Aperitivo!

As Italy races to compete with the fast-paced modern economy, there is less and less time for long lunches and drawn-out coffee breaks. This is most evident in cities like Milan and Rome, where business-suited men can be seen slamming espressos, dashing their change onto the counter, and smoking a hurried cigarette en route to the office.

Italy's most lasting tradition of culinary conviviality is the aperitif, or aperitivo. The custom of consuming a bitter or mildly alcoholic drink before lunch--or, most frequently, before
dinner--has been around for as long as anyone can remember. Old men sip white wine around 11 in the bar downstairs before heading up to lunch, young professionals cluster with colleagues and friends after work to catch up and decompress over an Aperol spritz, and city socialites organize opulent aperitivo events at lounges and nightclubs that start with a Prosecco at around 7 and finish with mojitos after midnight.

In recent years, the aperitivo has grown to include everything from small tapas-like plates to elaborate buffets of food, all included in the price of a drink. The trend began in modeconscious Milan, perhaps as a way to feed the flurry of business and fashion executives.

For all its evolution, the aperitivo is still as Italian as ever. Next time you're in Rome, check out these bars sometime between seven and nine in the evening.

Pigneto is Rome's latest exercise in gentrification. Although the area is cleaner and safer, it still has a neighborhood feel, with residents of all ethnicities clustering in the area's pedestrian stretch. Primo al Pigneto has a decidedly urban feel, with high ceilings, sparse décor, exclusive cheeses, and a wine list three times the size of the menu. For the aperitivo, they serve crisp, toasted bread with whipped butter, olive tapenade, and marinated anchovies.

Dom Champagneria
Via degli Zingari 41, Rome, Italy
+39.06.4542.6401

Rione Monti is home to a hilly neighborhood sandwiched between two busy roads, Via Nazionale and Via Cavour. Situated in the historic center, it has quite a colorful history and was once the epicenter of prostitution. These days it attracts artists and expensively dressed bohemians. Many shops and bars have a creative hybrid appeal, and Dom Champagneria follows suit as a bookstore and bar specialized in Champagne.

Freni e Frizioni
Via del Politeama 4/6, Rome, Italy
+39.06.4549.7499

An ex-body shop (the name means "breaks and clutch") located on a terraced square between the Tiber River and the neighborhood of Trastevere, Freni e Frizioni is a carryover of the young and laid-back vibe at nearby Piazza Trilussa. The plentiful aperitivo buffet takes up an entire room.

Fluid
Via del Governo Vecchio 46/47, Rome, Italy
+39.06.683.2361

Also near Piazza Navona, Fluid epitomizes a dichotomy of modern design amid medieval Rome. The cocktail bar is a work of architectural art, with a high-tech forest feel. Come aperitivo time, the long bar is piled high with all kinds of appetizers, including bruschetta, potato croquettes, and supplì di riso, or fried rice balls, along with pastas, rice, salad, and fresh and grilled vegetables.

SAID-Antica Fabbrica del Cioccolato
Via Tiburtina 135, Rome, Italy
+39.06.446.9204

A chocolate factory and restaurant in the gritty and trendy San Lorenzo university district, SAID serves aperitivo in the space's central parlor, complete with antique sofas and dark wood, the surrounding café tables set off to the side. The feel is vintage, and the food is sumptuous. You'll have black-truffle pecorino, miniature Caprese salad, cured meats, and SAID's own homemade bread.

Primo al Pigneto
Via del Pigneto 46, Rome, Italy
+39.06.701.6827

Oppio Caffé
Via della Terme di Tito 72, Rome, Italy
+39.06.474.5262

Set high on a hill, facing the Colosseum, Oppio Caffé is worth it for the view alone, especially in warm months when the terrace is open. This aperitivo goes late and also features cocktails. Snack on small sandwiches and pasta.