Bar Taruga

Situated in the heart of the Jewish Ghetto this interesting bar faces one of Rome's more beautiful small piazzas, Piazza Mattei. The centerpiece of the piazza, the Fontana delle Tartarughe (Fountain of the Turtles) was originally designed by Giacomo della Porta in 1581 (without the turtles) and then either Bernini or Andrea Sacchi added the turtles as part of a commission by Pope Alexander VII. It is one of the lighter, more playful fountains in Rome and a favorite of many.

The bar is small and most people order a drink and sit on the few chairs and stools in front of the bar or on the railings surrounding the fountain itself. There are generally only one or two people manning the bar so service can be a bit slow, but it is never particularly crowded as drinks are a bit expensive (10 euros for cocktails) so most people only have a drink or two. It is a great spot for an ice cold mojito on a hot summer night.

The piazza featured in 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' and I have heard various rumors that it was also the bar that Matt Damon and co. frequented while they were filming in Rome. I saw the movie too long ago to remember the bar exactly but someone told me the only time it appears is when they are dragging a body through the piazza...



The interior decoration is interesting to say the least...



The name is a play on words in Italian, tartaruga is the word for turtle, so Bar Taruga is playing off that.

Piazza Mattei n. 9 tel. 06 6892299
About a ten minute walk from either Piazza Venezia or Campo de' Fiori