Bars in Rome
Bars tend to operate a tab system, whereby you order your drinks and over the course of the evening they are totted up on a slip of paper which is either kept behind the bar or given to you. At the end of the night, you take it to the cashier and pay. As with all other public indoor spaces in Rome, you aren't allowed to smoke in bars, but you'll probably find a few tables either at the pavement outside, or in a garden at the back. Failing that, there's usually a sociable congregation of smokers hovering just outside the door with their drinks.
Aperitivo
Early in the evening, usually starting between six and seven pm, many bars across Rome begin serving aperitivo. For an extra couple of euros on your first drink, you can help yourself to a buffet of light snacks and finger food. The quality of the food on offer varies from bar to bar: it could be little more than selections of olives and cheese, or there could be enough there to put together an acceptable meal.
Recommended
Harry's Bar(Via Vittorio Veneto 150, Tel. 06 484643 / 06 4742103.) This upmarket cocktail bar bears no official relation to its famous Venetian namesake (which was one of Hemingway's favourite haunts). However, over the years it has acquired its own heritage, and the drinks and service are excellent - and priced accordingly.
