Enoteca La Mescita
Enoteca La Mescita pours the organic and biodynamic bottles Katie Parla rates first in Rome.
Why go
The name means the pouring, and that is the format: a small room in Garbatella, low light, open evenings only, later at the weekend. The cellar runs organic and natural bottles; the food is built to keep up with the glass: house tramezzini with egg and salame or with tuna, toast with buffalo ricotta, zucchini, mint and caramelized onion (Roma Capitale).
Order this / avoid
- Order: by asking.
- Avoid: the food. Katie Parla puts the room first on her Rome wine list and still writes, "seriously do not eat the food there".
What locals & experts say
- Sarah Cicolini, chef-owner of Santo Palato (The Relisher, 2025):
This natural wine bar is a local favorite, known for its organic and biodynamic wines. It's located in the historic Garbatella district and has a wonderfully relaxed ambiance with dim lighting. Their waiters are highly knowledgeable about wine and usually do a great job selecting one for you.
5 - Gambero Rosso (2023): it was
among the first wine shops in the city to bet on natural wine
.1 - Katie Parla, with a warning attached: the room is first on her Rome wine list and she writes,
seriously do not eat the food there
.2
Good to know
- Timing: evenings, later at the weekend.
- Booking: walk in.
- Where: Via Luigi Fincati 44, Garbatella, near the Palladium theater.
Verdict
should-visit — Gambero Rosso says this was among the first rooms in Rome to bet on natural wine, and Sarah Cicolini goes for the floor rather than the shelf: she says the waiters know the list and choose well for you, which is what a by-the-glass room is for. Drink here, and eat somewhere else. It stops short of must-visit because I have not found a scored review of the cellar.