Eating in Monti, Rome

Monti is technically Rome's oldest rione, tucked behind the Colosseum and the Forum, but it doesn't feel ancient day to day — it's the neighbourhood where Rome's vintage shops, natural wine bars, and independent kitchens have clustered over the last fifteen years. The food here trends younger and more experimental than the trattoria standards elsewhere: small plates, natural and orange wines, and menus that change with what's at the market rather than sticking to the same four pastas. It's also one of the more walkable food-and-drink neighbourhoods for an evening that starts with dinner and drifts into a wine bar afterward, since almost everything worthwhile sits within a few blocks of Via del Boschetto and Via dei Serpenti. Weekday evenings are noticeably calmer than weekends, when Monti fills with a younger Roman crowd rather than tourists.