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Passing through an arch in the old stone Roman wall near St. Peters Square, I found myself on a picturesque street whose nostalgic ambiance would follow me all the way to the wrought iron and glass facade of Bukowski’s Bar. The first thing I noticed upon entering the cafe was a large bookcase covering one wall. Lounging on couches nearby, two young British men talked and occasionally consulted their smart phones. As I moved deeper into the space I passed some Italians who appeared to be in their thirties discussing the new Michael Fassbener film over drinks.

Bukowski’s Bar is divided into two rooms. If the first room is considered the living room, the second and larger room is the dining room, occupied by small cafe tables surrounding one long communal table. At the time of my visit, some of the tables were set up for dinner, complete with wine glasses, silver, and candles in old Hendrick’s bottles. I had the comforting sense that I was a welcome visitor in someone’s home. I approached the bar in the back and was greeted by Mr. Alesandro, the owner, who was on his way to deliver wine to a table of French travelers. As I waited for the proprietor’s return, I took some time to look around a bit more.

At first glance, I would have said the style of this bar was straight-ahead European vintage leaning towards French influence. Placed throughout the space on rustic cabinetry and tables, I noticed interesting curiosities like a vintage espresso machine, old wine and liquor bottles, and a chessboard ready for play. Posters and photographs from old movies cover the white plaster walls. It was when I looked a little closer that I realized a few anachronistic oddities, like a photo of Darth Vader standing beneath the pink blossoms of a Japanese cherry tree, and a current copy of Vice magazine. Yet for me, these quirks did not detract from richness of the cafe’s vintage feel.

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Bukowski’s is an art gallery, as well as a bar and cafe with a full menu. Along side the interesting posters and curiosities, much of the wall space is dedicated to framed artwork. When I was there, the majority of the pieces for sale were beautiful, photographic nudes. Being something of a cafe junkie, I’ve experienced hundreds of cafes, and so often the art on the walls has a decidedly amateur feel, not strong enough to be shown in a gallery. In this case, I was not only impressed by the quality of the art, I was personally moved by a number of the pieces.

When Alesandro returned to the bar, I ordered an espresso and introduced myself. He was very friendly and casual in his manner. When I asked him if he had lived in Rome all his life, he told me that he’d spent some of his young years with his mother in South Africa, and one year studying in France, which had a strong influence on him. Originally interested in a law career, Alesandro received his degree from Rome’s Sapienza University and worked as a lawyer; until the day he decided it was time to manifest his longtime dream of owning a gallery / cafe.

o (1)I asked him how he’d found such a great location and he told me that he’d lived on the same street as the cafe when it was originally just an art gallery. Over time he established a relationship with the gallery owner and eventually bought the place in 2014. Since then he’s worked there every day without a vacation. “I do everything,” he told me, laughing. “I want to make my customers happy. I learn something new every day.” While he does have a few helpers, Alesandro’s creative touch is visible in all the elements of the bar, from the interior decor to the design and content of the menu. It’s not hard to see that Bukowski’s Bar is his true passion. When I asked him about plans and dreams for the future of the cafe he said he is happy with things as they are. “This is not a job for me. This is my life.” When I pressed him, he did admit that he does sometimes dream of owning a cafe in Paris or New York City.

When I inquired about his main demographic, Alesandro told me the bar’s visitors range in age from mid twenties to sixties, with an even mix of Romans and international travelers. He indicated the variety of patrons who had filled the space just since I’d arrived. “For me the perfect bar is where you can meet many different types of people. The character of this place attracts really cool customers.” I’ll take Alesandro’s final statement as a compliment. Bukowski’s Bar has definitely attracted me. There is no doubt I will be back.

 

bukowski-s-bar-logo-5948d
Via degli Ombrellari, 25, Roma, Italy
+39 338 224 9110

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Kasper Kavalaris

Kasper Kavalaris fell in love with Italian culture while studying art in Florence. When his schooling was complete he moved back to his hometown of Chicago but could never stop thinking about Italy. Years later the stars aligned and Kasper was able to make the move to Rome. For more than 10 years Kasper has worked as a painter of portraits and other commissioned works as well as a freelance illustrator, and comic artist. More recently he has worked as a comic writer, storyboarding artist and finally, a journalist. Working in the comics industry allowed Kasper to blend his writing and drawing abilities, leading to the realization that his true passion is visual storytelling. At this point, while Kasper enjoys the opportunities that journalism presents in terms of meeting people and continuing to hone his writing, he is also converting two of his original comic scripts into screenplays that he plans to turn into feature films. You can find more of Kasper’s work at KasperArtist.com or @kasperkavalaris on Twitter and Instagram.