Salotto 42 on a Night the Aperitivo Gets Literary

Salotto 42 on a Night the Aperitivo Gets Literary

Salotto 42 at Piazza di Pietra 42 faces the Temple of Hadrian — eleven Corinthian columns from 145 AD that are casually incorporated into a 17th-century building — and the bar's aesthetic is a mirror of the view: modern design inside ancient walls. The room is half cocktail bar, half reading room — shelves of art and design books line the walls, the furniture is mid-century modern, and the crowd is the kind of Roman that considers looking good a civic obligation.

The aperitivo runs 6-9 PM and includes a buffet with the drink — a Roman tradition that transforms a cocktail into a light dinner and makes the price feel generous rather than expensive. The cocktails are excellent, the Negroni in particular, and the view of the illuminated temple columns through the window at night gives every drink a backdrop that no interior designer could improve.

Insider tip: Come at 6 PM on a weeknight, claim a window seat facing Piazza di Pietra, and watch the temple columns go from daylight to floodlit while the aperitivo buffet sustains you. This is Rome doing what it does best: living well among ruins.