Trastevere Wine Bars

Rome's most atmospheric neighborhood, where narrow medieval streets hide ancient Roman foundations. The wine bars here serve everything from local Frascati to rare vintages from across Italy.

What to do there

6 things to do

1. 1 Descend 20 Feet Into a 4th-Century Rome That Still Exists History · Free

   Before the wine, earn the context. Beneath the Basilica of San Crisogono, three layers of Rome stack on top of each other — and you can stand in the oldest one.

   For €3, you descend through a sacristy entrance into excavations that reveal a Rome that has been underground since the 12th century. The current Baroque basilica at Basilica di San Crisogono (Piazza Sidney Sonnino 44) was built on top of a Medieval church, which was built on top of a 4th-century Early Christian basilica — one of the oldest in Rome. The frescoes down there — painted between the 5th and 12th centuries — are still intact, and the walls you touch are 1,700 years old. Enter the main church (free), walk the left aisle to the far end where you'll find the sacristy door and a guardian who will take your €3 and lead you down. Open Monday–Friday 4pm–7pm; Saturday–Sunday all day. Take your time at the bottom: look for the Latin inscriptions and the sarcophagi that were simply left in place when they built the Medieval church above.

   Backup: If the underground is closed or the guardian isn't in, the main church itself is worth 10 minutes — the gold-coffered ceiling dates from 1626 and the Cosmatesque pavement on the floor is from the 12th century. Then head straight to step 2.

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2. 2 Walk the Exact Roman Road That Leads to a Glass of Cesanese Adventure · Free

   Via della Lungaretta has been walked for 2,000 years. Tonight, it leads you through medieval Trastevere to the wine bar that won Italy's highest wine award.

   As you walk west on Via della Lungaretta — the street running alongside the basilica — notice how the street bends and narrows unpredictably. That's the Medieval city growing organically over a Roman foundation. This is NOT a modern road: it follows the exact route of the ancient Roman road beneath it. Trastevere's name comes from Latin 'Trans Tiberim' — beyond the Tiber. This was originally Etruscan land, then a fishing and trading district, then the site of Julius Caesar's private garden villa (the Horti Caesaris). After his assassination, he left the gardens here to the people of Rome in his will. Cleopatra was last entertained in Rome in that garden in 46 BC. Walk west until you see the glow of Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere open up ahead. Detour into Vicolo del Piede (marked on your right — look for the alley almost invisible between buildings) where plants scale the walls and locals lean from windows. Then emerge into Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere and pause at the fountain.

   Backup: If you miss Vicolo del Piede, any narrow alley off Via della Lungaretta will do — they're all medieval palimpsests on Roman foundations. The goal is just to arrive at Piazza Santa Maria on foot from the underground, feeling the layers.

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3. 3 Taste the Wine Emperor Nerva Loved — at the Best Enoteca in Italy Wine · Price: moderate

   Enoteca Ferrara has 1,600 labels, 21,000 bottles in a converted convent, and won the Oscar for Best Wine Shop in Italy in 2003. One specific wine will make this night unforgettable.

   Since 1988, Enoteca Ferrara (Piazza Trilussa 41) has been the temple of Roman wine culture — housed inside the ex-convent of Sant'Eufemia. The wine list arrives in TWO bound books: one for reds, one for whites, every label printed with an actual scan of the bottle. They have 1,600 options. Ask specifically for a Cesanese del Piglio by the glass or bottle — Lazio's ONLY red wine DOCG, and possibly the table wine of ancient Rome itself. The Emperor Nerva built his country house in Piglio because he loved the local wine. Archaeological evidence links the grape to vineyards east of Rome going back centuries. The sommelier will likely offer Federici (Sapiens) or a Cantina Sociale Cesanese — either is excellent. The wine has dark cherry, violets, a hint of red pepper, and tannins soft enough that some wine critics compare it to a rustic Burgundy Pinot Noir. Pair with any charcuterie or Roman cheese. A glass costs around €8–12; bottles from €25. Open Monday–Friday 6pm–2am; Saturday–Sunday from noon.

   Backup: If Cesanese is unavailable by the glass, ask for any Lazio red — Nero Buono or Montepulciano d'Abruzzo are common alternatives. If the full restaurant is fully booked, La Mescita (the wine bar section inside Ferrara) takes walk-ins.

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4. 4 Drink on the Steps Where Caesar Left His Gardens to the People of Rome History · Price: low

   Piazza Trilussa at 10pm: 100+ people on the fountain steps, wine bought from nearby shops, the Tiber 30 meters away. This is exactly what Caesar intended when he left this land to his city.

   This square sits on the edge of the Horti Caesaris — Julius Caesar's private garden estate. When he was assassinated on the Ides of March 44 BC, his will was read aloud in the Forum: he left 75 silver denarii to every citizen, and his gardens across the Tiber to the people of Rome. For public use. Forever. Piazza Trilussa — the open piazza at the western mouth of Trastevere, right in front of Ponte Sisto pedestrian bridge — is Caesar's gift made physical. On summer evenings, the steps around the Fontanone di Ponte Sisto fill with 100+ people just sitting with wine and music — which is, arguably, exactly what he envisioned. Buy a bottle of Cesanese or a chilled Frascati from any nearby alimentari (the small grocery shops just off the piazza sell wine for €5–10 a bottle). Find a spot on the fountain steps. The Tiber is 30 meters away. Ponte Sisto glows. Street musicians usually set up around 9pm in summer. Stay until you lose track of time.

   Backup: In winter, the square is quieter but still beautiful — the fountain was originally built in the 8th century and redesigned by Donato Bramante, with additions by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Even without the crowd, you're sitting at one of Rome's oldest public water sources.

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5. 5 Find the Natural Wine Bar That Serves the Layer 3 Trastevere Wine · Price: low · Optional

   Latteria Trastevere is where the chefs from the neighborhood restaurants go after service. A tiny bar with biodynamic wines from small Italian farms and staff who'll walk you through anything.

   This is the opposite of Enoteca Ferrara's 1,600-label serious wine cathedral. Latteria Trastevere (Vicolo della Scala 1) is the neighborhood bar: quirky decor, smiling staff, twinkling lights, and a list of natural and biodynamic wines from small Italian farms you've never heard of. The bar is easy to miss: no sign shouting at you from the street, just a small door and, in warmer months, a handful of tables on the cobblestones outside. Walk up to the bar and say 'Cosa consigliereste?' — 'What would you recommend?' They'll immediately start talking. Ask for a biodynamic Lazio wine — they'll likely pour you something from a producer that has fewer than 5 hectares, made without additives, probably aged in amphora. It will taste like the soil it came from. If you've already had Cesanese at Ferrara, tell them — they'll steer you to something complementary, maybe a natural Grechetto white or a skin-contact orange wine from Umbria. Stay for charcuterie and crostini. Meals run €20–30 for wine + small plates; glasses start around €5–8.

   Backup: If Latteria is full (it's small), Enoteca L'Antidoto nearby (also Trastevere) serves natural wine by the bottle with simple plates, and occasionally hosts pop-up dinners from visiting chefs.

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6. 6 Descend Into a 1st-Century Roman Cistern and Drink Wine Inside It Wine · Price: high · Optional

   A working wine cellar inside an actual Roman cistern from 1 AD. The cellar was here when Caesar was still a fresh memory. You're drinking where Roman water once moved.

   Beneath an 18th-century building in central Trastevere, a Roman cistern from the 1st century AD was painstakingly excavated and converted into a functioning wine cellar and tasting room. Fabullus Wine Cellar (Via dell'Arco di San Callisto 19/20, inside Hotel Residenza San Calisto) offers guided wine and food pairing tastings for approximately €30–50 per person. The stone walls predate Christianity in Rome. The guide leads you through Italian wines — many from Lazio, some national — while you sit in a space that was built when Augustus was emperor. Book in advance via fabullusrome.com — walk-ins are possible but space is very limited underground. Ask specifically for the Lazio wine selection; this is a chance to drink Cesanese del Piglio in a space that existed before the grape had a name. Look for the red canopy; ring the bell at the entrance.

   Backup: If Fabullus is fully booked, the experience of underground Rome is still available free at San Crisogono (step 1) — the sense of drinking in a layered, ancient city is the same even without the formal tasting. Alternatively, the Santa Cecilia underground (Piazza di Santa Cecilia, €2.50) shows 2nd-century Roman mosaic floors and is open morning and afternoon.

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Insider tips

• Wine Bar Barrique for serious selections

• Enoteca Ferrara for classic Roman atmosphere

• Avoid tourist traps near main piazza

• Best after 9pm when locals arrive