Rome Nightlife Guide: Bar Hopping and Clubs in Rome Italy

Spotlight

Rome

Nightlife

Though most travelers don't gravitate to Rome for its nightlife, the Italian capital offers plenty of fun and surprising nocturnal diversions. The catch is to know where to find it (in and around Campo de' Fiori, the tiny lanes of Trastevere, and the outer district of Testaccio are safe bets). The other is having the energy to stay up late enough for the party (clubs and concerts usually don't get going until after 11pm and stay open after 4am). Consult the free Zero6, available in pubs, or Roma C'e (www.romace.it), on sale at newsstands, to find out what's on when you're in Rome.

For bar hopping, the center of Rome is sprinkled with Irish and English-accented pubs, but in recent times a number of top-shelf pubs have popped up that seem much more Big Apple than Emerald Isle. One of them is Fluid (Via del Governo Vecchio 46; 06/683-2361; www.fluideventi.com), whose flashy interior would fit perfectly in SoHo. Near the nightlife central area of Campo de' Fiori, the new Femme (Via del Pellegrino 14; 06/686-4862; www.femmezone.it), is a wine and cocktail bar that turns into a hopping disco after midnight. A spin-off of the celebrated Amsterdam eatery/cocktail bar, Supperclub (Via de' Nari 14; 06/6880-7207; www.supperclub.com), between Piazza Navona and the Pantheon, is as good a place as any to sip colorful cocktails (and kick back on the bed-like tables). Wine lovers of the world unite at Enoteca Trastevere (Via della Lungaretta 86; 06/588-5659), which has floor-to-ceiling wine bottle shelves and a great selection of grappa (as well as snacks like bruschetta).

Hipper-than-though clubs litter the base of Monte Testaccio. Two of our favorites are: Metaverso (Via di Monte Testaccio 38A; 06/574-4712; www.metaverso.com), known for its international DJs and inexpensive drinks, and kitschy, space-agey Fake (Via di Monte Testaccio 64; 06/4544-7627), where the city's beautiful and hip meet to dance to electronica.