Really, they can be found at a great many pub and restaurant in Rome. Plenty of places keep one, maybe two on draught. But that's not what you want, is it? You're looking for variety. You want the pub that has more than a handful of different types of good beer. You pine for artisanal beer, the kind of brew that is hand crafted by small teams and brewed in Italy.
Look no further and trust in Vasgo's beer knowledge. The four must-visit Rome locations for quality craft beer, most of them Italian and with more taps than most pubs and restaurants, are as follows:
1. Open Baladin
Neighborhood: Campo Dei Fiori
When I first went to Open Baladin, I had no idea I was going the one night of the year that they had Autumn Beer Festival. Angels looked down on me that evening and they said, "Vasgo, you've had a rough day. We'd like to reward you." The place is fairly large and the taps, well, let's just say, to the craft beer connoisseur, anything over 20 taps is epic. This should put it into perspective for you: Open Baladin in Rome employs the use of 43 taps. They serve a lot of beer from Italy, and plenty more from the rest of the world. I've never eaten here, but I hear the food is good but a little expensive for the value.
2. Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fa
Neighborhood: Trastevere
http://football-pub.com/ (I'll never know why they chose this as their domain name)
Unfortunately, I have no photo to share of my experiences here. I first heard about this hole in the wall pub during my tour of Belgium. I was in Brussels at one of the best beer pubs in the city, Moeder Lambic. After careful evaluation of their 20+ beers on draught, I told the bartender I was from Rome and he asked me if I'd ever been to Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fa. Once he learned I'd never heard of it, he insisted that I go. The two pubs sometimes work in cahoots, bringing delicious beers from their respective countries to their various local festivals.
Every time I enter the tiny pub, Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fa, I choose between six stools in the front section and a handful of tables in the back room. It's obviously not designed for large crowds. It's ideal for beer lovers that want to order and step outside to watch the tourists pass by. The bartenders are nice, their knowledge of the English language is usually good enough and their beer selection is great with 12+ taps. It's particularly a great spot to go because directly across the street and one store over is their competitor, my number three choice for excellent craft beer on tap, Bir & Fud.
3. Bir & Fud
Neighborhood: Trastevere
No true website. Found at Via Benedetta, 23, Rome 00153
With about 15 taps on deck, Bir & Fud has a great selection, a small outdoor seating area in front and plenty of inside space for you and your pals to go once you've stood around at Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fa for 30 minutes. It's been a while since I have been here, but the first time I was there, I wrote about it in better detail. See my article Ode to Craft Brew for more information about that experience.
4. Eataly
Neighborhood: Ostiense (*Insider Tip*: You will get there fastest by walking through Ostiense train station, under the tracks to the other side.)
If you know Eataly, the worldwide grocery chain offering regional Italian product, you'll know it's an amalgamation of part mall food court, part high-end grocery store and part learning center. In Rome, it's a multi-floor establishment with kitchen classes, art exhibits, restaurants, coffee bars, bakery, every department of a grocer, and the one surprising addition, an onsite microbrewery. If my memory serves right, they operate up to four batches at a time in those large stainless steel vats. In the pub section, they offer a selection of 8 craft beers on draught, at least a couple from their own brewery at any given time. Reader beware: Avoid the fried tortellini happy hour snack. It sounds and looks good on the advertisement out front, but looks and tastes not so good in reality. Dried out, seemingly stale even after being deep fried, they are not worth the money, and unfortunately, they summarize the experience of all Eataly's fried food offerings. Don't say I didn't warn you.
But you're not at their pub for the food court-quality meals. You're there for the air conditioning, and the great selection of Italian craft brew.
Cheers!
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