Bar San Calisto to reopen its doors in February.The ongoing renovation of Bar San Calisto, one of Rome's most iconic bars, has prompted nostalgic regulars to grab mementos from the rubble outside.The landmark watering hole in the Trastevere quarter will remain closed until mid-February as the premises gets a new look, however owner Marcello Forti promises that the restyling won't involve any major changes to the interior. Forti, known to everyone as Marcellino, also pledged that the bar's famously cheap prices will remain the same when it reopens next month. (A coffee still costs 90 cents and a large bottle of Peroni beer will set you back just €2.50). In the meantime, Romans have been taking home pieces of the bar as keepsakes, from fragments of the original counter to the old black and white floor tiles. "We're renovating the bar area, not the bathroom area. I think the work will be completed by 16 February" - Forti told news outlet RomaToday - "We're putting in a horseshoe-shaped bar with a cash register". What the interior in San Calisto used to look like. Photo Wanted in Rome.   Despite his assurances, there are concerns among regulars and past visitors that San Calisto could lose the down-at-heel vibe that is part of its charm. Until now the bar has retained its vintage decor, remaining a bastion of "romanità" in a district whose coffee shops and restaurants are increasingly being modernised for the tourist market. Located off the central Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere, San Calisto has been run by Marcellino since 1969 and has featured in numerous films including Paolo Sorrentino's Oscar-winner La grande bellezza. Photo La Repubblica

The ongoing renovation of Bar San Calisto, one of Rome's most iconic bars, has prompted nostalgic regulars to grab mementos from the rubble outside. The landmark watering hole in the Trastevere quarter will remain closed until mid-February as the premises gets a new look, however owner Marcello Forti promises that the restyling won't involve any major changes to the interior. Forti, known to everyone as Marcellino, also pledged that the bar's famously cheap prices will remain the same when it reopens next month. (A coffee still costs 90 cents and a large bottle of Peroni beer will set you back just €2.50). In the meantime, Romans have been taking home pieces of the bar as keepsakes, from fragments of the original counter to the old black and white floor tiles. "We're renovating the bar area, not the bathroom area. I think the work will be completed by 16 February" - Forti told news outlet RomaToday - "We're putting in a horseshoe-shaped bar with a cash register".
What the interior in San Calisto used to look like. Photo Wanted in Rome.   Despite his assurances, there are concerns among regulars and past visitors that San Calisto could lose the down-at-heel vibe that is part of its charm. Until now the bar has retained its vintage decor, remaining a bastion of "romanità" in a district whose coffee shops and restaurants are increasingly being modernised for the tourist market. Located off the central Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere, San Calisto has been run by Marcellino since 1969 and has featured in numerous films including Paolo Sorrentino's Oscar-winner La grande bellezza. Photo La Repubblica