Chi c'è, c'è! Aperitivo - September 29, 2026

The spirit of this informal aperitivo meet-up will be "chi c'è, c'è!" Yes, "whoever makes it, makes it" and we'll raise our cups! We won't book a specific table or wait on anyone, but we'll be sure to welcome everyone who shows up.

This friendly bistrot features Lazio Region wines and ingredients, some in traditional form and some with a contemporary twist.

When: Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Where: Contesto Urbano Bistrot Romano, Via Gallia 51 (San Giovanni-Metronia area, closest station is Metro C Porta Metronia)

Cost: No host/pay your own individual order. Three "aperitivo formulas" are available for a drink and the amount of food that fits your appetite. The €10 set includes 3 tastings of the chef's choice (although food allergies can be accommodated), €15 is for 7 vegetarian tastings or 7 items including meat, and then there's the €20 set if you're hungry for "maritozzomania" (savoury maritozzi)! À la carte appetizers and mains also available.

Élisabeth Pion: Private Piano Recital - March 29, 2026

We are pleased to offer a special private piano recital by 29-year-old French-Canadian pianist Élisabeth Pion, the Gold Laureate and Audience Choice Award winner of the prestigious 2025 Honens International Piano Competition. Élisabeth appears on international stages as a recitalist, chamber musician, and guest artist and has performed at esteemed venues such as Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall, Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, and Sala Cecília Meireles. She is a regular guest artist with distinguished ensembles and has collaborated with conductors such as Gerard Schwarz, Elias Grandy, Nathalie Marin, Kensho Watanabe, and Nicolas Ellis, to name a few. In 2024-25 she was a Radio-Canada Breakthrough Artist.

Élisabeth performs a broad range of concerto repertoire, adding her own perspective to known masterworks and bringing rarely performed works to new audiences. She has released two albums, both of which were finalists for the Prix Opus.

The recital will be followed by a light aperitivo.

When: Sunday, March 29, 2026

Time: 6 p.m.

Cost: €10

Where: Residence of CCR members – Villa Patrizi area -- details will be sent to registered participants.

Note: open only to current members of the CCR.

RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com by Thursday, March 26, ATTN Marielle. Please note that space is limited so reserve early.

French Apéro - February 13, 2026

This time our aperitivo get-together will be a French apéro! We're meeting at VaSano, the shop and eatery specialized in French food and wine delights.

We've arranged a "formula" to have a selection of cheeses, coldcuts and foie gras, accompanied by one glass of wine per person.

When: Friday, 13 Feb., 2026.

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Where: VaSano, Via Po 66 (near intersection with Via Salaria)

Cost: In advance €20 for CCR members, €23 for non-members. Separate charge on site (no host) for any additional glasses of wine or other orders. 

RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Marina.

NB: Book early, as space is limited. Payment required by Feb. 11th.

Historical Aperitivo: Marie Antoinette - February 5, 2026

Marie Antoinette’s destiny is often recounted as a Shakespearean tragedy defined by hamartia, conflict, catastrophe, and a glimpse of restored order within the French Revolution. She is the most well-known of Maria Theresa’s sixteen children. The only female ruler of the Hapsburg dynasty, Maria Theresa excelled in early modern marriage politics, and “happily ever after” was the exception -- certainly not Marie Antoinette’s case.

Queen Marie Antoinette in 1787 with Marie Thérèse, Louis Charles, and Louis Joseph. Palace of Versailles (Wikimedia Commons)

Inspired by the blockbuster exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, we will revisit Marie Antoinette’s agency in the fishbowl that was Versailles. Was she an innocent in the wrong place at the wrong time? Did her acts of disloyalty have malicious intent? Or was she, perhaps, a Helen of Troy whose face launched 17,000 guillotine blades? She was, in part, all of those things. Our contemporary view of her tends to emphasize idolization and pity more than hatred and outrage.  We will be so bold as to ask why.

Light refreshments will follow the lecture and discussion with historian Christine Contrada.

When: Thursday, February 5th, 2026.

Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Where: Private residence (near Corso Trieste); exact address sent to confirmed participants.

Cost: €15 members; €20 non-members (who must, however, be guests of a current member)

RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Marina.

NB: Book early, as space is limited. Payment required by 3 Feb. 2026.

Welcome New Year Aperitivo - January 9, 2026

Join us, after the end of the winter holiday period in Italy, to toast the new year. We'll be soothed by the jazzy sounds of Hotel Quirinale’s house pianist as we catch up over a glass and an aperitivo spread!

When: Friday, Jan. 9, 2026
Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m. 
Where: Hotel Quirinale, Via Nazionale 7
Cost: Advance payment of €20 for CCR members and €25 for non-members, including a choice of 1 drink (wine, beer, or cocktail) and an assortment of coldcuts, cheeses, fritti, olives, etc.. Any additional drinks must be paid to the server right after ordering ("No Host").
RSVP & PoP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Marina by  Jan. 7th.

Historical Aperitivo: The Fall of Rome - November 12, 2025

NB Full/waiting list started.

The Roman Empire was not built in a day, but it was built to last. Over the course of its final centuries, the vast empire slowly and dramatically fell to its knees. What caused Rome’s demise? Was it inflation, invasion, corruption, Christianity or maybe even lead poisoning? There is no one simple or obvious answer. Bring your curiosity and an open mind to unravel the neat and tidy story you probably learned in school.  Get ready to get to the bottom of this complex and shadowy transformation into the Middle Ages.

Light refreshments will follow the lecture and discussion with historian Christine Contrada.

When: Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025

Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Where: Private residence (near Corso Trieste); exact address sent to confirmed participants.

Cost: €10 members; €20 non-members (who must, however, be guests of a current member)

RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Marina.

NB: Book early, as space is limited. Payment required by 4 Nov. 2025.

CCR Book Club - September 18, 2025

The CCR Book Club's will be discussing their summer reading, "My Father’s House" by Joseph O’Connor, over aperitivo snacks and drinks. This literary thriller is set during World War II in Nazi-occupied Rome, as an Irish priest strives to smuggle the persecuted out of the country.

When: Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Where: Private residence of CCR member -- Flaminio area; exact address sent to confirmed participants by email. Open only to current members of the CCR. 

Potluck: Please let Lucy know what food you'll be bringing.

Further info & RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Lucy. As space is limited, reservation is compulsory.

The Secret Garden Aperitivo - September 11, 2025

Join us for a late summer aperitivo at Le Serre Barberini, in the elegant seventeenth century gardens of Palazzo Barberini. The beautiful glass serre (greenhouses), designed by architect Francesco Azzurri (1827-1901) and completed during the 19th-century reorganization of the gardens, are now open to the public. They overlook the labyrinth garden, with its curious little cork house and the Egyptian granite stele of Amon-Ra, the sun god, originally found at the temple of Isis in Campo Marzio.

When: Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025

Time: 6:00-8:00p.m.

Where: Le Serre Barberini, Via delle Quattro Fontane,13

Cost: €27 for members and €32 for non-members; includes 1 drink per person (choice of a cocktail -- Spritz, Hugo, Negroni, gin  & tonic, gin lemon, vodka tonic, vodka lemon or americano -- or a glass of white or red wine, served with cold cuts and cheese, Forno Serpenti artisan bread, vegetable tabbouleh, pizzette, olives, chips, peanuts, pistachio, and pretzels, along with still and sparkling water. Advance, non-refundable payment is required to confirm your place.

Please note: You will be charged individually for any additional orders beyond the set menu listed above.

RSVP & Proof of Payment: to canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Marina by close of business on 8 Sept.

Island Dream Aperitivo - June 20, 2025

Let's clink glasses and taste the tropics as we imagine ourselves at a Balinese beach bar! This evening there will also be a traditional dance performance.

When: Friday, June 20, 2025

Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Where: Bali Bar, Via del Mattonato 29 (Trastevere)

Cost: €15 for a glass of prosecco or of red or white wine plus a mixed appetizer plate. No host: you will pay the restaurant directly for the menu plus any extras you order.

RSVP to canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Marielle by 18 June, 2025.

CCR Book Club - June 19, 2025

At the June meeting, the CCR Book Club is going to discuss "The Safekeep" by Yael van der Woudent over an early evening aperitivo potluck. The Guardian review says "an outsider shatters the quiet domestic life of a lonely young woman in this thrilling debut set in post Nazi-era Netherlands."

When: Thursday, June 19, 2025

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Where: Private residence of CCR member -- Flaminio area; exact address sent to confirmed participants by email. Open only to current members of the CCR. 

Potluck: Please let Lucy know what finger food you'll be bringing.

Further info & RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Lucy. As space is limited, reservation is compulsory.

Barberini Drinks - June 12, 2025

Let’s raise a glass to summer on Cinema Barberini's fashionable rooftop. This multi-level venue will give you a unique perspective on Via Veneto and Piazza Barberini while you sip one of their signature drinks accompanied by sophisticated finger food.

When: Thursday, June 12, 2025
Time: 6:30-8:30p.m.
Where: Terrazza Barberini, Piazza Barberini, 24-25-26.
Cost: No-host, i.e. you will be responsible for your own order. But please confirm your attendance so we save you a spot.

RSVP: by the 9th of June to canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Marina.

CCR Book Club - April 28, 2025

The next book club meeting will take place at the aperitivo hour! The group is going to discuss "This Strange Eventful History" by Claire Messud.

When: Monday, Apr. 28, 2025

Time: 6 p.m.

Where: Private residence of CCR member -- Esquilino area; exact address sent to confirmed participants by email. Open only to current members of the CCR. 

Potluck: Please let Lucy know what finger food you'll be bringing.

Further info & RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Lucy. As space is limited, reservation is compulsory.

Historical Aperitivo: Colourful Popes - April 2, 2025

Sold out.

One of history’s most provocative topics is the story of the papacy, and namely the 266 popes (or 267, depending on who you ask) who have tried to fill the shoes of Saint Peter. If papal history has shown us anything, it makes it clear how difficult it is for mere mortals, even those chosen by God, to walk the fine line between temporal and spiritual power. Come and frolic through 2000 years of intrigue with some delightfully devious and scintillatingly suspect papal behaviour. From parading around Rome with an elephant, to putting a corpse on trial, to labyrinthian backroom political deals, to fathering children, history is even better than fiction. Hold on to your socks, papal or not, and see the Jubilee in high definition with historian Christine Contrada.

When: Wednesday, 2 April, 2025

Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Where: Plebiscito Cucina Bar Mercato, Via del Plebiscito 104 (near Piazza Venezia)

Cost: €30 includes history talk and the aperitivo combo with 1 drink (wine, beverage or select cocktails), water, focaccia, and charcuterie board (or vegetarian option: pinzimonio with veggies and cheese). Advance payment required to confirm your place.

Please note that you will be charged individually for any additional orders beyond the set menu listed above.

RSVP & PoP: to canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Marina by close of business on 28 March.

Historical Aperitivo: Napoleon and the Repubblica Romana - September 23, 2024

We're going to gather again at the gourmet hang-out, Plebiscito, just steps away from the famous enclosed balcony of the apartment where Napoleon Bonaparte's mother lived. That's no accident because we'll have historian Christine Contrada telling us more about the famous revolutionary general and his connections to Rome, while we enjoy a delicious aperitivo.

When: Monday, Sept. 23, 2024

Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Where: Plebiscito Cucina Bar Mercato, Via del Plebiscito 104 (near Piazza Venezia)

Cost: €20 for the aperitivo combo with a drink (wine, beverage or select cocktails), water, focaccia, and charcuterie board (or vegetarian/vegan option: pinzimonio with veggies rather than coldcuts and cheese). Each participant is responsible for their individual payment, including any extras ordered.

RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Marina to secure a spot with us.

Historical Aperitivo: Garibaldi’s Staten Island Sojourn - June 18, 2024

In 1851, having barely escaped Italy with his life, Giuseppe Garibaldi moved into the humble home of Antonio Meucci on Staten Island, in New York City. What does this episode on the periphery of the Risorgimento tell us about this complex and larger than life historical figure carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders? Historian Christine Contrada, who described the ominous death of Julius Cesar on the Ides of March for us, is returning to give a brief explanation of Garibaldi's connections to Rome and the historic Testaccio district.

When: Tuesday, June 18, 2024

Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Where: Angelineria Cocktail Salotto, Via Galvani 24 (Testaccio area)

Cost: €15 for the aperitivo combo with a drink (wine, beer or select cocktails) and snacks including mini arancino, mini focaccia, olives and chips. Other food options available. Each participant is responsible for payment of whatever they order.

RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Marina to secure a spot at our table.

Multi-Sensory Aperitivo - April 18, 2024

Join us in this multi-sensory space where gastronomy blends with art and culture. Both an exhibition space and a fun boutique are part of this venue. An aperitif awaits you with a dedicated menu, punctuated by the sound of bells from an adjacent church. Even Quasimodo would enjoy it!

On Thursdays there's live music starting at 9:30, so you could make an evening of it if you decide to stay on.

When: Thursday, Apr. 18, 2024

Time:  6-8 p.m.

Where: Caffè Delle Esposizioni, Via Nazionale 194A

Cost: No host, i.e. each person pays for whatever they order, including water, bread, etc. For example, a cocktail or glass of wine with a charcuterie board or a vegetarian mix is €15.

RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Marielle by noon on Apr. 16th to secure a spot at our table.

Party Like It's the Ides of March Aperitivo - March 14, 2024

Hac nocte pars amet est similis XCIX like "Senator Prince" used to sing! The theme of this aperitivo will be ancient Rome around the Ides of March. Feel free to don your most authentic or most kitschy ancient garb as we head for the ancient senate.

Who exactly stabbed Julius Caesar and why? We'll also have historian Christine Contrada at hand to give us insights into his fate, since we'll be at a venue precisely over the site of his assassination -- luckily one day before the ominous event! So join us for the big reveal, 2000 years after the fact.

When: Thursday, March. 14, 2024

Time:  6-8 p.m.

Where: Appetito Emporio della Torre, Via di Torre Argentina 41

Cost: €10 for an Aperol Spritz or a glass of wine and two slices of pizza. Additional drinks will cost €5 for a spritz and €6 for wine. Other food options available. Each participant is responsible for payment of whatever they order, including water.

RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Marina by noon on Mar. 12th to secure a spot at our table.

Mardi Gras Aperitivo - February 13, 2024

Let's toast the last day of Carnival at the historic Enoteca Buccone.

When: Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Where: Buccone Vini e Olii, Via di Ripetta 19/20

Cost: No host/pay your own individual order.

RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com ATTN Marina by noon on Feb. 10th to secure a spot with our group.

Holiday Cheer Aperitivo - December 12, 2023

An informal get-together to chat and toast the season at a cocktail bar with a cozy vintage vibe. Just let us know whether we should save you a spot at our table!

When: Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023

Time: 6-8 p.m.

Where: Blackmarket Hall, Via de' Ciancaleoni 31 (Monti area)

Cost: "no host" (pay your own order). For example, their aperitif tasting combo is a plate of 5 assorted appetizers plus a choice of drink at a cost of €13 for the vegetarian option, €15 for the meat-based, and €16 for the seafood-based. Other options à la carte.

RSVP: canadarome@gmail.com by noon on Dec. 11th to secure a spot at our table.

Sushi Apéritif - November 22, 2023

We're going "back to Japan" for our aperitivo get-together in November!

When: Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023

Time: 6:30-8 p.m.

Where: Zama Sushi, Via Siria 10 (near Piazza Zama)

Cost: "no host" (pay your own order). Sushi apéritif + drink (Prosecco or wine) formula for €10; other options à la carte.

RSVP: to Marielle at canadarome@gmail.com by noon on Nov. 21st to secure a spot at our table.