Wander through any of Rome’s wonderful piazzas on a sunny afternoon and you will see people spilling out of cafes and drinking alfresco on the cobblestone squares under the forgiving shade of umbrellas or lazily lounging on the steps and rims of the city’s gloriously overblown Baroque fountains, glass in hand. While many opt for that well-known of Italian beverages – a glass of wine or the luminous orange goodness of an Aperol Aperativo – beer isn’t generally the drink of choice in Italy’s capital.
Typically, Italians are traditionalists with long-ingrained eating habits, so when a beer is drunk, it is usually as a pre-dinner aperitif rather than with a meal. Even then, chances are that they will be supping from a mass-produced bottle of Peroni or Moretti. To me, it feels like a shame that most people’s experience of Italian beer is limited to these two brewing behemoths as, for the past decade, the country has been producing some of the finest birre artigianali, or non-commercially brewed beer, in Europe.
If you are in search of something strong and hoppy or mouth-wateringly sour, you don’t have to go very far of the beaten track in Rome to find a spectacular craft beer bar. Whether these are hipster hangouts in the trendy neighbourhoods of Trastevere and Monti, or upscale eateries just steps from the city’s ancient wonders, there are a huge number of venues serving up fantastic local brews.
Disclaimer: My trip to Rome, including flights, was provided by Jet2, however, all opinions are my own.
Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fà
With a name that roughly translates to “What did you come here for?” this lively neighbourhood bar is just a short hop from Piazza Trilussa and constantly filled with a crowd that’s both international and local, often spilling out of the door onto the pavement outside. There is a constantly shifting range of artisan Italian ales on their 16 taps, which I imagine, is what most people go there for.
Where: Via Benedetta, 25
When: Daily 11am – 2pm
Bir & fud
Another of Rome’s best craft beer bars and located just across the cobbled alleyway from Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fà, this stylish eatery prides itself on its 36 taps serving the best of Italy’s artisan beers but, true to its name, Bir & Fud really excels when it comes to food. Although you may think that you will find the city’s tastiest pizza in the small al taglio (by the slice) joints, here they serve it Neopolitan style, fresh from their pizza oven. It may actually be the best in Rome.
Where: Via Benedetta 23
When: Mon to Thurs 6pm – 1am; Fri to Sun 12.30pm – 5pm and 7pm – 1am
Open Baladin
When entering Open Baladin, you know that you’re walking into beer heaven – in front of you is a bright orange wall lined with hundreds of illuminated bottles featuring all of their brews. Don’t let the retro, champagne bottle style design of them fool you though, Open Baladin produces a good selection of modern beers, from NEIPAs to sours with a huge range of more traditional beers such as stouts, bitters and lagers thrown in. Owner, Teo Musso knows his way around a beer tap, opening his first pub in the northern city of Cuneo in the late 1980s, becoming a brewery in 1996, and has gone on to collaborate with some of the world’s most prolific craft brewers, opening Open Baladin as one of the first wave of Rome’s craft beer bars in 2009. Baladin’s beers are the best I tried in Rome, however, as well as their own brews, the bar serves up over 40 beers on tap and 100 bottles. The food is good too, with Open Baladin has an extensive vegan and veggie selection as well as bar staples of burgers and sandwiches.
Where: Via degli Specchi, 6
When: Daily 12pm – 2am
L’Osteria di Birra del Borgo
This enormous space, just a short walk from the Vatican, is the brainchild of former academic Leonardo Di Vincenzo, who wanted to combine his passion for beer, traditional taverns and local cuisine. Birra del Borgo, his small on-site brewery has a 350-litre capacity, but he serves up 24 beers from the taps of the Osteria along with a pizza menu of sharable teglia that is designed to complement the beer. The beer is good too, incorporating ingredients and wild yeasts sourced from his hometown near Lazio and Abruzzo.
Where: Via Silla, 26a
When: Daily 12pm – 2am
Illuppolati Fraschetta Birraria
Illuppolati originated as a collaboration between Simone Caloprisco and Alfonso Carullo, brewer and owner of the Donkey Beer brewery, and now occupies a tiny, hole-in-the-wall bar on a quiet, cobbled backstreet of Trastevere. The setup is fairly unique – all beers are poured directly into cans, which are sealed to either take away or drink in their cosy little taproom, which the owner claims keeps them as fresh as they would be if taken directly off the brewing line. The Presa Bene – a 5.5% IPA which was the first beer they produced and still their core beer – is always on tap along with a good range of Italian beers and, when I visited, a couple more of their own brews too.
Where: Via della Luce, 72
When: Daily 2.30pm – 10pm
Be.Re
Also located just steps from the Vatican in Piazza Risorgimento, Be.Re is the work of Manuele Colonna, the publican known for pouring beers at the previously mentioned Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fà and one of Rome’s most well-respected beer aficionados. There are 20 beers on tap with around half a dozen cask as in their shiny new bar but unlike many of the places listed here, they tend to mix it up with a range of International breweries alongside Italian ones. When I visited the pumps were mostly occupied with UK-based breweries such as Moor, Polly’s and Pressure Drop. There is also an on-site branch of the popular street food chain Trapizzino.
Where: Via Vespasiano, 2
When: Daily 11am – 2am
Queen Makeda Grand Pub
Other than Open Baladin, Queen Makeda possibly has Rome’s most extensive beer selection: 40 craft beers on tap, in continuous rotation with a guarantee of at least 15 styles on the go at any one time in an effort to showcase as much of Italy’s brewing scene as possible. A couple of their own beers, brewed by Free Lions craft brewery are always on tap. They have Jumping Ale, a light and dry pale ale, and Red Mermaid Bock. However, it isn’t just the choice of beverages that sets Queen Makeda apart. It is a classy affair rather than a neighbourhood dive bar or snooty hipster joint that serves up sushi and Japanese cuisine as well as a decent burger. During aperitif time (6.30pm to 8.30pm), tapas and small-plate versions of their main menu scoot along their kaiten belt that moves along the entire length of the bar counter which is probably not seen at any other craft beer bar in the world.
Where: Via di S. Saba, 11
When: Tues, Weds & Thurs 6pm – 1am; Fri 6pm – 2am; Sat & Sun 12.30pm – 4pm and 6pm – 1am
