One of the things I love about my neighborhood in Rome is the number of disused spaces that have been converted into bars and restaurants.

What’s more Roman, after all, than layering new over old?

When I heard that a natural wine bar had opened in an old copy shop near Roma Tre university, I immediately added it to my massive spreadsheet list of places to try, and I finally got there last week.

Read on for all the details on Bar Bozza.

Bar Bozza natural wine bar in Rome

Located near San Paolo fuori le mura (Saint Paul’s outside the walls), one of Rome’s papal basilicas, Bar Bozza occupies a small, corner space. Like I said above, it used to be a copisteria, or copy shop, which are ubiquitous near Italian universities, as students regularly need to print papers, posters and theses.

The name “Bar Bozza” is a nod to the building’s former life: bozza means “draft” in Italian.

The interior is airy, thanks to the high ceiling that hovers over bottle-lined shelves.

There are a few tables inside and outside. We opted for out.

After ordering a cool glass of sparkling rosé and a few small plates to share, two small bowls arrived, one with a crunchy, salty snack mix and one with lupini beans marinated in orange juice and spices.

The cheese of the day came next: two soft, thick slices of Rosso di Langa that we quickly pressed into bread.

Then the babganoush disguised as soup arrived, the smoky base of eggplant all dressed up with seeds, spices, tomatoes and croutons.

After one more glass, me and my friend both headed home, but I could have happily stayed there all night, enjoying the cool breeze, another glass of wine (or two), and certainly more of the menu.

Next time I go back to Bar Bozza, I plan to do just that.

More info on Bar Bozza

Bar Bozza is located at Via Giulio Rocco 27 – Metro: Garbatella – Closed Sundays, Open for aperitivo and dinner from 6:00pm – 12:30am Monday and Tuesday, and from 6:00pm to 1am Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday – Insta: @barbozza_ig – Phone: +39 3488970047

More Rome tips and guides

If you’re a natural wine lover like me, you might enjoy my ultimate guide to natural wine in Rome.

Hungry? Here’s my complete guide to Roman pasta.

Had enough pasta? Check out this post, on all the other foods you should eat in Rome.