Il Goccetto

Il Goccetto was one of the city’s first wine bars and is now a Roman institution. There are a few tables inside where you can sit under a painted Renaissance ceiling, but most people stand outside on the picturesque Via dei Banchi Vecchi. There’s a varied choice of wines by the glass listed on a chalkboard that ranges from an obscure natural wine from Sicily to bubbles from the Veneto, and you can also buy bottles off the shelves. 

The mixed plate for two moves beyond the usual cured meat and cheeses with small bites like tiny rolls of salmon stuffed with soft robiola cheese, small artichokes preserved in olive oil, and thin slices of rare roast beef. It’s plenty of food for a light dinner or just enough to hold you over until that 9:30pm reservation.