A stone’s throw from the Colosseum, The Race Club is a member’s club, speakeasy and underground nightclub-cocktail bar in Rome.

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A stone’s throw from the Colosseum, The Race Club is a speakeasy bar that’s fast becoming a beloved late-night underground den. Hidden from plain sight, this member’s only bar is seriously dedicated to its cocktails. Sit back and relax on one of their plush sofas and Chester with a well-mixed libation unique to Race Club’s menu.

From the outside, The Race Club Roma Speakeasy is easy to miss. This bar stands on a street close to the Colosseum—one of those streets people walk down every day without even knowing that there’s another great Roman gem around the corner. But The Race Club is here, hiding in the dark, waiting to be discovered.

When you walk inside, with half-assembled motorcycles strewn around the place, it looks like a biker shop, or some kind of mechanic’s garage, but don’t let that fool you. Step into the office, and suddenly you’re standing in front of a staircase. Walk down those steps, and you’ll find yourself somewhere entirely new, as if you’ve walked through Alice’s looking glass from one world into another.

And this world is luxurious, relaxing, with the sweet melodies of songs—think jazz, think classic American rock tunes—welcoming you in as you find a couch to sink into. The lights that hang down, almost swaying to the music, are gentle, and they paint into gold the love seats and coffee tables, the newspaper clippings decorating one little corner, and the vintage picture frames, and photographs and books in another. In your new little secret saloon, you can find your favorite seat and relax with your drink of choice.

Cocktails are the real reason to find your way down here. The Race Club’s new drink list is called Race GpT, and the idea behind it is simple: drinks designed around the guest, with presentations that go well beyond the glass.

You can pick one of the house signatures or ask the bartenders for a classic, made the way you like it. The signatures are where the menu has the most fun. Baby-Ron arrives in a baby bottle, mixing rum with Plasmon biscuits blended in soy milk. Mezzo Pieno is a savoury twist on bourbon, fat-washed with guanciale from Amatrice and finished with white truffle. Al Pachino #1 pairs vodka with Pachino tomato and basil, served with a pasta straw, while Cagiva Mi-To is a smoky take on the Negroni, made with Laphroaig and cedar wood smoke. For Fede Alcolica the recipe stays secret: you’ll have to ask the staff.

Most cocktails cost €20. If you’re planning to stay for a second round, the Doppio Giro offer gets you two drinks for €35, with the membership card included for free.

The Race Club Roma Speakeasy takes reservations on their website, and it can accommodate large groups for special events (also private parties) such as birthday parties. To be part of the club, you have to pay a €5-membership card, and trust me: it’s worth it.

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