Rome

Bar San Calisto is a long-running neighbourhood bar in Trastevere, known for budget-friendly drinks, old interiors and an easy mix of locals, students and regulars who’ve been stopping by for decades. Order a bottled beer, a spritz, or a coffee granita topped with cream, then take a seat outside to watch the square tick along from morning into late night. The tiles, the worn bar counter and the no-frills menu haven’t changed much since the 1960s, and that’s part of the appeal. Prices stay low, tables fill fast, and the place still feels like everyday Trastevere rather than a produced version of it.

The Fiddler's Elbow is a traditional Irish pub, the oldest one in Italy, offering a great variety of beers, live music, and sports on TV in that friendly and welcoming atmosphere Irish pubs are known for.

Come for the aperitifs and cocktails, then stay on as the lights dim and the music shifts to live bands and DJs spinning 80s and 90s dance tracks. The club centres on a circular bar with the DJ overlooking the room, and the evening tends to unfold at an unhurried pace, moving from drinks and food into a proper dance floor as the night goes on.

Gregory’s Jazz Club is an intimate long-running venue known for live jazz played close to the audience and a serious whisky list. Head upstairs above the restaurant to find a snug, wood-panelled room with brick walls, where Italian and international musicians take the stage most nights and the focus stays firmly on the music rather than spectacle.