Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fà

Don’t let the graffiti-scrawled exterior walls put you off—Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fa is all about that lived-in-look charm. Inside, it’s a classic beer-forward pub with big brass taps, a chalkboard menu, chipped wooden bar stools, and a bubbling crowd. The atmosphere’s always buzzy, and the well-placed colorful armchairs and sofas will soften your landing in the rare event it’s too cold to spill onto the pavement outside.

This miniscule Trastevere craft beer pub is at the forefront of the booming Italian beer culture which has gathered speed in a couple of decades. There are generally around 16 beers on tap, some unpasteurised and unfiltered, each one served at a temperature and in a glass appropriate for that brew, plus around 200 available by the bottle. In summer, the street outside acts as their beer garden.

In the heart of Trastevere, the crowds at the wonderfully-named dive bar Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fà (loosely translated, it means ‘What the hell are you doing here?’) often spill out onto the street. Offering a huge selection of craft beers, it’s a place for making new friends.

Though Italy, of course, usually puts people in a wine mind, Rome goes big on craft beers at spots like Ma Che Siete Venuti.

It may be the oldest and smallest craft beer pub in Rome, but Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fa has earned its stripes as a global contender due to its dedication and nurturing of the artisan beer culture in Italy. Thanks to accolades from the likes of The New York Times, and The Guardian and a slew of enthusiastic reviews, this hole-in-the-wall pub has garnered a dedicated following eager to sample the selection of Italian and international beers on tap. Weekends draw a large crowd so aim for a mid-week visit and take advantage of the lull to as passionate staff impart background knowledge and stories of your particular brew.

He felt bad about his not being around to show us his hometown but he more than made up for it during our planning stages, not only suggesting places to enjoy “the real Rome food,” but also nixing my first choices in accommodation as “too dangerous, a homeless person got killed there.” We wound up staying in the neighborhood where his famed Ma che siete venuti a fábeer bar has been a Trastevere cornerstone since 2001. He even made a first night reservation for us at L’Elementare, a noted pizzeria down the street and told me that all his recommendations would need me to do the same. Unsurprisingly, he was right.

Serious beer drinkers don’t have to look any further than this tiny pub on small street behind Piazza Trilussa in Trastevere. The craft beer scene has grown significantly in Rome in recent years but Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fa (which translates to “but what did you come here to do?”) was one of the first and remains one of the very best. The laid-back bar staff and patrons are here to drink hard-to-find artisan brews from Italy and Europe and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere where most customers end up chatting outside with a pint in hand when the narrow bar gets too full.

This is the bar that kick started the craft ale movement in Rome. Located across the road from its larger and more stylish younger sister, Bir & Fud (below) in the vibrant Trastevere neighbourhood, it's a tiny rough and ready affair, split over two rooms and a cellar, each showing the football, with the crowds spilling out on to the street in front. The main attraction is obviously the beers - other than tap water, that's all they serve - and explains the name, which translates from Roman as "But what did you come here for?".

Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fà (Macchè for short), which opened in 2001, has become a beacon for the Italian craft beer movement. A diehard beer enthusiast—his catchphrase is quanno moro vojo esse fermentato (“when I die I want to be fermented”)—owner Manuele Colonna and his crew were among the first to reject European industrial brews, providing craft alternatives and cultivating a beer-drinking subculture. Macchè’s location in Trastevere, a center of Roman nightlife, has allowed them to bring their message to a wide audience.

Don’t let the graffiti-scrawled exterior walls put you off – Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fa is all about that lived-in-look charm. Inside, it’s a classic beer-forward pub with big brass taps, a chalkboard menu, chipped wooden bar stools, and a bubbling crowd. The atmosphere’s always buzzy, and the well-placed colourful armchairs and sofas will soften your landing in the rare event it’s too cold to spill onto the pavement outside.

With a name that roughly translates to “What did you come here for?. ” this lively neighbourhood bar is just a short hop from Piazza Trilussa and constantly filled with a crowd that’s both international and local, often spilling out of the door onto the pavement outside. There is a constantly shifting range of artisan Italian ales on their 16 taps, which I imagine, is what most people go there for.

Another fantastic place for craft beer, Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fà is a famous (and tiny) pub in Trastevere. It’s well-known and loved for serving an impressive range of top-quality local and international craft beers, and is something of a local institution. Inside, the atmosphere is casual and intimate, with a few small tables and comfy chairs.

The artisanal beer scene is big in Rome, and this pub draws cute boys (and girls) who like a great draughts on tap. Yeah, it's dark, dingy, and pubby, and there's probably a soccer game on the TV, but it's totally fun when you're in that kind of mood. The name, incidentally, roughly translates as "What'd you come here for?

With a catchy Roman name that translates to “ What did you come here for?. ”, this tiny pub is always brimming with excellent beer, and people. Located in the middle of the Trastevere neighborhood, Ma che siete venuti a fa offers 16 different beers on tap, and continuously changes its selection to welcome new flavours.

A wide selection of beers is found at this Trastevere based pub. It was the first to feature beers from independent breweries in Rome and is the most famous of the drinking bars in the city. Here you can watch football matches with locals and enjoy the camaraderie or sorrow, depending on how Roma or Lazio perform.

Without the work of Manuele Colonna and Fabio Zaniol, the echo of craftsmanship would not be as powerful, in Rome as in much of Italy. A hole of a few square meters, always full of thirsty people, but where there is everything a pub has to offer: music, widespread chatter and easy fooling around.

Located in the heart of Trastevere, this well-known pub is very popular with those that revolutionized the history of craft beer in Rome. They offer 16 different draught beers daily, so you can return again and again. They offer some very special beers that are hard to find in the rest of Italy.

This local Italian pub offers craft Italian beers with a huge selection of locally owned brews. Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fa is the perfect place to grab a cold one and relax after a long day of sightseeing. Explore a huge range of Italian beers available on tap year-round at this Roman restaurant.

Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fà is located in the trendy neighbourhood of Trastever in Rome and perhaps the most well known craft beer bar in Rome and Italy. People from all over the world visit this Roman beer hot spot every day and yes, so did I when I was on vacation in the Eternal City.

Map • +39 06 6456 2046 Laid-back, hole-in-the-wall pub focusing on local and international craft beer. The tap list changes, but always features a wide range of high-quality brews of different types. It gets super packed on Saturdays during football games.

Ma Che Siete Venuti A Fà has been one of the most beloved craft beer bars in Rome since 2001. The name, which translates to, “But what did you come to do?. ” comes from a chant from the fans of the owner’s beloved Lazio football team.

Known as Rome’s legendary quaint craft beer bar in the trendy Trastevere neighborhood. But don’t let its small size fool you. This hole-in-the-wall spot boasts an impressive selection of the best craft beers in the city.

This tiny hole in the wall put craft beers on the map in Rome. It's small so just shove your way in and make your way to the bar to select from hundreds of beers. If you're not sure, let the bartender guide you.

Open Baladin, Via degli Specchi, 6; Bir & Fud, Via Benedetta, 23; Machesietevenutiafa, Via Benedetta, 25; Birra Più, Via del Pigneto, 105, and Brasserie 4:20, Via Portuense, 82; Draft Pub, Viale Ippocrate 64.

But to be fair, I was just embracing the attitude of Ma Che Siete Venuti a Fa’, a tiny pub in one of Trastevere’s many tiny streets. Ma che siete venuti a fa’ essentially translates to: “but what did […]