Music venues & clubs – All our local tips

If you’re a clubber and you want to meet young Romans, this is the place to be: in fact this historical club in Testaccio is always overcrowded by people from 18 till 30 years old.

Once you are inside, you have 2 rooms and a covered garden to decide where to dance: in the garden in the ground floor there’s house music, in the upper floor commercial and happy music and in the lower floor r’n'b and hip hop.

The covered garden at the entrance is perfect for smoking people who like warm nights and hotter evenings. The lower floor is a cave, with simple furniture evoking the typical stones and earthenware fragments typically found in Monte Testaccio, enriched by innovative and elegant vip lounges. Last but not the least, the upper floor has new styles in concept design and keeps a minimal atmosphere all around.

In 2006 the club was restyled and enlarged with the garden, that allows to the club to switch from disco-bar to dance club or art space in the blink of an eye.

Akab’s strength is to have an eclectic style and to change program every week, while every year it changes settings and trends to always be avant-garde with other clubs of Rome.

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Akab | Bars, Music | Entrance ladies free, boys € 15.00
Via di Monte Testaccio 69 | Testaccio & Ostiense | +390657250585
Wed – Sun from 22:00

How lovely is to sit outiside and sip your favourite drink?

Located in Piazza Mattei, a.k.a. “Turtles’ Square” (thanks to that little gem that is the marble fountain at the centre of the square) this tiny bar is an eclectic, rather eccentric baroque-style bar. The owner seem sto have collected any object he likes (or he wants to get rid of?). Anyway, the results is a cosy, welcoming mix of bold colours, ornate ceilings and furniture, rich fabrics and leather stools that get taken pretty quickly.

From pre-dinner drinks to late night fun, Bartaruga always offer an option, and both local folks and tourists seem to appreciated it.

When the music starts beating and the night goes on local celebs, media types and – occasionally – some models hit the ground. There’s even a piano, should you want to get your 5 minutes of fame J…

It is advisable to get in the bar early so that you find a good spot to view the late-night action. If the weather allow you so, grab a chair and you glass and move outside on the square for some people-watching…

*The name, Bartaruga, is a funny mix between “bar” and “tartaruga”, Italian for turtle.

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Bartaruga | Bars, Music | Wine from € 8.00
Piazza Mattei 8 | City center | +39066892299
18:00 – 03:00, closed on Wed (may vary according to season, check with the bar)

This spot is a little gem of the house of blues in the Trastevere area where you can eat and drink as you listen to a Blues concert. The place is relatively small and therefore you have to call in advance if you want to reserve a table to sit at. But the cool thing about the place is that you feel that you are part of the group that is playing.

One of the first times that I went to listen to a Blues group, it was the “Blues Stuff” a group from Naples and some of their songs can be very entertaining, but the bar has other groups and singers that go there such as Andy Summers, Scott Henderson or Chad Wakerman.

I like Big Mama because of its small size. The groups or singer usually gets the crowd involved making it a more fun and interesting experience.

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Big Mama | Bars, Music | Membership Entrance € 10,00
Vicolo di San Francesco a Ripa 18 | Trastevere | +39065812551
21:00 – 01:30 daily

If you are VIP hunter, this is definitely where you want to go!

This cool club is one of the most fashionable in Rome and you can meet some actors or showbiz people every night. The coolest parties are on Monday night: in fact the so called “Bloomonday” is a must for Rome’s clubber, and you can spend all night long dancing surrounded by beautiful models or football players.

It’s not rare to meet AS Roma players, particularly if they won their last match and they don’t have an upcoming Champions League match. If you are very very lucky you can also meet the captain of the team and so called “Eighth King of Rome”, Francesco Totti.

There are cool nights also Friday and Saturday night, because the music is always good and once you are inside, you are captured by the suggestive furniture created by Philip Stark, a mix of oriental chic style and high tech environments.

Anyhow before you decide to go clubbing here, remember the motto of the club: “Dress to impress!!!”

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Bloom | Bars, Music | Drink from € 10.00
Via del Teatro Pace 30 | City center | +390668802029
Wed – Mon 23:30 – 05:00, Closed from June till September

There was a time when bookstores and cafè had nothing to do with each other. In more recent times, though, they have come to gather into the same location, and to alter the meaning of “bookstore” and “cafè”. It’s the new generation of Book-a-Bar: more than just a cafè, something different from usual bookstores.

Usually, they enjoy great locations, self standing or within a museum compounds.

Here you find my favorite ones:

BOOKA’BAR – Via Milano, 15/17 (within the Palazzo delle Esposizioni building): design interiors, ultramodern feeling, open courtyard (well, wait for warmer days!) adn a free wifi connection. She annex shop has mostly art, architecture, design, photo books and objects.

LETTERE CAFFE‘ – Via S.Francesco a Ripa 100/101 (Trastevere): cozy and relaxed during the day, the place warm up in the evening, with poetry and comedy slam hold on mon and tue nights. The rest of the week is on music

FLEXI - Via Clementina 9 (Monti): started as a cultural association, offer more than just book and drinks, as the offer range from book presentations, language exchange and courses, theatre labs, and much more.

CAFFE’ BOHEMIEN – Via degli Zingari 36 (Monti): shabby-chic chandeliers, and other touches of early ‘900 g

ive it a very bohemian vibe you will love to immerse into. The location is great, in the lovely area of Monti.

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BookABar | Art & culture, Bars, Coffee & tea, Music | Drinks from € 3.50
Via Milano, 15/17 | City center
12:00 – 01:00 daily

Coyote, this is a club located in the Testaccio area, the ambiance is very detailed and informal at the same time and the atmosphere gives an idea of being on an eternal vacation, as the enormous balcony faces the Monte dei Cocci and you can enjoy the view of Rome by night. You will find a wide range of people from their 20’s to their 40’s.

The club has an open space during the summer months and it is closed during the winter months but you can still go in the area as it has something to cover the roof. It has two internal rooms and a patio that goes all around the club. Once you go in, you can enjoy a drink or two in their patio. They have a vast menu of drinks, and during summer your drinks will be served with a bowl of fresh fruit such as pieces of melon, watermelon and chunks of pineapple. Yummy!

I like to go a little early and sit on the patio and sip a Bellini, before they move all the tables to create a dance floor, as this is one of favorite drinks but sometimes especially during those warmer months I switch to a refreshing mojito. Then I like to hit the dance floor inside, and dance till dawn. Coyote plays a mix of music mainly pop, hip-hop and disco music and on Sundays they play only house music.

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Coyote | Bars, Music | Mojto € 6.00
Via di Monte Testaccio 48B | Testaccio & Ostiense | +393394639667
23:00 – 05:00 daily

This little bar is located in the city center, close to the Pantheon area. If you go early enough before midnight, you can enjoy live music while drinking either a beer, a martini special (my absolute favorite drink, it is a chocolaty sweet martini but the recipe seems to be a secret!) or any other tropical drinks from martinis, tequila sunrises or pina coladas.

Their drink menu is pretty extensive and their average drink goes for 5.00 Euro and they come with some food such as chips, saltines or popcorn.

After midnight be ready to start burning those calories with the 90’s disco style music, modern pop and rock and oldies!

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Habana Cafe | Bars, Music | Average drink € 5.00
Via dei Pastini 120 | City center | +39066781983
Tue – Sun 21:30 – 03:00

The Joia is one of the most popular clubs in the Testaccio area. The elegant and chic style, as demonstrated especially by the restaurant and lounge bar, where every evening we are likely to meet characters from the world of entertainment, footballers and celebrities.

The main colour of the club is white, but some small details of design and exotic plants scattered throughout the restaurant make the atmosphere very particular.

The club is on three floors: the lower hall is the largest room dedicated to the real disco for those who love dance.

The central hall, named “Vintage Room” is dedicated to all those who love the music of the years 70/80.

The upper room, called “Joiello” (a word game between Joia and Gioiello,which in Italian means gem), is dedicated mainly to the restaurant (15 euros with drinks and dinner buffet), opening at 21:00. After dinner at 00:00 it turns into a disco hall and becomes the coolest floor of the club, where only those who reserved the private room at the table or selected clients can enter.

This is the most beautiful room of the club: in fact the area reserved for piano is finely furnished with sofas and tables. The atmosphere is carefully guarded in all details, from the location of the air condition to sound, and wants to create a state of mental and physical relaxation, a fun necessary to clear the everyday working stress.

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Joia | Bars, Music, Relaxing, Restaurants (Oriental) | Drinks € 10.00
Via Galvani 20 | Testaccio & Ostiense | +39065740802
Tue – Sun 21:00 – 04:00

I am aware that restrooms are certainly not the main feature one may consider when choosing a bar, but I would make an exception for this spot, and I warmly recommend you to do the same!

Actually, it’s all amazing in here: from the owner (meet him!), to the paintings that decorate the walls (all made by himself), to the fancy people that hang around… This extraordinary space is decorated with colorful kitsch, pop art, and plastic furniture evoking Andy Warhol’s famous old “Factory” in New York.

Live piano music is played every night by eccentric local musicians who often ask the audience to join in (and they do. I suspect many go just for that chance!).

Just stop by for a drink, meet plenty of other tourist and locals and pay a visit to the bathroom, entered through a pleasure garden, even if you don’t have to; mayb

e even bring a camera!

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Jonathan’s Angels | Bars, Music | Cocktails from € 8.00
Via della Fossa 14/16 | City center | +39066893426
Mon – Fri 20:00 – 03:00, Sat – Sun 18:30 – 03:00

This is a great big place if you like the underground scene; it has 2 rooms for live music or concerts, a disco room and a pub.

The music is varies from electronic, hip-hop, and rock and house, and often they also have performances based on contemporary art.

Inside there is also a corner shop to buy CD’s, t-shirts and magazine and they also offer dinner. The corner shop is situated near the stage and it is a place to listen, buy and discuss music, but you can also buy tickets for future shows, such as concerts, theatre or sporting events.

This is also a good venue if you like live music, and hang-out with your friends for an alternative evening to the usual bars and clubs.

A good spot if you are in a group that have all different taste, it will be a good compromise for everyone.

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l circolo degli artisti | Bars, Music | Entrance € 6.00
Via Casilina Vecchia 42 | S.Lorenzo & Pigneto | +390697250663
19:30 – 04:00 daily

La Cabala is a rather chic place, a lounge of Rome that turns into the exclusive nightclub Wednesday to Saturday night.

The club is located in a historic building that overlooks the Lungotevere, in the heart of Rome and a stone’s throw from Piazza Navona. It’s part of the restaurant “Hosteria dell’orso”, one of the most renowned restaurants in the capital.

The furniture is focused on comfort and reception, with large and comfortable sofas and soft lights.

The club is divided into 3 areas. Upstairs you can unleash yourself with the best dance and house hits of the moment. Onthe lower level there is the piano-bar that plays the hits of the’60s ,’70s,’80s and’90s. Finally, in the transition areas between the two dance-floors you can sit, relax and have a chat.

I strictly recommend the parties on Saturday night and for men to wear a shirt.

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La Cabala | Bars, Music | Entrance & 1 drink € 15.00
Via dei Soldati 25 | City center | +390668301192
Wed – Sat 23:00 – 05:00

La Maison is one of the hippest clubs in Rome and the most chic of course!

The selection at the entrance is very strict, particularly for groups of men without ladies. I’ll give you some tips to get in: go there very early and dress with jacket and shirt. If you are more than two it’s better if you go in smaller groups. And always smile!

When you get in and you see the big hall, you won’t think it’s a dance floor, but the living room of a an ancient house: in fact there are huge lamps from the 18th century and couches and imperial-style armchairs.

Because of the strict selection at the entrance, inside the club there are no paparazzi, so it’s easy to meet international VIP who are visiting Rome, like for example Lenny Kravitz or Leonardo Di Caprio or Italian football players, that enjoy the city with no risks to see their face on some gossip newspaper.

The best parties are on Tuesday and Thursday night, but the club is really overcrowded during the weekends when the Romans decide to enjoy all night long!

From June to September La Maison changes its location and moves every year in a different location of Rome to transform to open-air club: in summer 2008 if you wanna enjoy this cool club, you must go in Viale dei Gladiatori, just a few meters from the Olympic stadium.

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La Maison | Bars, Music | Drink, free entry € 10.00
Vicolo dei Granari 4 | City center | +39066833312
Tue – Sun 23:00 – 04:00

Among the “Rome must”, this happening club is an underground space in a residential district squeezed between the basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano and the one of S. Croce.

Once a huge wine cellar, nowadays the Club features a labyrinth structure defined by a spectacular spiral staircase, elegant columns and magnificent vaults. An unusual addition to Rome’s nightlife, Micca Club offers an extensive program of DJs performances, radio transmissions, visual arts that, vintage and burlesque markets four nights a week. Live concerts, dance floor, three bars, lounge area and an art gallery make it the most versatile spot!

Music ranges from jazz, funk and soul to Friday’s exotic melodies. Saturday nights are just fabulous! and the Sundays…Burlesque Shows are featured once a month, whilst a vintage/creative market is held every Sunday from 6 pm, selling clothes, design objects, records, etc. The ”Aperitivo” (buffet style) is excellent, offering a chance of drinking (eating) and chatting whilst listening to the selection of resident and host DJs, from 18.30. Check the website for dates and schedule!

P.S. search for me, I may be there!

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Micca Club | Bars, Music | Cocktail from € 8.00
Via Pietro Micca 7/a | City center | +390687440079
Mon – Tue & Thu – Sat 19:00 – 03:00, Sun 18:00 – 03:00

Scholars Lounge is an Irish Pub in the midst of Rome’s Center near an amazing view of Piazza Venezia. The pub is actually medium size even though it will seem extremely small because it is always packed especially if there is a rugby game going on.

When I have out of town visitors, I often bring them here for a good time because they have good food, my favorite being their black olive bruschetta and the artichoke ones, good drinks such as Spritz or Guiness (if you like strong beers). Also they have several big screen TV’s to watch games on (mainly rugby) and music too. I also like the fact that they play on the pubs’ name and inside you can see a big picture of famous scholars like James Joyce etc.

And do not worry if you do not speak Italian since all the waiters and bartenders will speak English to you!

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Scholar’s Lounge | Bars, Music | 2 bruschetta € 6.00
Via Del Plebiscito 10b | City center | +390669202208
11:00 – 03:30 daily