If you’re looking for the best cocktail bars in Rome, you’ve come to the right place.

This list of the best cocktail bars in Rome has been compiled from years of exploring Rome’s bar scene, updated for 2020 with prices and new openings. Including a mix of new and old Rome cocktail bars, I’m proud to say that there’s something for everyone on this list.

If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you’ll know that I’m passionate about a well-mixed cocktail,  one of my favourite after-dark pursuits in Rome. But while great drinks are important, what really makes a cocktail bar one of the best is the attitude of the staff and the atmosphere, both of which can’t be cheated. This list of the best cocktail bars in Rome accordingly prioritises those which serve a side of warmth and good manners alongside some fantastic drinks.

There’s a reason why some of the world’s best baristas hail from Italy: they just seem to have the knack for combining flair and charm with a typically-Italian obsession with using the best quality ingredients.

The cocktail bar scene in Rome has come on a long way in the past decade, embracing the global mixology vogue but adding a particularly Italian pizzazz to the mix.

Years ago, identifying the best cocktail bars in Rome was an arduous task. I remember being hugely underwhelmed when asking for a gin and tonic in a club, and receiving a free-poured half-pint of spirits topped up with tepid tonic which proved undrinkable.

But the last decade has seen a true cocktail culture emerge, populated by some of the best barmen and mixology specialists in Europe. These range from young emerging Italian talents, to experienced cocktail experts who have worked round the globe before heading back to Italy to share their hard-earned secrets, in brand new concept cocktail bars, as well as established hotel bars.

This list is clearly not exhaustive, and you might have had other great nights out elsewhere, so I’d love to hear your recommendations in the comments! Details follow in the individual entries, and if you’re looking for the best rooftop bars for the summer season, don’t forget to check out this guide as well.

1. Emeralds

Emeralds, a cocktail bar in Prati, is one of the younger bars on my list of the best cocktail bars in Rome, but it’s quickly become one of my favourites. Head barman Luca dal Ben in an irrepressible presence, combining flair, talent and warmth with a serious passion for making cocktails.

The locale is small, dark and green, with notes of lush vegetation and the trinkets of a mad, well-travelled collector. Bag a seat on its plush, wrap-around bench, or settle for standing-room-only at weekends.

Luca is a barman who loves to recommend a drink, either based on his latest obsessions, or your tastes: whether you like fruity, sour, bitter or sweet, don’t be afraid to offer a vague direction and let Luca come up with the goods. He has been single-handedly responsible for creating one of my new favourite cocktails, a passion-fruit vodka sour, which combines notes of exotic fruit with tart, citrus flavours. Absolutely delicious.

Where: Via Crescenzio 91 C|00193|Rome|Italy|Tel +39 06 8865 4275

Price: €10-€14

What to order: Passionfruit vodka sour

2. Terrazza Borromini

Terrazza Borromini, the Roman rooftop bar with the best views in the city, hands down, has a lot to offer even before you order a drink. From the incredible bird’s-eye views over Piazza Navona, to the romantic rooftops of old Rome, and the sun dipping over the dome of Saint Peter’s – you have to forgive the punters crowding at the rooftop edge angling for a fabulous picture or two on summer nights.

The terrace belongs to the handsome four-star hotel in the palazzo below, Eitch Borromni, which also boasts another delicious roof terrace and restaurant on the fourth floor, from whose alabaster pillars you can peer year round down onto the fountain of the four rivers in Piazza Navona.

But for cocktails, and THOSE views, I highly recommend heading directly to the top floor where Terrazza Borromini offers great mixed drinks in delicious surroundings making it easily one of the best cocktail bars in Rome. Bear in mind, Terrazza Borromini is only open from May until the end of September, so is really a pop-up bar for the summer season.

The prices fit the location and the fact that this is a high-end hotel bar, so expect to pay €10 for a glass of wine and €15 upwards for a mixed drink. It can make sense to buy a bottle of wine for the table if you are a group of three or four. Aperitif drinks like the classic Aperol or Campari Spritz count as a cocktail here in terms of prices, but are gloriously dressed with fruit, making them perfect for that sundown, Instagram shot.

Where: Via di Santa Maria dell’Anima, 30|00153 Rome|Italy|Tel +39 06 6821 5459

Price: €15-€18

What to order: Aperol Spritz or Campari Spritz

3. Santo Trastevere

I like everything about Santo Trastevere. It’s both achingly cool  – with exposed brickwork, black tilework imported from New York and a greenhouse vibe from hanging plants and glass walls – and yet enormously friendly and laid back, making it a worthy entry on this list of the best cocktail bars in Rome.

Open nearly all day, it has a  chilled vibe during the day, when bike-hire is thrown in with lunch, and the amount of daylight pouring in through the windows of this converted bodywork shop warms the heart. At night, the mood shifts up a gear, with live DJ sets on certain evenings, while the seriously expert bar staff execute perfect cocktails behind the bar.

The entire staff has been selected by passionate owner Daniele Fadda because of their enthusiasm and knowledge for all things mixology. Feel free to ask for a cocktail recommendation, or order an old favourite, safe in the knowledge that you are in great hands.

Oh, and this summer, Santo Trastevere will have a beach incarnation out in Fregene, so you’ll have twice the opportunity to taste those excellent cocktails.

Where: Via della Paglia 40 |00153 |Rome |Italy|Tel+39 06 5837 7020

Price: €10-€12

What to order: Mezcal Margarita

4. Sky Stars Bar

You need a car or to jump in a taxi to get out to Sky Stars Bar, but it’s a rewarding experience in perhaps the most unique-looking bar on this list and definitely one of the best cocktail bars in Rome. Located in a tower on top of the luxury A.Roma hotel, and enjoying a decentralised location in South West Rome, this bar enjoys star-studded views across the hotel’s landscaped gardens and dark countryside beyond, from an elegant, modern loggia.

It’s hard not to stare at the stars from the balcony – which includes plenty of intimate, dim corners – which gives the bar its name and its VIP feel. Restaurant and bar manager Alessandro is the perfect, genteel host, backed by the brilliant Claudio, while the ever-changing drinks menu throws up some delicious surprises.

The best tip for Sky Stars Bar is to scrap whatever you were planning to drink, and order something new from the latest drinks list, which usually follow a fun theme to really stretch the bar staff’s talent and originality. The important thing is keeping your options open!

Where: Via Giorgio Zoega, 59|00164|Rome |Italy|+39 06 8780 0168

Price: €12-€14

What to order: Check out the fabulous Gin Sour options on the latest list

5. Drink Kong

The brainchild of Patrick Pistolesi, one of the city’s leading mixology experts, Drink Kong is located in the trendy Monti district, within easy reach of Rome’s Termini station.

With interiors inspired by Blade Runner, excellent cocktails, and a stunning Japanese dining experience, it’s the place for after-dark drinks, Asian fusion food, and occasional live music sets.

Drink Kong’s neon charms make it one of the best looking bars in the city, but there’s substance here too, from the signature White Negroni to steamed bao buns, pastrami sandwiches and exceptional tacos.

Rome’s cocktail scene has seriously evolved in the last five years, and Pistolesi is well-known across the city as a top bar consultant and occasional creative director of diverse projects. In fact, this is one of the few bars in the city where you can also participate in a cocktail masterclass run by Pistolesi, in a private room which can be booked for up to ten people. Read my full review of Drink Kong here for more details.

Where: Piazza San Martino ai Monti 8 |Rome |Italy | Tel 0039 06 2348 8666

Price: €12-€14

What to order: gin sour variety the Lotus or a fresh daiquiri Fantasticus

6. Alchemiq

Neighbourhood bar Alchemiq is perhaps an unusual entry on this list, as it is, in some measure, a regular Roman bar, open all day, and deftly meeting the cappuccino and cornetto needs of local residents. Alchemiq serves salads and sandwiches at lunch, and is populated by punters snatching coffees all day between neighbourhood gossip.

However, as the lights dim in the evening, Alchemiq has invented a raft of fun nights, offering everything from live music to poetry reading slams, all rigourously accompanied by truly excellent drinks. The secret here is that the partners in the business have years and years of experience at some of the best hotel bars in the city, and bring those decades of passion and knowledge back to their pet project, Alchemiq.

The result is a flawless list of cocktails and wines which will make you forget you are in a neighbourhood bar and transport you into one of the best cocktail experiences in Rome!

Where: Alchemiq | Via Nemorense 201 | 00199 Rome

Price: From €10

What to order: A Campari-infused invention, Milanese in Bottiglia

7. Rude Centocelle

East of Rome, Centotelle is a neighbourhood which has made huge strides in the past five years, launching some impressive bars and restaurants to the delight of its inhabitants. One of Rome’s more dense suburbs on the edge of town, a new Metro line a few years ago fixed its stellar trajectory.

Today, Rude has become established as the best cocktail bar in Centocelle, matching cool vibe surroundings with a lively young crowd and great cocktails. Sit at the bar or a slow slung table and pair impeccably-mixed drinks with bar bites, while you savour the rich depths of Rome’s bar scene!

Where: Rude Centocelle | Via dei Castani 228 |00171 Rome |Tel 0039 06 5184 7139

Price: From €10

What to order: Yellow Negroni: Citadelle gin, Pierre Ferrand dry curacao, bitter rouge white, vermouth dry

8. Mezzo

We’re staying out of town for my next tip, and it’s off to trendy Pigneto, not far from Centocelle. One of the city’s most happening neighbourhoods, which has been rendered much more accessible in recent years thanks to the addition of a metro line, Pigneto’s cheaper rents has created a safe space for lots of young bar entrepreneurs and restaurant owners to experiment with some original concepts.

Mezzo is that rare thing in Italy, a vermoutheria, a bar specialising in vermouth, a Italian heritage drink combining wine with herbs and spices, fortifying the alcohol (and the flavour).

As one of the key ingredients in many traditional cocktails, you can imagine that a bar specialising in vermouth has lots to offer when it comes to great cocktails. Mezzo has the precision of a great cocktail bar, plus an great atmosphere, combined with Pigneto’s off-centre colour and cool.

Where: Mezzo Vermuteria | Via del Pigneto 19 | 00176 Rome

Price: From €8

What to order: Make it an artisan vermouth over ice – ask the knowledgeable bar staff for a recommendation!

9. Co.So Cocktails & Social

We’re back in Pigneto for Co.So Cocktails & Social, a brisk ten minute walk from Mezzo, over the other side of the railway tracks. Co.So is definitely one of the coolest bars in Rome, and it’s location in hip Pigneto adds to the vibe.
With the bar now under the management of co-owners Benedetto Guarino and chef Riccardo Bucci – with young bartender Giulia Castellucci behind the bar – Co.So relaunched about a year ago with restaurant-quality food at bar side.

The fabulous new menu ranges from club sandwiches – in eight different styles, including three fish-inspired versions. – to an exquisite aged beef tartare. There are also some tempting cold plates of cheese and salami and a bento aperitivo box, including a drink, for a bargain €13. 

Many punters here will still make a beeline for the cocktails, of course. Co.So’s legendary Carbonara Sour is still a crowd pleaser, featuring egg white, black pepper and (pig) fat washed vodka, plus plenty of lemon zing. Look out too for the hot fashioned tequila, combining salted caramel, angostura bitters and peperoncino. This is avante garde cocktail mixing at its best.

Where: Co.So Cocktail & Social | Via Braccio da Montone 80 | Rome | Italy | Tel 0039 393 658 3230

Price: €9 – €12

What to order: Co.So classic, the Carbonara Sour

10. Blind Pig

On your way back into town from Pigneto, east of San Giovanni, expect to arrive at Piazza Lodi, a well-positioned neighbourhood suspended between Pigneto cool and the convenience of San Giovanni. Steps from the entrance to Metro Lodi, Blind Pig opened its doors a couple of years ago, to quickly charm the hearts and palates of locals and drinkers from further afar.

Quite simply, this is a bar exuding downtown class and excellence in the cocktail department, in an easy, neighbourhood location. There are a few stand-out savoury cocktails on the drinks list as well as lots of vintage know-how to give the cocktail list an encyclopedic vibe.

Unfortunately, there are no outdoor seats, but there is air-conditioning in the dark, glossy bar. A recent innovation has seen Blind Pig add a cooked Sunday Brunch to the list of yummy offerings, where cocktails are available at a very impressive €6-€8. The vibe is perfect in winter, when its corners gets cosy, and the drinks list is distinguished by tipples you won’t find anywhere else.

Where: Blind Pig | Via la Spezia 72 | Roma | 0039 06 8775 0714

Price: From €8

What to order:  A refreshing Sodaceto: Vermouth al’ Aceto Balsamico di Modena, with citrus soda

11. Lion

Lion, a handsome restaurant and bar in a perfect location between Piazza Navona and the Pantheon, is another fairly new opening, having launched in November 2018. With its smart décor in teal and tomato red, it hasn’t been overrun by tourists despite the address, due to exuding a classy and dare I say expensive vibe.

The food here is created under the watchful eye of chef Luca Ludovici, and quality, gratis bar snacks during the aperitivo hour – including chocolate-covered morsels of oxtail – perfectly compliment the quality cocktail list. The prices are fair for the experience: expect to pay around €14 per cocktail. On the advice of the head barman, I ordered the Margarita variety ‘uomo morto ballando’, where the Cointreau was replaced with elderflower liquor. This was a smart swap in, taking an alcoholic edge of the drink, which was seasoned with black Himalayan salt. 

Where:

Price: From €14

What to order: The house special ‘dead man dancing’ Margarita

12. Piccadilly

Piccadilly Roma looks like a neighbourhood bar, situated minutes from the roundabout of Re di Roma in the San Giovanni district, but this capital drinking and dining den has ideas well above its station.

It’s a great reminder that whether you’re a tourist in Rome, or even if you live here – please don’t just stick to the historic centre when you go out (or your usual haunts).

Re di Roma – which has its own Metro stop – is an easy stroll from the Basilica of San Giovanni or an equally easy quick hop on the underground.

Add the fact that you often pay a euro or two less to dine once you’re removed from the relics of ancient Rome, and you can really put together a fun night out in the city this way which really reflects how the Romans live.

Piccadilly Roma is a shining example of this. The bar-restaurant opened a few years ago, but after a stunning refurbishment last year is really coming into its own.

Visit Piccadilly from 10 am for coffee and a pastry; don’t miss the fresh lunch menu; but do come in the evenings, when cocktails and dinner take centre stage and the menu is a real delight. Behind the bar, look out for the creations of resident barman Angelo Bonanni, with the collaboration of Giordana Verini.

Where: Piccadilly Roma |Via Appia Nuova, 127 | Rome, Italy | Tel +39 06 9761 4438

Price: From €10

What to order: Daiquiri Sajous, combining Haitian rum, lime and sugar syrup

13. Valentyne Restaurant and Cocktails

Valentyne Restaurant and Cocktails, the basement cocktail bar and eatery of Hotel Valadier in Rome, is decadent Rome at its best, just a five minute walk from the Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo.

The brainchild of owner Daniele Lassalandra, Valentyne Restaurant and Cocktails exudes an after-dark vibe of mystery and delight. It is, if I may say, Hotel Valadier’s Inferno: red-velvet-sexy, with a note of 1930s decadence and a tempting menu to match.

With alluring evenings here are enhanced by international DJ sets, the bar exudes a vintage vibe thanks to the smart barmen in their 1930s-inspired suits. There are shades of Prohibition-era secrecy without the faff of a speakeasy.

Valentyne opens at 6.30 pm, so it’s great for an early evening drink but really comes into its own for dinner and late night cocktails. The food has a gourmet, international feel, but manages to keep things casual with lots of tartares and even a superb club sandwich for those late-night munchies.

While Valentyne effortlessly executes all the classic cocktails you might want, it also has a well executed Tiki cocktail list and lots of rum-based delights. Check out my full review of Valentyne here.

Where: Valentyne Restaurant Rome | Hotel Valadier | Via della Fontanella 15 |+39 06 361 0880 | Open every day 6.30pm – 2.30 am, closed on Mondays

Price: From €12

What to order: Voodoo, with dark and light rum, tamarind syrup, chinotto, star anise and liquorice-infused sugar cube

14. Palmerie Parioli

Palmerie Parioli, in Rome’s Parioli neighbourhood, is that rare beast: a venue which manages to cover all bases with remarkable success.

Palmerie Parioli offers lunch, aperitivo, dinner, cocktails and late night clubbing, while specialising in Asian fusion food

The cavernous space has a club-like feel upstairs, dressed with teal, pink and navy velour, tropical wallpaper and lights like fishbowls. Downstairs, and in its cute mezzanine outdoor courtyards, there’s almost a beachy, Bali vibe in Palmerie Parioli, with lots of cute corners to escape your day.

It’s this ground floor which is ideal for drinks and pausing for an aperitivo, with open sides and an indoor garden vibe. The cocktails are perfectly executed, and the people-watching unrivalled in Parioli.

Where: Palmerie Parioli |Viale dei Parioli 7| 00197 Rome|Italy|Tel 380 741 7379

Price: From €12

What to order: Champagne Cocktail

15. Genever

Genever Gin Club, a new gin-focused speakeasy just minutes from the Trevi Fountain in Rome, has all the qualities to become a raving success. Positioned in a remarkably quiet street that winds away from the crowds thronging round one of Rome’s best-loved monuments, Genever is a delightful surprise behind a studded door.

Ring the bell for access to this modern gin palace, run by the founders of one of Formentera’s most successful bars, El Marino tapas bar. Following their hit success in Spain, where gin is well loved, this gin-focused club brings a little of that sunshine and magic to an urban drinks-only den.

Featuring some 50 different kinds of gin and seven premium tonics, Genever is open every night from 10 pm until late, for night-owls including the stars of Rome’s bar scene – its barmen – who come here after closing up their own activities to drink until 4 am in the morning. No entry fee is due, although guests are obliged to join the club for a nominal €5 annually.

With a series of underground rooms perfect for live music and dancing, Genever is also gearing itself up to offer more lively options on weekends – keep an eye on the Facebook page for details. P.s. they serve gin-soaked jellybabies as snacks!

Where: Genever Gin Club | Vicolo dei modelli 51/a | Rome | Tel 0039 333 320 4586

Price: From €10

What to order: A classic Negroni

16. Il Marchese

Il Marchese, a restaurant and amaro bar in the centre of Rome, is perfectly placed for a drink or a bite to eat after a downtown shopping trip.

Just a few minutes away from Via del Corso and designer brand mecca Via dei Condotti, Il Marchese Rome occupies the ground floor of a splendid eighteenth-century building, recalling the past with a smart chessboard floor and a chandelier or two.

Il Marchese restaurant offers classics from Roman cuisine as a base line, but the chef has fun with some of the ingredients and plating, making this a little bit more pop than your average Roman trattoria.

On your visit, I recommend starting with a cocktail at the bar – one of the best things about the Marchese experience. This is a perfectly good spot for some drinking, so come grab a seat at the bar and enjoy some late night (or early evening drinks), even if you’re not dining. My cocktail was sherry and prosecco-based, but they have a great amaro list – and more. Read my full review of Il Marchese here.

Where: Il Marchese Restaurant & Amaro Bar | via di Ripetta 162 | Rome | Tel +39 0690218872 | Open every day from noon until 1am

Prices: From €12

What to order: A Butterfly Tea cocktail

17. Punch

Punch in Rome’s Pigneto district headlines with pies and pints, but its menu is a surprisingly thoughtful take on English pub grub, featuring inventive cocktails and recipes from the past.

This restaurant and bar, situated off via Prenestina in Pigneto, is worth your time for its exploration of a (very) infrequently developed theme – the diets of 17th century British sailors. The Anglophile owners of Punch, Adriano Terenzi and Giacomo di Matteo, dreamed up the idea after a culinary course which got them thinking about the origins of the humble cracker.

Although you may well come for the pints, the cocktail menu is a lot of fun – taking its fusion-lead from the great ports of the world, to contaminate classic cocktails with exotic ingredients. My Americano was blended with mint-tea in an homage to the city of Rabat. Read my full review of Punch here.

Where: Punch | Via Alberto da Giussano, 69/71 | Rome | Open 18.00 – 02.00, every day except Tuesday

Prices: From €8

What to order: Rabat, an Americano blended with mint tea

18. Dram

Dram boat is a floating bar, jazz club and whisky paradise on the River Tiber with cool vibes in its DNA.

Rocking gently on the river by Ponte Regina Margherita, not far from Flaminio Metro stop, Dram’s 1920s-era houseboat has been lovingly restored with yards of original wood and brass fittings, hand-stitched sofas and a glass-encased afterdeck-with-a-view.

The project is the brainchild of Omar Ghoneim, jazz-loving owner of the city’s historic Gregory’s Jazz Club, who has riffed on river lounging in the past with his successful summer pop-up, Gregory’s by the River.

Dram boat, a permanent fixture moored along the Tiber’s tow-path, is many things: a live jazz venue and dance club; a bar specialising in whisky, with 160 different labels; an easy evening bar and eatery; and a spot for some sun-filled lounging on Sundays, with brunch from 12 noon onwards.

The regular drinks list is more than reasonable for a downtown venue: regular cocktails start at €10, with glasses of wine from €6. There’s also a list of house cocktails riffing on the whisky theme priced at €12.

The premier whisky list meanwhile offers star turns including Lagavulin, Highland Park, Tullibardine, as well as Japan’s Yoichi Single Malt, Bowmore and many more. Read my full review of Dram here for further details.

Where: Dram Boat | Lungotevere Arnaldo da Brescia | 00196 | Rome | Tel 0039 3516457888

Prices: From €10

What to order: A whisky-based cocktail, such as a Boulevardier

19. The Court

The Court, one of the most breathtaking garden bars in the city, thanks to its exclusive location right in front of the Colosseum. This is a ground-floor bar on a raised, private platform with enviable views of Rome’s most famous monument, and an exclusive vibe thanks to its presence in one of Rome’s swankiest hotels, Hotel Palazzo Manfredi.

This list of the best rooftop bars in Rome features new rooftop bars in Rome plus cheap rooftop bars in Rome, and includes Rome rooftop bar prices
Hotel Palazzo Manfredi hosts one Michelin star restaurant Aroma on its unrivalled rooftop, where chef Giuseppe di Iorio reigns supreme, but if you want to enjoy those Colosseum views without spending all of your holiday on dinner, a cocktail in The Court could be the answer you’re looking for.

However, prices are still high in this luxury garden bar. Open from the first pink streaks of dusk until the small hours, the cocktail list has been created by Matteo Zed and prices start at €25 for his creations here. Try The Court Margarita, an elegant and less alcoholic riff on the classic Margarita, which combines mescal, tequila, hibiscus flower cordial with a glass rim studded with Mexican salt, sweet paprika and ground lime.

If you’re looking for (alcoholic) value for money, The Court’s Manhattan is a strong and smouldering cocktail (pictured below), fairly heavy on the rye whiskey and vermouth with a succulent maraschino cherry in its dark depths.

Despite being one of the most expensive garden bars in Rome, booking ahead for a table is essential as this bar has a very limited amount of seating. If you’re just looking to stand with a cocktail in hand to get THAT Colosseum selfie, you may be able to enter without a reservation, but numbers will be limited at peak times of the evening, especially through the weekends.

Where: The Court | Palazzo Manfredi | Via Labicana 125 | Tel +39 0677591380

Price: From €20

What to order: The Court Margarita (mescal, tequila, hibiscus flower cordial) €25

20. Up Sunset Bar

Italian department store brand La Rinascente used to be a mid-mark emporium offering frumpy fashion concessions, cosmetics and household essentials. However, a recent group-level strategy change has changed all that. In 2017, the retail house shifted from generic department store to a luxury approach, transferring to a swanky new purpose-built location on Via del Tritone (Metro Barberini). Out went household essentials, and in came designer names and upmarket food and beverage options on the top floor.
Now, if you visit La Rinascente on via del Tritone, you’ll find the kind of premier brands which used to only cluster around via dei Condotti and via del Babuino, while the top floor is home to several quick eateries and designer restaurant concepts, including Brazilian-Japanese fusion sushi bar Temakinho, plus The Up Sunset Bar and MadeITerraneo, a bar and restaurant run by Michelin-starred chef Riccardo Di Giacinto.

Occupying the sixth and seventh floor of La Rinascente, including the outdoor, upper level, Up Sunset Bar is the jewel in the crown of La Rinascente’s drinking and dining options and one of the best cocktail bars in Rome. Enjoying fabulous views overlooking the Eternal City, this is just the place for a glass of something cool and refreshing day or night, after some much deserved retail therapy.

There’s a range of drinks on offer, with beers ranging from €6-€9, and cocktails priced at €12-€16, placing it in the median range for Rome’s rooftop bars. There are also food options from breakfast at 10.00, through aperitivo from 17.00 – 21.00, while from 22.00 until midnight, it’s time to get into the after dinner mood with a signature cocktail. Reserving a table is essential.

Where: Up Sunset Bar | 6th & 7th floors La Rinascente |Via del Tritone 61 | Tel +39 0687916652

Price: €9-€16

What to order: The signature Tramonti cocktail combines gin, red bitter, passion fruit and lime juice (€14)

21. Madre

Madre, enjoying a beautiful location at the foot of Via Nazionale in front of religious university the Angelicum, is a cocktail bar and restaurant for those that like a little luxury. Owned by Michelin star chef Riccardo di Giacinto, of All’Oro fame, quality and talent is in its DNA.

Serving gourmet pizzas, ceviche and savoury maritozzi, Madre’s dining menu is a well-executed if pricey affair, but you can happily come for a cocktail and enjoy all the benefits of this beautiful location too.

With two main rooms, including a bar snug and larger lounge area filled with green, look out for Madre special nights, such as occasional DJ sets to accompany your aperitivo-hour cocktail on Thursdays, and late-night themed events.

The cocktails are well mixed, and you’re in safe hands in one of the trendiest cocktail bars in the city!

Where: Madre Roma |Largo Angelicum 1A |00184 Rome |Tel 0039 06678 9046

Price: From €14

What to order: Try a Tiki cocktail such as El Mercenario

22. Chorus Cafe

If I told you that Chorus Cafe stood practically in front of St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican and was a theatre bar to boot, you’d probably be wondering why it was on the list of best cocktail bars in Rome. Yet Chorus Cafe is that rare thing: a fabulous theatre bar and restaurant which draw punters in its own right.

Behind the bar, cocktail king Massimo D’Addezio has put together a cocktail menu with more than 60 options, from drinks with a champagne base to fresh fruit and herbs, and everything in between. The bar itself, on the first floor above the theatre lobby, is in a stylish Art Deco hall which puts a vintage sashay in your hips as you cross the bar.

The cocktails aren’t cheap, but round the aperitivo hour expect them to be accompanied with some impressive finger food – from raw prawns to handmade fried goodies. Crisps, vegetable chips and olives come as standard and are replenished all night. It’s almost always necessary to book a table, but if you don’t find space, there’s nearly always room at the bar. The tables become part of the restaurant from about 8.30 pm, so come for an early or late drink to really enjoy the space.

Where: Chorus Cafe | Via della Conciliazione 4 | Roma | 0039 0668892774

Price: From €17

What to order: I tried an Ifix, with cognac Courvoisier, scotch whisky Bowmore 12 Y.O., bitter orange, Varnelli dry anise liqueur, sugar, Angostura bitter, egg white, lemon juice, soda water

Read next: The best rooftop bars in Rome