La Barrique Wine Bar in Rome

I have found a new place to spend my Friday late afternoons after work. Well, other than the gym, of course. And it's so good I might even concede a Wednesday or two. It is not the usual Roman wine bar. The bottles are not marked up 300%. The staff is polite, efficient, and knowledgeable of the wine list. The décor does not look like a cheesy version of a 'Back to the Future' set. And the food is excellent.

Do not come here if you are looking for a gutbusting meal. The menu is simple and rustic, and consists mainly of Bruschette (toasted bread with various condiments), Carpacci (thinly sliced raw meats with condiments), and Affettati e formaggi (Sliced Cured meats and cheeses). The closest thing they have to cooked food is the "Hot Cheeses" which I did happen to sample. Thank you, um, I come from the land of grilled cheese.

Of course, my male dining partner and I opted for the lard bruschetta topped with honey. We always desire to start off light. I highly recommend the smoked salmon carpaccio, the smoked swordfish, and the Portuguese Cod (baccala' portoghese). The ideal thing to do is to grab a fish dish and a bottle of white, and/or a meat dish and a bottle of red. Duh. We drank Dessimis Pinot Grigio from the Vie di Romans winery (Very Good - € 25), Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore "La Crocetta" (Excellent - € 14), Sagana' from the Cusumano Winery (Excellent - € 26), and Il Repertorio from Cantina del Notaio winery (Excellent - € 18). As of right now, The Roman Wine Co. only stocks the Cusumano Sagana'.

Who: La Barrique
What: Wine Bar
Where: via del Boschetto, 41/b - 00184 Rome (near via Nazionale in Rione Monti)
When: Perfect for an after work drink and light dinner
Will I be going back?: Yes, I have been there 3 times already
Price: € 25.00 per person for 4 plates and 2 bottles of wine
Tel: 0647825953
Notes: I don't think you really need to reserve. I rang them up once to do so and the response was "um, yeah, sure, come on down at that time"