You had me at bottomless martini. For €25, get ready for a night of endless refills in one of the coolest corners of Rome – the hip hotel bar of boutique hotel Chapter Roma.
Located centrally in the Roman Ghetto, Hotel Chapter Roma opened in February 2019, targeting a cool crowd looking for refined but understated lodgings, and an impeccable attention to detail.
As you might expect, nothing has been overlooked – including its stunning hotel bar, which has thrown down the gauntlet for being the best hotel bar in Rome. While the Chapter Roma story started last year, I went along recently to meet new head barman, Mario Farulla, who has brought an exceptionally exciting project to Chapter Roma.
You might remember Mario from the bar of stylish Trevi Fountain cocktail bar and restaurant Baccano, where he drew the crowds for some years. Now, under Mario’s expert watch, the drinks list – and indeed, whole bar philosophy at Chapter Rome – has been transformed into a personal yet universal project.
Mario calls the new drinks list “Millennials”, and it’s an homage to a generation which perhaps has had to make do with less than previous generations, but has never let its standards or values slip. The cheeky frontispage shouts ‘Ok Boomer!’ and then it’s into a voyage of alcoholic discovery, from gauche disco-friendly drinks to something a little more sophisticated.
It’s worth mentioning at this point that the hotel bar of Chapter Roma is open to the public, and actually has a dedicated entrance – which is not that easy to spot, but it’s there – making the whole vibe feel much more like a independent bar in its own right. A lot of care has been taken to create cosy corners for couples, groups and singles in the hotel’s industrial-chic style. Of course, you may prefer to sit at the bar – as I did – to really soak up the atmosphere.
While you can of course order any classic cocktail within reason, it’s worth contemplating the Hotel Chapter Roma drinks list. Pre-batch cocktails in “infinity jars” are a refreshing €10 each, and range from a classy house Rolls Royce through a Negroni and Manhattan.
If you’re in for the night, don’t overlook the bar’s bottomless martini, with free refills for €25. You can choose from 7 different kinds of gin, and of course, this offer is for single use only.
I tasted a few different cocktails on my visit from the Millennials menu. We started with this tongue-in-cheek rum and pear, an homage to the teen-favourite tipple in Rome. This is a classy upgrade however with Matusalem Platino rum, pear, goats’ cheese and salt. And it’s excellent! This is served in a shot format of 45 ml for just €6, and is the perfect, fun way to start.
Next I tried the Vodka Red Bull (€6), which is an even more diabolical play on words. Don’t expect the obvious: this shot-sized cocktail contains artisanal, dried-meat Belvedere Vodka, which has been infused with guanciale or pork cheek to create a thunderous new idea.
I also sipped an easy to drink Paloma, before trying a daring Long Health, a delicious €15 cocktail combining Italicus bergamot liqueur, Botanist gin, green chocolate and pumpkin amaretto cordial.
In short, Mario Farulla has come up with one of the most exciting cocktail menus in the city in a cool but easy environment, and if you’re at all interested in finding out more about Rome or Italian cocktail culture, you cannot miss this place, when in Rome.
Highly recommended!
Testaccina was a guest of Hotel Chapter Roma
Hotel Chapter Roma | Via di S. Maria De’ Calderari, 47 | Rome | Tel 0039 06 8993 5351