A Genuine Roman Wine Bar Near Piazza Navona
Rome’s city center may be a chaotic maze of touristy joints, but a few authentic strongholds still resist and do so proudly; in the case of Enoteca Il Piccolo, open in Via del Governo Vecchio just behind Piazza Navona since 1980, tradition still thrives.
Il Piccolo is a cozy wine bar offering around 150 wines for every palate and level. Many wines are Italian, but many others are produced abroad, including in France, Spain, Slovenia, and Georgia. Wines can be had by the glass (€6-€15) or by the bottle (€20-€300), and the vast menu truly offers various tiers of accessibility depending on what one wants to drink.
In the past decade, Il Piccolo has started serving artisanal wines, mostly natural wines and some organic. Some cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages are also available for non-wine drinkers. From 6:00pm, you can accompany your drink of choice with cold tapas (€3-€10), like sandwiches, bruschette or sharing boards. Almost all the fresh produce on the menu is grown in Latium, in an effort to promote local producers and sustainability.
Informal and genuine, Il Piccolo is a place for everyone, a haunt that both locals and tourists can appreciate, with a diverse clientele that encompasses the now elderly regulars that have been frequenting it for decades and the local youth who’s just come of age, plus every age in between. Il Piccolo is more than an excellent winebar, it’s a melting pot and a strategic meeting place. A fan fact is that there is one table that has been booked by the same friend group every day for years… that’s the epitome of a place worth returning to.
True to its name, Enoteca Il Piccolo doesn’t take up too much space: the indoor section can seat 10 lucky drinkers, while the outdoors can accommodate roughly 40, so reserving a table is a good idea; you can only do so via phone and at least one day before, they don’t accept reservations through social media. Small but welcoming: if you show up without a reservation, the staff will try their best to accommodate you; you can get in line for the next available table or even consume standing.
Amid the chaos of the area where anarchy reigns supreme and “ciao bella, something to eat or drink?” is repeated thousands of times per day to unsuspecting tourists, you won’t have to look farther than Enoteca Il Piccolo for a sacred oasis of authentic Roman hospitality. The cozy indoor has maintained the same style it had when the place first opened in the 80s, with original decorations that keep the place authentic and down to earth. No frills or artifice are needed to spice things up, because Il Piccolo doesn’t need an Instagrammable glamorous look or to follow new trends to maintain a strong identity. It’s the heart that counts and sets this winebar apart from countless others.
Riccardo Davoli, manager and sommelier, son of Il Piccolo’s founder, Giancarlo, claims that the key to their success is their authenticity, which stems not necessarily from good wine, but from the very people that make Il Piccolo, including the staff and the clientele, above anything else. Their goal is to foster a convivial environment, a place where people can truly enjoy each other’s company with around a bottle of wine and great snacks.
The recipe behind Enoteca Il Piccolo is straightforward: drinking well in a place that you can call home.
INSPIRATION
Rome Wine Bar Guide
