We had one of our best times in Rome at Charity Café…read more
We'd been at a aperitivo spot just steps away and as soon as I saw a huge Billie Holiday poster in the window, I knew we had to stop in. My husband is a blues musician and we realized it was also on his list of clubs to check out.
On the early side, they have a nice aperitivo set-up with reasonably-priced drinks and little snacks. The friendly bartender indicated that there was seating in the back room where the band was doing a sound check.
This place will make you feel like you're at a secret little music club in the 1950s. It's intimate and dark and only so slightly gritty, with rows of seating, like fancy bleachers, that face the stage, each with a tiny table for your drinks and snacks. It's so perfect!
Shows start around 10:30pm-- so if you're there for aperitivo, you'll be there for hours waiting for the band, really not a bad thing. They play similar jazz/blues standards on the sound system to keep you in the mood. We had dinner plans in Trastevere so we left around 8pm and returned close to Midnight... the place was packed by that point and it's a total vibe!