Nightclubs and bars in Rome

I have never seen so many staggering people so well-grouped as in Roma after 3 a.m. - is no one sober after this hour?? There's something about the terrific drinks they serve in Rome - they're always sooooo gooooood............

OK - so what's a nice little 'ol lady like me doing out at 3 a.m. - got me there........

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I was lucky to be in Rome in 2006 for the World Cup Final.
And Australia did so well.
(Until we were robbed! By Totti who is a local guy from Testaccio. Okay so in the market the next day they were all asking me where I was from and when I replied - Australia - they laughed and laughed. But we were robbed!)

Anyway - my sister was visiting and we reckoned we would like to go and see a public screening. Apparently there were several but Circo Massimo was the nearest.
We were a little afraid of soccer thugs - but my sister assured her kids in Australia if we saw anything we didn't like we would come straight back home.
I was very impressed. The crowd was amenable and not a bit violent or drunk. My sister was amazed at the lack of eskies filled with cans. Security was great. Crowd control was great. There were officials handing out bottles of water.
We had a top night.
Then of course the streets went mad so we had to watch our step with the traffic on the way home. But all good clean fun. High spirits. The bars all stayed opened of course - but again no violence or drunkeness that we saw.
They have all sorts of free events - like a free concert by Genesis is happening soon - but don't be afraid to go out and have fun. You'd have to be really unlucky to get in trouble.

Our mother was visiting too but she stayed home and was in bed by the time we had walked back - stopping off at a bar or two.
She wasn't asleep and we asked her to guess who had won.
She replied - Italy!
The streets were going mad. No mistake about who had won.

There is also an excellent Centro in the Jewish Quarter called The Rialto.
I went to listen to a band called Liu (it means nothing in the Romanaccio dialect.) The singer is an Aussie from Wollongong and I was desperate for a dance so I suggested he think of the Palm Court in good old 'Gong and get me up in the floor.
I was being cynical because dancing - as I know it - does not seem to happen in Roma.
Anyway he did the trick and I had to dance and I danced my little butt off.
(Was it my fault the only space to dance was right next to the stage?)
Great - the audience are staring at me. Think I am part of the floorshow.
Great - the band is with me and urging me on.
And now someone is videoing me.
Only 57 she's the dancing queen.
Well - I did feel a bit foolish. When one surrenders to the urge to dance and one is the only one who has - one can.
But darling M - introduced me to the audience as (something like) "Mia amica, Jennifer. Ballentando Extraordinaire." (Italian is probably crap but that is what he meant.)
Then he indicated if I would dance again the band would do an encore.
So away we went again!
Then I staggered out to the bar area to dive into a large gin and tonic - waving the video camera away and assuring the young chappie on the sharp end of the camera I was so ordinary that in Howl At The Moon in Narre Warren I just jigged on the edge of the dance floor and let the young 'uns do it
M said that I had inspired a generation. But I don't think so.
First off you have to really really want to dance.

Dress Code: Come as you are. Be cool.

Located in a secret location, this bar is situated just behind Piazza Navona. You'd be lucky if you can find this bar easily! Usually filled with young local people, this bar has amazing cocktails.You can enjoy free buffet of late-night nibbles here.

This was one of the bars that I went to on my pub crawl. This one I actually remember, whihc says alot. It has a small dance area, I guess the norm in Roma, and has great drinks served by good looking people. It has only a few places to sit, but with all the dancing goingon, you pretty much suck if you are sitting.

I will say that I learned a valuable Italian slang saying about how I became later on that night. The saying is either:

"Andiamo Ensieme" or more appropriately,
"Vado Ensieme".

When you are drunk, you are like two different people. The one who got drowned under all the liquor a long time ago and the one that everyone is laughing at at this moment. When you are drunk and you pass out, my Italian friends say "I go together", or "We go together" if everyone in the whole group is drunk.

I am pretty sure that I misspelled those, but I was taught very well how to say them!

The buzziest place full of people,many of them students from a nearby University. Lots of bars,restaurants,people and the place where the Romans go .
This Square [ Rectangle really ] has a couple of fountains and was once one of the [ smaller ] places where chariot racing took place.
We were taken here by the brother of a friend who has lived in Rome for 15 years.

Dress Code: None . But the Italians can wear almost anything with great style.

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I'm trying to remember how much this place was... I'm remembering a cool 10-20 euro for a place that was pretty much empty. But, you may, like us, decide that you're willing to fork it out for a once-in-a-lifetime place like this: a bar made entirely of ice, kept at -5 C. Walls, bar, benches, tables, the glasses, ice sculptures, the works. You get a thermal cape and gloves to help keep you warm. The benches are draped in white sheep skins for a luxurious feel. The ice sculpture at the bar is carved out with a path to pour your shot in and a straw out one side should you be so daring. The cover gets you a margarita-sized drink from their fun selection in an ice glass. Not sure how full the bar is othewise. This place seemed more for groups of Americans to freak out for 15 minutes till too cold to stay. A TV in the lobby shows you the other fools that are in where you are about to enter; if you're looking for nightlife, check it to see if there's anyone worth going in for.

Dress Code: Bundle up! The thermal cape is only a cape!

...I remember one of the first night I was alone going through Rome.I was near Termini Station,waiting for the night bus,19 years old,about 4a.m..A mad man screaming in a perfect italian and walking fast.Some slavonics drunk.Junkies looking for something.A couple smart dressed walking fast on the same pavement...