The Rome IndexThe aperitivo guide
Rome's best early-evening ritual — where to go, what to order, and how it works.
What aperitivo is
The Italian equivalent of happy hour but with better food — a drink (spritz, negroni, vermouth) paired with a buffet of snacks, small plates or bar bites, usually from around 6 to 9pm. In Rome the food component is more modest than Milan's famous all-inclusive spreads, but still well above bar peanuts.
What to drink
A Spritz Aperol or Campari Spritz is the current standard Italian aperitivo order. Negroni for something stronger. Vermouth on the rocks if you want to drink what the Romans before you were drinking in these same bars a century ago.
Best neighbourhoods for aperitivo
Pigneto has the most genuinely local scene at the lowest prices. Trastevere and Monti are well-set-up and centrally located. Testaccio picks up later in the evening once the aperitivo crowd transitions into the dinner and nightlife crowd.