Freni e Frizioni

Go here! Delicious, free aperitivo buffet (not meats and cheeses, but rice, lentils, etc.) Super good spread for hungry travelers and the odd vegetarian trying to make it in Italy. Cool neighborhood too! We showed up at 1845 and the buffet opened at 1900. It got very crowded right after that, so I’d recommend showing up by 1830 to stake out a table. We ended up sharing with a lovely couple from Greece and had a nice chat due to the limited space. Definitely highly recommended!

This is a cool spot with a crazy aperitivo food spread FOR FREE. And it’s vegan. Fun to sit outside, and they mix a proper drink. A WINNER!

Ce bar est parfait pour débuter une belle soirée.Après avoir payé puis retiré les verres au bar, il suffit de faire un arrêt autour du buffet pour grignoter… Si la place manqué, pas de doucis, on peut s’asseoir sur toute la place !

A great spot for happy hour! In a really fun neighborhood (Trestavere) with lots of little bars and restaurants, Freni e Frizioni opens at 6:30 and offers aperitivo from 7:00 — 10:00 with a free buffet of appetizers and salads with purchase of a beverage. It was absolutely packed at 7:30 on a Tuesday.
The bartenders are great – really knowledgeable and clearly take pride in their product. I love their menu, with looks like a comic strip or something. Lots of great cocktails to choose from. We tried the Kawasaki, Oscar White, and Cristian’s Passion (made with a ton of fresh passion fruit) and they were all really well made.
It seemed to be patronized primarily by tourists, but didn’t feel touristy – a younger, hipper crowd.
The buffet is mostly vegetarian, which suited me just fine. Nothing was standout delicious, but most everything was reasonably tasty.
Waitresses are handsy – hang on to your plate/​beverage if you’re not finished or they’ll whisk it away before you’ve realized what happened.

Si vous venez à Rome, vous n’échapperez sûrement pas aux Aperitivo. Vous achetez votre boisson et on vous offre un petit buffet-​repas. C’est le meilleur bon plan pour manger pas cher le soir et profiter en même temps de l’ambiance romaine. Quasiment tous les bars de la ville propose cette formule.
Le Freni e Frozioni est l’un des endroits les plus branchés pour l’aperitivo dans le quartier du Trastevere. Faites comme les romains, prenez un verre, une assiette et profitez de la grande terrasse pour bavarder au soleil couchant.
Les bières sont aux alentours de 5– 6 € et les cocktails 8 – 10 €.
Concernant le buffet, vous trouverez toutes les déclinaisons de salades: salade de pâte, salade de pomme de terre, salade de riz, salade de semoule; et autres petits gourmandises.

One of the best places for aperitivo and a drink in Trastevere! Very good food and great bar!

Buen lugar para tomar el spritz en el Trastevere, por 7 € tienes la bebida y un buffet libre de ensaladas, pastas, arroces, frutas… todo frío. El spritz en si es muy bueno, así que si vas con algo de hambre, está muy bien.

Best enoteca in Roma! Aperitifs are awesome and great people watching. You will get to mix with the Roman culture here… no tourist crap! Afterwards hit Mr Brown pub a block away!

This place is fun. It’s so hip that it hurts, and the bartenders are obviously making stuff up as they go along (i ordered a house cocktail where one ingredient was entirely omitted and I was being fed some ridiculous bull about a lower-​grade spirit working better with the flavors than the higher-​grade spirit listed in the menu) but they have free antipasti and arguably the most packed and vibrant spot in the hood, so I still enjoyed it.

We heard this place had a great aperitivo hour, so we decided to trek over to Trastevere and check it out.
First of all, always eat and drink in Trastevere. It is where the Romans live, so the whole area is authentically Italian, devoid of tourists, and reasonably priced compared to places around major tourist sites on the other side of the Tiber.
Get there early! The outdoor seating area was already crowded when we got there. The drinks are pretty inexpensive. 8 to 10 euros. But the aperitivos offered are so great, you can basically eat dinner here.
The vibe is cool – the crowd consists of a young, local crowd. We met some great people and had a good time.

Awesome bar in the Trastevere section of Rome. The drinks were top notch and summer nights allowed for drinking outside in the street.
My friends informed me it was the cool side of town, and from what I saw I agree. Make a trip here if you’re in Rome. You won’t regret it.

One of the most popular cocktail bars in Trastevere. Especially enjoyable in the summer/​spring, when it’s hot and you can enjoy your drink outside the bar, in the square located really close to the river. It has a very «urban» atmosphere and is good for groups and friends. It is not so big so if you want to sit try going there before the crowd arrives!

If you’re looking for a hip bar or a great place for aperitivo, then this place has you covered.
I originally came here after doing a bit of research on the best affordable places to do aperitivo. For those who don’t know what aperitivo is, it’s when you order a drink and in turn have access to a buffet.
The drinks here range in the 7 – 9 euro category (I went with 3 other people and most of our drinks were 8 euros). If it seems expensive to you after the conversion, just know these cocktails are no joke. The bartender literally crushes passion fruit into your drink. He wrapped my cocktail glass in a bamboo mat. Basically, they taste really good and look like what a fancy schmancy cocktail should look like.
The food in question is also delicious. They have a lot to offer, are quick with platters that are on the verge of being emptied, and yes, a lot of it is vegetarian but you will find a few dishes with meat options as well.
The downfall is the popularity. Even sitting outside can pose a problem if you’re with a group because of the lack of space and sometimes you get stuck sitting near the bathroom. Try to come early or muster the courage to talk to a bunch of people who seem to exude YOLO vibes and just go with it.

Great for apertivo! Wine and beer only € 6, or € 8 for cocktails. The mojito is good and strong. The bartenders put on a good show as well. It’s totally worth the price for the all you can eat «buffet»!

Best bar in Rome. We went all 3 nights when we visited. It’s in Trastevere which is where the locals/​hipsters/​college students hang. These guys make serious cocktails. Highly recommend the mojito. Plus, it all comes with free food during aperitivo hours. What’s not to love?

Tolle Bar in Trastevere abseits der größten Touristenströme. Könnte vom Ambiente auch in Berlin-​Kreuzberg stehen. Riesige Auswahl an Longdrinks und Cocktails zu fairen Preisen (also keine Schnäppchen, aber auch kein Nepp).

For 5 – 8 euros you can get a drink and an aperitivo here. I usually get one of their famous mojitos (the smell of mint is a good sign) and make a meal of of the farro, salads, beets (yes), hummus, bread and many unique sauces. They even have fruit, usually some apples with cinnamon or orange slices. This is a good place to go if you want to have a light and healthier aperitivo with a carefully crafted drink. I’ve tried a lot of their cocktails and they are always mixed to perfection. Be prepared to wait a little at the bar because the bartenders take their time making sure it’s right. I really enjoy their Mojito allo Zenzero, it’s a mojito made with the addition of a centrifuge of ginger– zingy! Come with friends and pop a squat on the steps or on the low walls around the piazza. DO keep an eye on your bag; a friend of mine who was visiting had his backpack stolen from right under our table last summer and there was nothing the staff could do about it despite their sympathy. It ended up being a big hassle as the passport was in the bag (doh!). Other than that, I’ve been dozens of times and have never had a problem. You probably won’t be able to find a table unless you’re super early, but I think you can reserve one as I’ve seen them blocked off before. Cheers!

Ambiente
Die Bar lässt sich schwer beschreiben Irgendwie zwischen dem Haus am See und irgendeiner angesagten Weinerei in Berlin Glücklicherweise ohne die in Berlin all zu häufig anzutreffenden Hipster Jedenfalls gibt es leckere Getränke, coole und entspannte Leute und am frühen Abend ein gratis Buffet Der perfekte Ort für einen Aperitiv unter Römern!
— 5 Sterne
Qualität
Speisen und
Getränke sind frisch zubereitet und qualitativ hochwertig. Den Cocktails fehlt ein wenig der gewisse Kick Die Auswahl könnte ein wenig breiter sein. Dies gilt übrigens auch für das Bier! Trotzdem:
— 4 Sterne
Service
Der Service ist ohne
Beanstandungen. Schnell, zuverlässig und freundlich. Was will man mehr?
— 4 Sterne
Preis
Die Preise liegen für italienische Verhältnisse und eine vergleichbare Lage im normalen Preisbereich.
— 3 Sterne
Fazit
Insgesamt
lohnt sich ein Besuch abseits der üblichen touristischen Routen! Ab und zu mag es ein wenig überfüllt sein Dies gehört aber durchaus zum Konzept. Wer dem entgegenwirken will, der geht einfach schon an frühen Abend hin.

In search of a place with free happy hour food with the purchase of a drink, I made my way from my hostel to Freni e Frizioni. When I first arrived, all I saw was a small industrial-​looking bar, a table of food, and tons of people standing around the area outside. It was clearly the place to be, but my friends wanted to have a place to sit, so we left to find a place with more seating. Unfortunately, we ended up at Friends Bar nearby which I advise people to avoid. Eventually we ended back up at Freni e Frizioni, and as suspected, it was an awesome bar! I can’t attest to the food quality during happy hour, but the vibe was cool and the bartenders were hot. I highly recommend checking this place out. Just get ready to either stand or sit on the stairs or a wall ledge.

1 Bier 0,5 L und 1 Vino bianco 0,2L für je 6 EUR
mit dabei ist ein kleines All you can eat Salat Buffet von Pasta, Hirse, Couscous, Reis, Weisskraut, Kichererbsen, Coronabohnen usw.
Mega hippe Bar-​Location in einer ehemaligen Werkstatt.
Lässige Römer treffen hier auf coole Clubmusic a la Composed Black Label Sessions.
Nachteil: das kostenlose kleine Buffet ist prima, aber dennoch sollte erwähnt werden das der Weine und Biere (beide 6 EUR) nicht billiger werden wenn die Speisen ab 22 Uhr abgetragen werden.

By far one of my favorite nights in Rome…
Lovely Roma CM Valeria I. opened the door for me to the world that is Freni e Frizioni, a hip bar that’s in pretty much every guidebook for Rome as a popular aperitivo joint, The bartenders are friendly, the space is large (especially given the area outside-​al fresco drinking… I can never go back home), and the drinks are made quite well. Given the fanciness of the cocktails and the amount of food served during their aperitivo, it’s really not expensive compared to American standards.
If you’re in Rome with friends, you must come to Freni e Frizioni.

Basically one of Rome’s best kept secret for the younger traveler. They have an expansive complimentary vegetarian buffet if you purchase a «happy hour» beverage with or without alchohol. I’ve had the most amazing strawberry daquiris for 8 euro and just basic red wine for 6 euros. Most of their seating is outside on the large simple piazza connected to the bar which used to be a car repair shop. It has a funky industrial vibe and trendy crowd and is just far enough from the tourist areas to feel completely local.

Very nice place if you want a cheap aperitivo with a good cocktail!

Together with Société Lutece (which is under the same management) this has been among the first venues to serve a full buffet during happy hour, but unfortunately also here the quality dropped after they got well known (and they turned into vegetarian to save money on meat). It’s still a nice location with the outdoor space, but be careful not to stand too close to the building walls as people living upstairs sometime throw down water even if there’s not much noise. Drinks are generally good, I suggest to try a good mojito or other muddled drinks.

I was a big fan of this place when I went in Rome. One of the guys we were with didn’t want to go because he heard it was too trendy, but I didn’t think so. We enjoyed their aperitivo, and I especially enjoyed the music that was on. I heard some great American indie bands that my Roman friends hadn’t heard of, yet. Patio seating was pretty full, but we shared a table with some nice local girls. All in all a fun evening.

Nous sommes venu ici prendre un verre et essayer l’aperitivo romain (on paye sa boisson et on a accès à un buffet apéritif à volonté).
Certes, c’était bondé, il était dur de circuler autour du buffet et nous avons fini dehors mais l’ambiance était très bonne et le buffet bon et varié.
Il faut dire que dehors, on a une grande terrasse à côté du tibre et aux portes du trasvetere.
Pour 6 EUR la pinte et le buffet par rapport aux autres prix rencontré en ville, rien à redire. A refaire !

Super Lokal am Rand von Trastevere — die Einrichtung ist eine Mischung aus modernen Rokoko und heimischer Bibliothek.
Mein Vorschreiber hat die Preise von den Cocktails schon erwähnt, aber dazu ist zu sagen, dass der Preis auch ein Buffet beinhaltet: zwischen 19 und 22 Uhr. Man kann sich dort nach belieben einen kleinen Apéritif gönnen — kann auch zweimal oder öfter was holen.

Wie es so ist in Rom. Man läuft durch Trastevere, immer auf der Suche nach DER Bar, unter den Römern angesagt, cool und möglichst touristenfrei. So auch wieder dieses Jahr. Der Verzweiflung nahe, sahen wir am Rande der Altstadt jede Menge junge Italiener auf der Mauer hocken, Drinks schlürfend und den Abend genießend. Da der Platz an dessen Rand sie saßen, nahe der Hauptstraße liegt, hatten wir zunächst Zweifel, ob sich dort wirklich eine Bar befindet.
Wir also hingelaufen und staunten nicht schlecht: Coole Bar, coole Menschen, coole Barkeeper. Letzterer war so cool, dass er nicht einmal gesprochen hat. Muss er auch nicht, Hauptsache er mixt ordentliche Drinks. — und das macht er. Die Preise sind zwar recht gesalzen für römische Verhältnisse (Cocktails zwischen 7 und 8 Euro, Wein und Bier 5 Euro). Der Gin Tonic hatte aber dafür auch ein gefühltes Mischungsverhältnis von 1:1. Salute!
Diese Bar muss man mal gesehen haben, wir waren dann im Wechsel mit unserer anderen Lieblingsbar dort zu finden.
Super Location: Glatte 5 Sterne.
Einziger Wermutstropfen: Nach Urlaubsrückkehr habe ich in der aktuellen Ausgabe des Marco Polo Reiseführers geblättert. — Dort findet sich Freini e Frizioni als Insider Tipp. Da sich trotzdem die Touristenzahl vor Ort in engen Grenzen hielt, mein Tipp: Unbedingt hingehen!