosseum
Address: Via Labicana 125
Club Derriere
“Derriere” is a French word that means “behind”, and this is indeed a secret bar whose entrance is behind an Italian restaurant. It has a vintage speakeasy style, small but elegant and full of class, and the atmosphere is very relaxed. The design is “armed” with unfinished brick walls, vintage mirrors and exposed chimneys. It “shows” dimmed lighting, jazz in the background, candles on the tables, leather armchairs and pictures of butterflies on the walls. The great cocktail menu includes classic as well as modern and sophisticated cocktails, with special ingredients such as sage and celery. Oh, and the service is simply exquisite! Here too you need a password to enter, and the entrance is through a white wardrobe, just like in the famous children’s book ” “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”. You must arrive in nice clothes and it’s recommended to make a reservation in advance. Enter through the closet and get ready for the “Narnia” of bars in Rome!
The special detail: a nostalgic vintage style
Address: Vicolo delle Coppelle 59
Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fà
You must be wondering what the name of the last bar on our list means, and we won’t leave you in suspense! The meaning of the sentence in a free translation is “but what did you come here to do?!”, and our answer is – to drink beer! Unlike the bars with the “fancy” cocktails, here you will actually come to a humble neighborhood beer pub in the touristic and colorful Trastevere neighborhood. It is true, it’s not exactly a bar by definition (it turns out there’s a difference between a bar and a pub), but you can drink and have fun here too! The pub is small and narrow with an indoor and outdoor space with a light and fun atmosphere and a mainly young crowd. Outside you will sit with your back to the graffiti painted walls, and inside you will sit facing the menu written on a chalkboard, showing changing options. As in every beer pub, here too there is a selection of draught and bottled beers, and the specialty is in quality beers from many countries in the world, including Belgium, Germany and the US. The pub has been praised by critics and is highly recommended to the beer lovers among you!
The special detail: a pub for beer lovers
Address: Via Benedetta 25
Who doesn’t like to go out for a drink every now and then? Ending a long working day at a bar with friends or with your partner is one of life’s little pleasures. Whether you go to a speakeasy bar or a neighborhood pub, and whether you order a sensual cocktail or half a beer, your enjoyment is guaranteed (and also the hangover – don’t drink on an empty stomach!). Our small-but-cool list, which “gave” you famous bars not only in Rome but also in the world, provides a small glimpse into the developing and fashionable bar world of the city. All you need to do is order a drink and toast to life!
