Rome Centro Storico

The Centro Storico might be old, but it packs in a young crowd at night. One of the best places to find bars and clubs, both in terms of location and quality, this area remains fairly safe after sunset due to its bustle at most hours. If you don't feel like heading inside, check out the Campo dei Fiori, where many spend the evening enjoying the outdoor scenery.

Drunken Ship, Campo dei Fiori 20/21 (☎06 68 30 05 35; www.drunkenship.com), Wait, is this the campo or the campus? Walking into Drunken Ship, you may very well think you're back at college, as it comes complete with nightly beer pong, TVs airing sports games, a DJ spinning Top 40 tunes, and a raucous crowd of students ready to enjoy it all. Great weekly specials, including Wednesday night power hours and Pitcher Night Thursdays (€10), make this one of the most popular spots for young internationals aching for some university-style fun. In Campo dei Fiori. M-Th half-price drinks for women until 11pm, Tu buy-1-get-1-free until 11pm; check online for more specials. Student discounts. Happy hour pint of wine with free buffet €4. Shots €3-6. Long drinks €6. Cocktails €7. Open M-Th 3pm-2am, F-Sa 10am-2am, Su 3pm-2am. Happy hour M-F 4-8pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. Has air conditioning. Has outdoor seating.
Societe Lutece, P. di Montevecchio 17 (☎06 68 30 14 72), The total opposite of an American-college-student-ridden bar, Societe Lutece attracts an artsy late 20s to early 40s crowd. Homemade bags made from recycled material hang from the ceiling, and the menu is a fabric-covered panel of wood into which prices are etched. To complete the natural feel, all food and drinks are organic or locally produced. If you're hunting for high-quality and low-stress nightlife, how could you look any further than this place's nut colada (€8)? From P. Navona, exit and turn left onto V. Coronari; continue and make a sharp left onto V. Montevecchio. Happy hour drinks with free buffet €8. Beer €5. Wine €6. Cocktails €8. Open Tu-Su 6pm-2am. Does not take credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. Has outdoor seating.
Mood, C. Vittorio Emanuele 205 (☎329 06 42 240), It may be painted entirely silver, but it meets the golden standard as far as Roman discos go. Room after room in Mood's cavernous downstairs lets guests choose between lounging or dancing. But with the stereo blaring Top 40 early on and drinks flowing generously (student specials abound), most people will be up on the floor by the time 1am rolls around. Because it's downstairs, the Centro Storico's 2am norm for closing may as well not exist. Near Campo dei Fiori. Americans get in free. 2 drinks for €10 or open bar€15 until 1am. €2 shots for ladies. Student specials; show ID. Mixed drinks €10. Open daily 11pm-4am. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. Has air conditioning.
Fluid, V. del Governo Vecchio 46 (☎06 68 32 361; www.fluideventi.com), Fluid seems to be working a “natural” theme—though the fake tree branches, caged rocks, and faux ice cube stools don't exactly scream “crunchy granola.” With a lounge early in the evening and an upbeat DJ set later in the night, this is the place to come for post-dinner drinks and company. The drink menu, which is essentially a book of cocktails, features unorthodox mixes, like the cinnamon red: a smoothie of cannella rossa liqueur, yogurt, crema di limone, and whipped cream (€7.50). From P. Navona, exit onto P. Pasquina and continue as it becomes V. del Governo Vecchio. DJ nightly. Beer €5-6. Cocktails €7.50. Open daily 6pm-2am. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. Has air conditioning.
Aristocampo, P. Campo dei Fiori On the doorstep of Campo dei Fiori, this fast-paced bar gets crowded early thanks to its better-than-average aperitivo buffet. Pumping music pulses from the small bar inside, but most of the action is on the patio where nearly every stool is occupied. Great panini—good for carni-, herbi-, and omnivores—satisfies those late night cravings wrought by yet another cocktail. In Campo dei Fiori. Beer €5-6. Cocktails €7. Panini €4-5. Salads €8. Open daily noon-2am. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. Has outdoor seating.
Anima, V. di Santa Maria dell'Anima 57 Anima's copper entrance leads into a dim lounge, complete with black lights, low couches, and two bars. Lounge music plays in the early evening as a mixed crowd of students and 20-somethings wander in. Starting around midnight, the dance floor heats up with house and commercial tunes spinning until the wee hours. Head up the tiny spiral staircase if you want to step off the floor and people-watch from above. From P. Navona, turn left onto V. di Santa Maria della'Anima. Ladies' night 2-for-1 drinks on M. Open bar Th and Su. Happy hour beer €2.50, Cocktails €4.50. Beer €4-5. Cocktails €6, €10 after midnight. Open daily 7pm-4am. Happy hour 7-10pm. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. Has air conditioning.
Abbey Theatre, V. del Governo Vecchio 51/53 (☎06 68 61 341; www.abbey-rome.com), A traditional Irish pub where you can get your fair share of bar food, soccer, (American football?!), and great drinks—try a "mixed beer" special like the hard cide and grenadine (€5.50). The wooden interior is huge but fills up quickly during big games. Comedy nights (in English) cater particularly to an international crowd, but monthly specials like an open mike and a night of live Irish music bring everyone from expats to locals. From P. Navona, exit onto P. Pasquina and continue as it becomes V. del Governo Vecchio. Shots €4-6.50. Beer €5.50-6. Mixed drinks €7. Open daily noon-2am. Happy hour noon-8pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has internet. Serves alcohol.
Salotto 42, P. di Pietra 42 (☎06 67 85 804; www.salotto42.it), The folks at the swanky Salotto 42 had it right: combine ancient pillars with refined, modern decor, a splash of wine, and a bit of Asian flare (check out the sushi appetizers), and you can't go wrong. The classy crowd that convenes at this dim lounge might bump shoulders inside, but the real place to see—and be seen—is the piazza outside. The sleek black furnishings inside might be snazzy, but they don't quite compare to classic Roman architecture. Luckily, Hadrian's Temple is just around the corner. From the Parthenon, turn right onto V. di Pastini and veer left towards the Tempio Adriano. Beer €6. Mixed drinks €10. Free buffet with drink purchase during aperitivo. Open Tu-Sa 10am-2am, Su 10am-midnight. Aperitivo 7-9pm. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. Has air conditioning.