The Esquiline-Colosseum-edge bohemian quarter with wine bars, vintage shops and the new wave of natural-wine rooms like Trecca and Mercato Centrale Roma.
Trecca in Rome reads the Lazio mountain cucina through a young-kitchen lens. The tortelli with ricotta and cicoria and the polpette al sugo are the lead orders for 2026.
Signature: Tortelli ricotta e cicoria, Coda alla vaccinara, Polpette al sugo
Order: Tortelli of ricotta and cicoria, polpette al sugo, and a glass of Cesanese.
Tip: Closed Tuesday; dinner only Mon, Wed-Sun. Book a week ahead; small front room.
Trattoria Monti in Rome reads the Marchigiano kitchen, the Camerano family's home region, through a Roman lens. The tortino di carciofi is the unmissable dish across all four seasons.
Signature: Tortino di carciofi, Coniglio in porchetta, Tonnarelli al sugo
Order: The tortino di carciofi, the coniglio in porchetta, and an Offida Pecorino white.
Tip: Closed Sunday dinner and Monday all day. Book three weeks out; 30 seats only.
Ai Tre Scalini in Rome's Monti district is the wine-bar trattoria with a 200-bottle list, the polpette al sugo lunch carte and the small front pavement seats for aperitivo.
Signature: Tonnarelli cacio e pepe, Polpette al sugo, Caprese
Order: Polpette al sugo, tonnarelli cacio e pepe and a glass of Lazio Cesanese.
Tip: Cash and card. Open 12:30 to 23:00; reservations only after 19:00 for tables of four or more.
Forno Monteforte in Rome's Monti district is the family-run wood-fire bakery with daily sourdough, pizza bianca by weight and a long focaccia carte rolling out from 11:00.
Tip: Open 07:00; the casareccio sourdough loaf sells out by 13:00. Cash and card.
Worth the queue: Pane casareccio
Ai Tre Scalini in Rome's Monti district is the wine-bar trattoria with a 200-label list, the polpette al sugo carte and the small front pavement seats for the aperitivo crowd.
Signature pour: Bombino Bianco from Lazio, by the glass
Wine focus: Italian regional wines, 200-bottle list
Food: Roman trattoria classics, aperitivo plates
Tip: Open daily 12:30 to midnight. Reservations only after 19:00 for tables of four or more.
Patrick Pistolesi's Drink Kong in Rome's Monti district is the Tokyo-style cocktail bar with signature highballs, the city's strongest cocktail list since 2018 and a late-night ramen kitchen.
Signature drink: Tokyo-style highballs, signature cocktails
Food: Asian small plates, ramen late
Tip: Open daily 19:00 to 04:00. Book the cocktail bar four days ahead; ramen kitchen runs from 22:00.
Ai Tre Scalini in Rome's Monti district doubles as a wine bar and trattoria, with the front pavement aperitivo seats the spot for a glass of Lazio red and a salumi board at 19:00.
Signature drink: Aperol Spritz, glass of Cesanese
Food: Aperitivo plates, salumi boards
Tip: The aperitivo set at 8 euros with a salumi snack is the budget entry; arrive 18:30 for the pavement.
Mercato Monti in Rome's Monti district is the weekend-only urban market with 50 independent vintage and design vendors plus a small food-and-drink corner each Saturday and Sunday.
Tip: Open Sat and Sun 10:00 to 20:00. The food corner has Roman wines, pizzas and dessert vendors.
Drink Kong in Rome's Monti district runs the city's latest cocktail-and-ramen kitchen to 04:00, with Patrick Pistolesi's Tokyo-style highballs and the after-midnight ramen carte.
Try: Tokyo-style highballs, ramen, late plates
Tip: Open daily 19:00 to 04:00. Ramen kitchen runs from 22:00; book the cocktail bar four days ahead.
Ai Tre Scalini in Rome's Monti district runs the kitchen and the wine bar to midnight with polpette al sugo, the polpette di bollito and a 200-bottle Italian regional list.
Try: Polpette al sugo, wine, aperitivo
Tip: Open daily 12:30 to 24:00. Reservations after 19:00 for groups of four or more.