Spritz recipes done right, regional vermouths explained, Roman finger food to match, and a neighbourhood guide to the best bars in Rome.
A slow guide to aperitivo culture — the recipes, the rituals, the places worth knowing about.
Written from Italy.
Read in 60+ countries. Enjoyed best with something bitter and a little ice.
iAperitivo covers Italian aperitivo culture — the drinks, the food, and the places that make it one of the world's great social rituals. Here you'll find classic Italian cocktail recipes like the Aperol Spritz, the Negroni, the Campari Spritz, and the Americano, alongside lesser-known drinks like the Cynar Spritz and the Select Spritz from Venice. Every recipe includes proper ratios and tested methods. There's a deep guide to Italian spirits — vermouth, amaro, and bitter liqueurs — plus traditional Roman and Venetian finger food recipes matched to the right drink. The Rome guide maps the best aperitivo bars neighbourhood by neighbourhood, from Trastevere and Prati to Testaccio and Pigneto. Everything is written from Italy, tested in person, and updated regularly.
Full Roman and Italian finger food recipes, each one matched to the right drink. Supplì al telefono, fiori di zucca fritti, olive ascolane, tramezzini — all with step-by-step method and drink pairing notes.
Explore finger foods →We tested 11 variations of the classic Spritz formula to understand what the rule actually does — and exactly when breaking it makes a better drink.
Read the guideClassic Venetian formula