Rome · Monti
Monti sits between the Colosseum and Termini, the oldest rione in Rome and now its most walkable night out, with wine bars, jazz rooms and Irish pubs packed into a few sloping streets. The run below sets eight currently open rooms, from a World ranked cocktail bar to a vine covered wine counter and the city's oldest Irish tavern. Each pick holds its own profile on the site.
COCKTAIL BARS · $$$
Drink Kong is Patrick Pistolesi's cocktail bar on Piazza di San Martino ai Monti, a neon lit room that lands on the World's 50 Best Bars list. The menu reads like a comic and pours with real precision. Book ahead for a weekend seat.
WINE BARS · $$
Ai Tre Scalini holds a vine covered front on Via Panisperna, the Monti wine bar that fills its tables and its pavement most nights. The list runs deep on Italian labels next to a short plate menu. Arrive early or wait for a stool.
WINE BARS · $$
Vino Roma runs sommelier led tastings of low intervention Italian wines from a studio in ancient Monti, open since 2008. The guided sessions suit anyone who wants the region explained. Book a tasting rather than walking in.
COCKTAIL BARS · $$
Blackmarket Hall spreads across vintage furnished rooms on Via de' Ciancaleoni, a cocktail bar where a live set usually starts as the second drink lands. The mismatched furniture sets the tone. Go for the music nights.
LIVE MUSIC · $$
Charity Cafe books nightly jazz in a small low lit room on Via Panisperna, a Monti club that keeps the focus on the stage. The tables sit close to the players. Reserve for the headline sets.
PUBS · $
Druid's Den is one of the oldest Irish taverns in Rome, a cave like room on Via di San Martino ai Monti below Santa Maria Maggiore. The pour is Guinness and the Monday fiddle brings the regulars. Take a low stool and settle in.
PUBS · $
Finnegan anchors Via Leonina in the centre of Monti, a long running Irish pub that fills for football and stays for the craic. The Guinness is the marker order. It runs late on match nights.
SPORTS BARS · $
The Shamrock stands on Via del Colosseo in Rione Monti, about 100 metres from the Colosseum, with football scarves on the walls and the match always on. The taps and the Roman regulars are the draw. Go on a derby night.
Use this guide as a route through Monti or as a checklist for a weekend in Rome. Reservations are flagged where they matter. For the wider picture, see the full Rome bar guide, the city's best cocktail bars, the live music bars in Rome, and the Monti bar crawl.