Review: Open Baladin

First impression?
Beer, beer, and more beer; purists will be thrilled—more brews than you can count, all lined up on the well-lit bar so you know exactly what you're ordering. The interior feels young, bright, and angular, with ochre walls covered in big, brightly colored drawings. Grab one of the canary-yellow stools that line the marble bar and grok the rambunctious chalkboard to get caught up on the day's best beers.

Cool. So who’s there?
An eclectic mix of the beer-curious, plus a contingent drawn in by the hefty menu of burgers and fried stuff.

How are the drinks?
This is Rome’s craft beer headquarters. The selection's eye-poppingly large and exceedingly good, with more than 40 Italian breweries represented, plenty from Rome itself. The folks running it see themselves as vanguarding a movement, and movement-grade passion shows in their approach.

Worth ordering something to eat, too?
For the Open folks, beer culture is pub culture. That applies to the food menu too, masterminded by Gabriele Bonci of Bonci pizza fame. It’s impressive and varied; the burgers are classic Bonci, with wacky-sounding flavor pairings but utterly delicious.

Did the staff do you right?
Staff are grungy, tattooed coolsters of the gruff-but-helpful variety. They know their way around that long list of beers.