Enoteca Ferrara runs a wine bar, trattoria and restaurant from Piazza Trilussa 41 in Trastevere, set inside the former convent of St. Eufemia a step off the river. The venue has poured in the quarter for more than thirty years, and Wanted in Rome credits it with one of the largest wine lists in the city. The pitch is a single address that holds a casual glass and a full dinner, with the wine bar, La Mescita, kept separate from the gourmet room. It remains a Trastevere fixture, and Yelp and Tripadvisor reviewers return to the same point, that the cellar runs deep.
The room
The venue spreads across roughly 500 square meters and three areas, the gourmet restaurant, the ferrarino trattoria, and the La Mescita wine bar, for around 120 covers in total, per the restaurant's own account. Painted majolica tables, wooden beams, exposed stone and antique furniture set a warm, old-Rome tone rather than a modern one. La Mescita is the room for a glass and a small plate, while the restaurant handles longer dinners. The wine bar pours by the glass with appetizers built to match, which makes it the easy entry for a drink without a full booking. The setting inside an ex-convent gives the place a quiet, tucked-away feel a step off the square. Piazza Trilussa sits at the foot of Ponte Sisto, the pedestrian bridge that crosses to the historic center, which puts the wine bar on a well-walked route into Trastevere.
What to order
The draw is the wine, with one of Rome's deepest lists and a rotating set of pours by the glass at La Mescita, per the venue's own description. The bar pairs each glass with appetizers, so a drink arrives with something to eat rather than alone. The kitchen runs Roman and Italian dishes across the trattoria and restaurant for anyone who stays for a full meal. Prices sit at the upper end for Trastevere, which the cellar and the setting support. Ask the staff to steer the by-the-glass list, since it shifts with what is open, and let them match a regional bottle to the table. The venue also runs as an osteria and birreria, so a table can turn from wine into beer or a full Roman plate without moving on.
Who it is for
Enoteca Ferrara fits a wine drinker who wants range over a short list, a date after a quiet glass off a busy square, and a group ready for a longer Roman dinner. Skip it if a cheap, fast aperitivo is the plan, since this is a destination cellar with prices to match. It rewards anyone who leans on the staff for a by-the-glass route through the list. La Mescita suits a drink-first visit, while the restaurant rewards a booking and an evening set aside. Out-of-town visitors after a deep Italian list, rather than a quick street aperitivo, are the obvious fit.
Best time to go
Evenings are the headline, when La Mescita fills with a pre- and post-dinner wine crowd. Earlier in the week stays calmer for a seat at the wine bar and the staff's full attention. Trastevere turns busy on weekend nights, so a booking helps for the restaurant rooms. For a glass alone, an early evening at La Mescita is the simple way in before the square fills.
The bottom line
Enoteca Ferrara is a Trastevere wine institution, a former convent off Piazza Trilussa holding a restaurant, a trattoria and the La Mescita wine bar. Wanted in Rome rates its list among the largest in the city. Come for a by-the-glass flight at La Mescita, lean on the staff, and stay for a Roman dinner if the evening runs long. Book ahead for the restaurant on a weekend.
Keep exploring with our best wine bars in Rome guide, the full Rome bar guide, and our edit of wine bars worldwide. Pair Enoteca Ferrara with Enoteca Bulzoni in Rome, Il Goccetto in Rome, and L'Angolo Divino in Rome.
Sources: Wanted in Rome; Enoteca Ferrara official site (enotecaferrara.com); Yelp reviews; Tripadvisor reviews; Google Maps reviews.
