5 Hottest Internet Bars in Rome, Italy

I’m originally from the land of Google, Apple and Yahoo – a place where Internet cafes are a dime a dozen. Although Italy probably has more coffee bars per capita than anywhere else on the planet, most are designed to stand at the counter, throw back your morning espresso and go!

In recent years the city of Rome has made great cyber-strides forward, yet finding an Internet bar where you can park yourself and your laptop for the afternoon is a little like hunting for truffles without a dog. One could be right under your nose, you just need someone to tell you where to dig.

I decided that the best way to find the hottest “hot spots” was to turn to the experts. I asked a small group of writers, journalist and bloggers who are on the ground – living and working in Rome – to tell us where they go when their home office walls start closing in on them.

Here are their 5 picks for the hottest Internet bars in Rome, Italy:

1. Circus (Piazza Navona)

Rome-based Gillian Longworth McGuire is the brains and beauty behind Rome for Expats, Gillian’s List and the app Amalfi Coast Travel Essentials. Gillian recommends Circus.

Situated near Piazza Navona, I liked this bar from the minute I stepped foot inside. Why? One word: Booths! I am a big fan of the booth. You can sit facing the street for a little neighborhood theater or, if you’re feeling a bit clandestine, head to the cozy back room.

Circus is a popular nightspot, but in the daytime it’s much more laid-back and subdued. Perfect for a working lunch, the menu offers fresh salads and sandwiches (the pear and goat cheese salad was delicious) along with a wide selection of beverages (including coffee, of course). At Circus it’s all about arts, music, drinks, food, and has a location that is centralissimo. What’s not to like about Circus? Nothing.

Via della Vetrina, 15, Rome, Italy; tel. 06-97619258 – 338.52.69.371; Open daily 10:00 to 2:00; Aperitivo every day 18:30 to 21:00; Sunday Brunch 11:30 to 16:30. Website: www.circusroma.it

2. Barnum Café (Campo dei Fiori)

Prolific journalist and freelance writer Erica Firpo (New York Times Travel, BBC Travel, Huffington Post, Forbes Travel, ANSA in English, Yahoo Travel & Travel + Leisure, Discovery Magazine, etc.) doesn’t have to wander far from home to mix coffee, work and pleasure. Barnum Café is her personal favorite.

I was sitting at Barnum Café when I guy I know from San Francisco walked past the window. True story. Although Barnum is not far from the popular destination, Campo dei Fiori, it’s not really touristy.

I really like its eclectic décor with exposed brick walls, overstuffed chairs, banquette seating with pillows and two nice baristas named Federico and Silvia. Barnum Café is super causal with a touch of hip, has good background music (a Motown mix was playing), features fast Internet and on hot and muggy summer days they even turn on the air conditioning!

Via del Pellegrino 87, Rome, Italy; tel. +39 06 64760483; Hours: Monday 8:30 am – 10:00 pm,
Tuesday – Saturday 8:30 am – 2:00 am. Website:  www.barnumcafe.com

3. Yeah Café (Pigneto neighborhood)

Just outside the Aurelian Walls is where the hipper and cooler among us hang out. Plein air painter and artist, Kelly Medford, pointed me in the direction of her preferred Pigneto haunt, Yeah Café.

Yeah Cafe is a free WiFi zone that can only be described as hippy/grunge/rock ‘n’ roll (which particularly appeals to this former San Franciscan). The bar’s furnishings are “early garage sale” with fun tabletops covered in scrapbook-like memorabilia.

At night, there’s live music, so why not segue from an afternoon of work to an evening of play? Not a night owl? Yeah Café is open early and the staff is so chill that you’ll never overstayed your welcome. Yeah!

Via Giovanni de Agostini 41/45, Rome/Pigneto; tel. 06/64801456; Open 7:00 to 1:30am daily. Website: www.yeahpigneto.com

4. Bar del Fico (Historical Center)

Although I don’t actually live in Rome, I come here regularly and am always on the hunt for new and different places to write. I ran across Bar del Fico quite by accident and now it’s one of my go-to places when I’m in town. Situated on a little piazza just a stone’s throw from Piazza Navona, it’s also a popular gathering place for cocktails in the evenings.

As I write this review I’m enjoying a lunch of grilled Mediterranean vegetables with a glass of wine while the hard-to-come-by electrical plug is recharging my computer’s battery. Does it get any better than Bar del Fico?

Via della Pace, 34/36 00186 Rome, Italy; tel. 34/36 0018; Open every day 8:00 to 2.00am.

5. AntiCafe (San Giovanni)

Rome is not Silicon Valley (and we never want it to be), but the technology-era demands that people have places where they can “get connected”. Diana, who manages BrowsingRome and BrowsingItaly, knows a thing or two about working on the run. She turned me on to Rome’s newest concept in Internet bars… AntiCafe.

AntiCafe is a combo bar/café’/shared workspace in the San Giovanni neighborhood. The owner Massimo showed me around and explained how the café works: When you come in, you receive a card that records the time you arrived. You have free access to all you can eat and drink at the food and beverage counter, free Internet and use of books and board games.

When you’re ready to leave, the cashier reads your card and charges you for the time spent in the café. Prices are as follows: The 1st hour is 4€; the 2nd and subsequent hours are 3€ (with a daily maximum charge of 14€). You’re welcome to bring your own food and there’s a printer, scanner and projector available for a small fee. AntiCafe is different – hence the name – and could definitely be the wave of the future for Internet cafés in Rome.

Via Veio, 4/B, 00183 Roma, Italy; 06 7049 4442; Open Monday – Friday 9:00 to 23:00, Saturday & Sunday 10:00 to 23:00. Website: www.anticafe.fr/it

About the author:

Toni DeBella is a freelance writer living in Orvieto. Her blog, Orvieto or Bust, is a collection of stories of a life in Italy. 

Do you have a favorite internet bar in Rome? Share it with us in the comments below.