Aperitivo suggestions in Trastevere

I had come across this recently: https://juliasdaysoff.com/italy/best-restaurants-in-trastevere/
Could be some help!

I've found Caffe delle Arance to be where I want to be for people watching, relaxing and enjoying a wonderful aperitivo with the accompanying finger food. One evening it suddenly started to rain heavily - the canopy kept us all dry, which only added another reason to be there. Sit against the back wall or up at the front for 2 different views and, in some ways, experiences. I'll be there every evening again for a week inJ une and another in July. You'll recognize me by the very contented smile on my face.

Robert! Thank you for the recommendation! We leave on our trip today and will be staying very close. I look forward to trying the various spritz offerings and watching the parade of people.

Trastevere restaurants and especially those with outside seating, have a tendency to be extremely busy or very mediocre. I hesitate to name several that I prefer because they get more than enough traffic already, but I will say, stray a bit off the beaten path to find some of the better places to eat. My suggestion is that once you know a place you would like to eat, make a reservation. Most good places turn way a steady stream of passersby's who look the menu over and decide they would like to enter without a reservation. The other suggestion is to try to eat where the food is Roman. These places tend to be the best ones to seek out.

Bar San Calisto is a classic--it does get busy/rowdy in that area later in the evening, but if you can get there and find a seat the vibes and people watching are great.

Bar San Calisto is a classic

I always chuckle when I think of that bar. We have stayed about a block or two away from there several times, and would stop for coffee or an afternoon drink. The place is a bit "divey", lots of regulars, old guys arguing about something, it was just a quirky spot to stop and enjoy Rome.

Then one night, watching TV, I see Stanley Tucci sitting in what looked like a very familiar place, sure enough, he did a segment of "Searching for Italy" at the bar, someplace he used to go when he was working in Rome. I hope the place did not get overrun with TV Show tourists.

As for the OP and some of the responses, the Aperitivo is a late afternoon/early evening drink, and often a snack. Any decent bar works, but it has become a bit more fashionable to offer a free snack (ala Spanish Tapas). I really am not sure if this trend has taken off in Rome, but good places will have snacks to order...arancini, croquettes, bruschetta, a bit of cheese or meat. Or they may offer some nuts or crackers.

I find there is no such thing as a free meal, so if a place offers more than crackers and nuts, the cost is usually in the drink. Short answer, any bar that looks like it has a decent crowd, and has some tasty light bites on the menu is a great candidate.