The Best Wine Bars in Rome

It is often hard to draw the line between enoteche, or wine bars, and Roman restaurants that just have immense wine lists. In the last 30 years of frequent visits to my adoptive hometown—where I lived for many years—I have seen a new generation get more invested in wine-by-the-glass programs and local wines. This is a trend that has also spread to establishments that are really more restaurants than wine bars. 

Rome was always one of Italy’s most exciting wine cities for me, as it wasn’t biased towards its own local wines. Lazio was never much of a player in the international wine scene, except for making some refreshing, simple whites from the Castelli Romani. So Roman wine bars were almost always the most diverse in the country for their inter-regional selections. That is not so true these days as many more places explore the still primarily—at least for me—unexceptional wines of Lazio. However, that is not a deal-breaker, as many other wine options are available, and the atmosphere and food are great at many of these lesser-known and classic wine bars.

Enoteca di Via Macerata

Via Macerata, 58 B/C, 00176 Roma

Enoteca Via Macerata

One for the Ages

The Enoteca di Via Macerata has been around at least since the 1990s and was a lifesaver for me when I lived above it without a phone. The bar’s payphone was my best friend while residing in a seventh-floor walkup where the mammas used to lower baskets to be filled with local cheeses, meats and two-Euro finds of interesting wines.

A new owner has taken over the place and spiffed it up with a mix of eclectic, framed pictures and posters on the wall and chalk boards listing the wine pours and snacks of the day. Outside tables are plentiful and allow guests to take in the buzzy street vibe of Pigneto, once a working-class Roman neighborhood and now the hippest place to grab an aperitivo. 

Snacks include Asiago cheese and beef pastrami with caramelized onions and balsamic vinegar. A half dozen red and white wines are priced at four Euros a glass and range from Prosecco and Malvasia to Podere Scopetone, a Tuscan IGT and Nero Buono, an indigenous red grape varietal from Lazio.

VyNique Enoteca Regionale del Lazio

Via Frattina 94, Roma

VyNique Enoteca Regionale del Lazio

The Stunner

VyNique Enoteca Regionale del Lazio, a two-location wine bar in the historic center of Rome, is focused on promoting local wines, and foods, from Lazio and the restaurant is a two-story elegant retreat overseen by two sommeliers who are consummate professionals: Kevin Susini and Mattia Mancini. 

The menu is sophisticated and complex, featuring classic pastas like cacio e peppe and Asian-infused dishes such as tempura and crunchy and delicious plates of fried anchovies from the seaside town of Anzio served with ginger mayonnaise. The bulk of wine list is made up by selections from Lazio including lesser-known selections such as Cantina Le Macchie Riesling and Anthium Bellone, an indigenous grape from Lazio, under a label from Casale del Giglio which is one of the region’s better-known and larger producers. 

One of my favorites was the Casale del Giglio Anthium 2023 Bellone Lazio, it is 100 percent Bellone, a local Lazio white varietal with lemon notes and fresh acidity. 

|Another wine I enjoyed was the non-vintage Podere il Saliceto Lambrusco di Sorbara Falistra. It is made from the lighter in style—and color—Lambrusco di Sorbara grape. This wine is full of strawberry and other berry notes, it has balanced acidity and a long, saline finish.

Enoteca Cul du Sac

Piazza di Pasquino 73, Roma

Enoteca Cul du Sac

The Classic

Enoteca Cul du Sac was the first serious enoteca I visited in Rome when I was young. We were so impressed by the encyclopedic wine list, good stemware and the fact they served snails drowned in butter. 

It’s a narrow sliver of a wine bar, with abundant seating outside that has been around since 1977. It was also one of the few outposts that served imported wine back in the day in Rome. This was a delight because it was impossible to drink even the most basic French wine in the Capital in the olden golden days. The bar still pours more than 1,000 labels. They include classic whites such as Gewürztraminer from Alto Adige and Muller Thurgau from Valle d’Aosta.

Food options run to the adventurous, for Rome, with plates such as small rolls of  chick peas and pinoli, which is a dish evocative of Roman Jewish cuisine and the country’s overall link to the greater Mediterranean food diaspora. There are also classic dishes such as oxtails and tripe and dozens of plates made in house. These range from pheasant plate with truffles to pork with sweet and sour sauce.

Machiavelli 64

Via Machiavelli 64, Roma

Machiavelli 64

The Modern Newcomer

Some Roman neighborhoods have massively evolved since the Capital became so expensive. For decades the area around Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, close to Termini Station, wasn’t always the best. Now the area—broadly known as Esquilino—is experiencing a vibrant rediscovery process as Rome returns to its roots. 

So, it is no surprise that a wine bar such as Machiavelli 64 has opened in the area. It’s a clean, lean and modern space envisioned by an owner who appreciates French wine as much as the greatest Italian hits. The list is immense and touches on top cellars in Tuscany, Veneto and is even rich in Burgundy. A selection of 500 wines by the bottle is constantly rotating and there is an ample wine list by the glass for seven to 10 Euros with a focus on Italian classics with a few Spanish and French options. 

Try the non-vintage Mai Sentito, it is primarily Verdicchio blended with some Trebbiano. It translates to “never heard about it,” which is probably true in this case. It is made in the ancestral method in the Marche by LaStaffa and is bright, acidic and mineral on the palate with pear notes.

Il Goccetto

Via dei Banchi Vecchi 14, Roma

Il Goccetto

The Old School Choice

Il Goccetto has long resided in an alley deep in the heart of Rome’s historical center in a 16th-Century building on Via dei Banchi Vecchi. The vibe is cozy, and the walls are lined with wine labels. It has been a historic haunt for decades, since it opened in the 1980s. 

The wine bar offers an extensive selection of wines by the glass and the bottle, at reasonable prices. Options include Medici Ermete Lambrusco, best served chilled, and brilliant to drink in the Roman summers. Small bites include assorted bruschettas and cheese and meat plates. 

The best thing about this classic destination is its ancient vibes. While service here has never been outstanding, the bones of the place speak for themselves. There is also often a nice crowd chatting, imbibing, and enjoying the calm of a Roman night with a glass al fresco.