The buzzing heart of Rome's nightlife and other Rome, Italy Nightlife Tips

Nightlife Spot: Testaccio

The area of Testaccio is one of the most genuinely Roman you can find. It is populated by AC Roma supporters, and its lively streets are full of words shouted in "Romanesco", the local dialect.

Testaccio has an interesting market, a nice church and a few good shops, but above all it is one of the dining and dancing centres of Rome, especially in the winter.

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Theme: Other
Dress Code: Varies a lot, but never too uptight.
Directions: The area is situated between St. Paul's gate (Porta San Paolo, where the Pyramid is located) and the river. Get off the B metro at Piramide.

Nightlife Spot: BOA

This place is situated in Ostia Lido, the area of Rome that faces the sea. The name stands for Birrificio Ostiense Artigianale, or traditional Ostia brewery, and hints to the numerous buoys (in Italian: boa) you can see floating on the sea.

It is one of the few microbreweries of Rome, and makes two different beers. The menu promises a third beer soon, so let's wait and see.

When I last went there I tasted both the lager, which had a nice fruity aftertaste, and the bock, which was quite impressive in its body though not that much in taste and alcohol. The beers are not filtered and not pasteurized, which adds to the fascination of the place.

Prices were also reasonable: a litre of beer went out for 9 euros, which is less than you'd pay for a Heineken elsewhere nearby.

A peculiarity of this place is that they distribute toasted peanuts complete with shells (you can take a handful of them to your table from the bag inside). The result is that the floor is completely covered in shells at the end of the evening!

You can also watch the beautiful people of Rome from the pleasant terrace tables. The place is definitely worth another trip.

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Theme: Eating and Drinking
Dress Code: Take it easy!
Phone: +39 06 564 0138
Address: Piazza dei Ravennati, 1
Directions: Right in the heart of Ostia, not far from the Lido railway station.
Website: http://www.boabirra.it/
Other Contact: info@boabirra.it

Nightlife Spot: On The Rox

This pub, owned by two funny Danish brothers and managed by people of all sorts of nationality, is one of the brightest stars of the Testaccio nightlife.

Never too quiet, and never too crowded (except for a few Saturdays), it retains a laid-back atmosphere that makes it very easy to meet new people. It also has a good mix of Italians and foreigners, and a bunch of regulars that you'll find almost every night in there.

In the summer it has a very pleasant terrace, where you can get served at the table for an extra fee.

The quick and polite barmen will prepare you cocktails of all sorts from the almost endless list of hard booze. They also have a few decent wine bottles and four beers by the draught, including the excellent Peroni Gran Riserva, an Italian double malt lager.

They can also make you hot dogs or sandwiches, though some of Rome's best restaurants (including the adjacent Da Pecorino - see my tip) are only metres away.

Overall, a very nice place. The only bad mark goes to the toilets, which regularly lack soap and leave a lot to be desired as per cleanliness.

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Theme: Eating and Drinking
Dress Code: Take it easy.
Address: Via Galvani, 54
Directions: In the heart of Testaccio, right in front of the old slaughterhouse (Mattatoio)

Nightlife Spot: Coyote

This place is very nicely situated at the bottom of Monte Testaccio, the hill that gives the name to the Testaccio area.

The terrace is pretty large, which is why this place gives its best in the summer. In fact, it's one of the few that doesn't shut its doors in August, when most Romans head to the shores of Lido di Ostia.

There's no entrance fee, which is nice, and the atmosphere is generally friendly, though service at the bar can be excruciatingly slow, and queues to the toilets can be long (plan in advance!).

The last time I went there I had a gin and bitter lemon which was nicely done, and cost me 7 euros, which is an average price for a club. Actually it's almost cheap considering they don't have an entrance fee.

The place is populated by mostly Italians, though foreigners can be spotted. The average age is just below 30, but you can see some older chaps in there (like the Baron!).

Closing time is definitely after 4, since that's when I left last time - it was still very full!

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Theme: Nightclub
Address: Via Di Monte Testaccio
Directions: Right in front of the old slaughterhouse (Mattatoio)