Photo: Ice Club Roma
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If you’re looking for quirky or fun venues for a different night out, check out these places around town. Here are some ideas for organizing a birthday, after-dinner or just a dinner in good company. Rome offers opportunities to experience new flavors and discover out-of-the-ordinary restaurants. Which one do you like best?
Avalon: Antica Taverna Medievale
In the heart of San Giovanni hides a special place that catapults you back to the Middle Ages. Avalon is more than just a restaurant – it is a journey back in time! Every detail is taken care of: tapestries, armor and the glow of flashlights create an evocative atmosphere. Settling in around the legendary Round Table, you can enjoy delicious pizzas while listening to Irish tunes. Don’t miss their little store where you can buy gadgets such as rings, runes and stones.
An authentic Rome-themed venue where you can feel like a knight for a night!
Address: Via Terni, 21, Rome.
Ice Club Roma Photo: Ice Club Roma
If you suffer from the cold, maybe this is not the right club for you. In this particular pub in Rome, the temperature reaches -5°. You can drink tasty cocktails among ice furniture and dim lights and try more than 40 different kinds of vodka to try to warm you up. Even the cocktail glass is made of ice! In short, a fun experience to try in the city.
Admission costs 15 euros: includes a drink and a thermal blanket.
Address: Via della Madonna dei Monti, 18/19, Rome.
One of the most fun clubs in town, if you’re not touchy of course! Downtown at Cencio la Parolaccia you’ll get your fair share of insults. More than a dinner, it’s a cabaret show, amidst tasty dishes that make you discover the Roman culinary tradition. The restaurant is in the rustic style of the 1940s and is very quaint.
Address: Vicolo del Cinque, 3, Rome.
Photo: @lumierepratiroma
It is called Lumière and the name was not chosen at random. In the Prati area of Rome we find this particular bistro with many chandeliers and paintings. As well as more than 50 types of gin! The place is open from morning to evening and allows you to have breakfast, lunch, aperitif, dinner and after dinner.
Address: Via Cicerone, 25, 00193 Rome.
Lonely Avenue
Probably the smallest of Rome’s cute clubs, but with a huge heart! Lonely Avenue envelops you in an intimate and warm atmosphere that makes you feel like a guest in a cozy little living room. The real gem is Christian, the owner, who turns the preparation of each drink into a true storytelling ritual.
Address: Via Luca della Robbia, 18, Rome.
Le Carré Français
How about a delightful little French restaurant? Le Carré Français, a short walk from the Ara Pacis Museum, offers brunches, aperitifs and dinners with French delicacies in a chic and intimate venue. We recommend you try the Picon beer aperitif, cocktails made with French liqueurs, wines by the glass or glasses of Champagne. To accompany your drinks you can choose the selection of pork charcuterie, vegetarian tray, Rillettes de sardines or savory pastries.
Address: Via Vittoria Colonna, 30, 00193.
Städlin
Want to eat next to cute pandas? At Städlin’s you’ll find big stuffed animals, special cocktails and burgers in a modern, youthful venue. The place is open daily from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. and features pleasant background music.
Address: Via Antonio Pacinotti, 83, 00146 Rome.
Buddha Smile
There is an exotic atmosphere at this extravagant venue in southern Rome. The garden is really landscaped with wooden structures for outdoor dining, the aperitif area with colorful poufs and sand, and the indoor part for quiet winter dining. Dishes are plentiful and there are vegetarian alternatives on the menu. You can choose from the pizza and meat menu, burgers or other special dishes. The cocktails are also worth trying, maybe for an after-dinner drink! Good value for money.
Address: Via di Passo Lombardo, 262, 00133 Rome.
Vinile
Looking for a particular club in Rome to dance the night away? Vinile is the perfect stage! A white-walled club where DJs mix vintage dance tracks from a stage above the circular bar. The atmosphere is a combination of sophistication and welcoming, with a super friendly staff that makes you feel pampered. The cocktails are true masterpieces of mixology, presented with manic care. Before midnight you can enjoy dinner and live music, after that the real party begins.
Address: Via Giuseppe Libetta, 19 Rome.
Rome’s pinkest and most glittery venue.
It’s called Viky Candy Cocktail Bar and is perfect for lovers of pink, candy and astrology. In fact, at this pink candy cocktail bar in Pigneto you can order glitter cocktails dedicated to the zodiac signs. Ideal for private parties. To get there, just enter Uncle Pizzeria and take the elevator up…
Address: Via Fanfulla da Lodi 72/A, 00176 Rome.
Sushi with robots
Did you know that there is a sushi place in Rome where there are robot waiters? We are not in a science fiction movie, but right in the capital. At Sushi Sun in fact, robots bring the orders to the table! Sushi Sun is located in the Nomentana and Magliana areas. You can choose the all you can eat formula for both lunch and dinner.
Address: Via della Magliana, 82/A, 00146 Rome. Other locations are in the Tiburtina, Casilina and Pomezia areas.
In the Appio Latino district in Rome is the peculiar restaurant Jappo Romano. Here Roman cuisine meets Japanese cuisine and the result is incredible. If you are a lover of sushi and Capitoline cuisine, you cannot fail to try this place. The Roman spirit will accompany the well-crafted and sublimely flavored dishes.
Address: Via dei Platani, 172, 00172 Rome.
The restaurant with swings
Want to eat on a swing? You can do it at Filologico. We are in Frascati, a town in the Castelli Romani not far from Rome. At Termini there is a train that takes you there in 20 minutes! The dishes are seafood, you’ll find sushi, octopus and buffalo burger, grilled salmon with teriaky sauce and more.
Address: Via Giacomo Matteotti, 46, 00044 Frascati.
A Listening bar with an international mood
33 Giri in Borgo Pio is a real gem among Rome’s particular venues: this listening bar offers cocktails, sophisticated dishes and, above all, music on vinyl in a retro, elegant and intimate atmosphere. If you’re looking for a music-themed venue, the experience here is all-encompassing, amid original woodwork and design details.
Address: Via del Falco, 37/38, 00193 Rome.
The secret bar in a machine shop
The Race Club Speakeasy is located a stone’s throw from the Colosseum and is undoubtedly one of Rome’s most Instagrammable venues. To enter you’ll need a digital “license” (€5 annual fee). Inside, a unique atmosphere where the drinks are true works of art – try the Baby Ron served in a baby bottle or the sensational Mezzo Pieno with truffle and guanciale. An innovative mixing experience that blends past and present in one of the most special pubs in Rome that you absolutely must visit!
Address: Via Labicana, 52, 00184 Rome.
The western-style venue
Fort Apache Capannelle is a restaurant and steakhouse, known for its setting that recalls the western style. The restaurant is popular for its mix of traditional Italian cuisine (such as Roman pizza) and grilled meat specialties. It is family-friendly due to the presence of dedicated spaces for children. In addition, you can also eat outside in the summer.
Address: Via delle Capannelle, 104, 00178 Rome.
Arcade and Food is a unique eatery that combines a passion for retro video games with an American 90s-style dining experience. Perfect for nostalgics and gaming enthusiasts, the restaurant offers an immersive and fun atmosphere enhanced by themed events and a wide selection of free arcade booths and pinball machines.
Address: 1111 Via Nomentana, 00137 Rome.
The listening restaurant that engages the senses
Solum Roma is a restaurant located on the Appia Antica, surrounded by greenery, that offers an experience called listening restaurant. It wants to be a fusion of nature, grilled cuisine (meat, fish, vegetables etc.), urban gardens and live music/sound atmosphere accompanying the dinner. It is not just “eating well”: it is an experiential journey involving multiple senses.
Address: Via Appia Antica, 16, 00179 Rome.
A private restaurant
Il Pagliaccio – Parallels Experience is a starred restaurant that offers a unique concept: a refined experience, “a restaurant within a restaurant,” meaning a private setting for a few guests with dedicated service and exclusive mise en place. The menu is long (14 courses), with contaminations ranging from the Mediterranean to Asia. Ideal if you want something truly spectacular, out of the ordinary.
Address: Via dei Banchi Vecchi, 129/a, 00186 Rome.
The Station – by Hespresso is a unique restaurant located near the Repubblica metro station in Rome that recreates the atmosphere of an upscale train station, with tables reminiscent of a historic train and frescoed ceilings that evoke a timeless, romantic ambiance. Open all day long!
Address: Via Genova, 16, 00184 Rome.
Cantina Tirolese 
Photo: Cantina Tirolese website
Just a stone’s throw from St. Peter’s is one of Rome’s tasty restaurants that has been delighting lovers of Alpine cuisine for more than 50 years. Cantina Tirolese is a family business that has been handing down authentic recipes for three generations. Crossing the threshold of this extravagant establishment will feel like you’re in a real Bavarian stübe! Staff in typical Tyrolean dress complete the experience. Highly recommended is the cheese fondue to put in the center of the table. An atmospheric place with honest prices that gives you a gastronomic trip to Austria without leaving the capital!
Address: at the Hotel Adriatic Address, Via Giovanni Vitelleschi, 23, 00193 Rome.
Tramjazz
Imagine a romantic dinner in Rome aboard a vintage streetcar as it travels through the city center. Tramjazz is a fun restaurant in Rome that turns a simple dinner into an unforgettable adventure! Live jazz, candlelight and impeccable service accompany you for three hours as you discover the city from a unique perspective. An alternative venue in Rome ideal for special occasions or to surprise those you love with a truly out-of-the-ordinary experience.
Address: Piazza di Porta Maggiore, Rome.
Game Ludic Pub
Not just a pub, but a place to enjoy craft beers and have fun with board games. Perfect for those looking for game-themed venues in Rome, with a convivial and relaxed soul that makes every night different.
Address: Via Gian Luca Squarcialupo, 8, 00162 Rome.
La Civetta sul Comò
A tavern that combines good pub food with a whole playroom of board and role-playing games. Cozy atmosphere, ideal for quiet evenings or with friends.
Address: Via Cereate, 8, 00183 Rome.
Etienne Rome – Illusion Experience
A unique experience in the city: a gourmet restaurant offering a tasting menu in the dark. Each course is a multisensory surprise, between cuisine and entertainment. Undoubtedly one of the most unique venues in Rome for those who want to dare.
Address: Via Scirè, 18, 00199 Rome.
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