Il Goccetto
At Il Goccetto, the wines by the glass are chalked on a board behind the counter and change as the bottles turn over.
Why go
Gabriele Gervasi, chef de cuisine of Il Ristorante Niko Romito at the Bvlgari Hotel, sends people here for the aperitivo: For a completely different aperitivo, go to Il Goccetto, an old-school wine bar that has been open since the 1980s. There are around 800 wines, with bottles lining the walls and a changing selection poured by the glass
(The Relisher, 2026). Anna and Sergio Ceccarelli opened it in 1983, wine lovers in a Rome taking its first steps in quality wine,
Giuseppe Carrus wrote in Gambero Rosso (Gambero Rosso, 2024). Carrus also repeats the story that Gambero Rosso's Tre Bicchieri award was dreamed up right here
(Gambero Rosso, 2024). Gambero Rosso put it among Rome's historic wine bars in 2025 (Gambero Rosso). Katie Parla, who writes about food in Rome, lists it among her favorite places to drink wine (Katie Parla, 2024).
Carrus drinks here. This is where I discovered a great Pecorino, Cataldi Madonna's Giulia,
he wrote (here a wine, not the cheese). Another time he came in for a glass of fizz and left hours later with the unmistakable taste of a 1995 Felsina Maestro Raro, a bottle I will long remember.
What he likes best is the informality and the eagerness with which crazy bottles get opened here, the unceremonious way they uncork and fill the glasses generously
(Gambero Rosso, 2024). Marzio Taccetti found a remarkable range, with rarities and old vintages and a strong focus on French labels
(Gambero Rosso, 2025).
Gervasi's own order is simple: I like to order wine from Lazio, the region surrounding Rome, with cheese and cured meats
(The Relisher, 2026). The counter keeps it plain, with taralli (ring-shaped crackers), olives, boards of salumi and cheese, and vegetables preserved in oil (Gambero Rosso, 2025).
Two steps lead in from Via dei Banchi Vecchi under the original sign, painted with the big words Vino Olio
(wine, oil). Inside Carrus found a coffered ceiling, low light, a chilled case of food and then the counter, with bottles all round (Gambero Rosso, 2024). Nunzia Clemente of Dissapore saw a long, low, imposing wooden counter
in a retro room (Dissapore, 2021). The wine critic Daniele Cernilli warned off anybody expecting quiet: Don't imagine a near-sterile place of worship where people taste in silence. Il Goccetto is more like a circle of Dante's hell
(Gambero Rosso, 2024). Gervasi gives the rest of the picture: There are only a few tables, so when it gets busy, people take their glasses outside and drink on the street
(The Relisher, 2026).
Order this / avoid
- Drink: wine from Lazio, Gabriele Gervasi's order (2026).1
- Drink: Cataldi Madonna's Pecorino Giulia, the wine Giuseppe Carrus discovered here (Gambero Rosso, 2024).2
- Order: a board of cheese and cured meats with the wine, as Gervasi does (2026).1
What locals & experts say
- Marzio Taccetti, Gambero Rosso (2025):
Small, welcoming, dark wood on the walls and bottles always ready.
3 - Gabriele Gervasi, The Relisher (2026):
It's the kind of place locals still gather, and if you want to experience a traditional Roman aperitivo this is where to go.
1
Good to know
- Closed: Sunday. Dissapore's 2021 listing has it open from midday into the night Tuesday to Saturday.
- Bottles to take home: Il Goccetto is also a shop for fine and little-known bottles (Roma Capitale, 2025).
- Where: Via dei Banchi Vecchi 14, near Campo de' Fiori.
Verdict
should-visit — Stop at Il Goccetto for an aperitivo of Lazio wine and a board of salumi and cheese, the order of the Bvlgari's chef de cuisine. Gambero Rosso's own critics drink here, and when the few tables fill you drink on the street.