In Ostiense, a lively Roman neighborhood popular with students and creatives, a new bar is about to open with the clear ambition of becoming a meeting point. Its name is Nucleo, and it already hints at its gravitational centre, with energy drawn to the counter – at once stage and catalyst for nights where people cross paths and culture is made.
Nucleo, an Idea Brought to Life
The project was born from the bond between Davide Diaferia and Livio Morena, ten years of shared work and an idea that, sooner or later, had to become real. “The opportunity came up to get back behind the same bar together, and we decided to challenge ourselves again with a project of our own,” says Davide. The encounter with Andrea Fofi, an entrepreneur in the bar industry, and with Daniele Gentili, a key figure in Rome’s cocktail scene, turned that intuition into a team. “I wanted them to finally have a bar of their own and become partners, instead of working for someone else,” Fofi explains. “My role is that of an investor, theirs is to be the ones out front.”
The Concept and its Connection with the Neighborhood
Nucleo will rise opposite Roma Tre University, and its format will mirror the neighbourhood’s young energy. “We want a friendly, youthful bar, a straightforward and fast format with no fuss and no over-complicated menu. Nucleo will be walk-in only: we don’t see ourselves in the bookings- at-all-costs system, we’re more rock’n’roll,” says Diaferia. Draught beer, classic cocktails and a small wine selection will sit alongside a compact food offer sourced from local bakeries and rosticcerie. “For me, working with other businesses in the area is essential, and we’ll share those stories with our guests,” he adds.
The architecture of the bar, with no low tables, will be its manifesto. Everything will revolve around a nine-metre counter, a high ledge to lean on and the rest of the space designed for standing. “It’s the kind of bar I’ve seen a lot in New York, a scene that inspires me enormously,” says Davide. The choice is a way of encouraging closeness, making sure no one feels cut off, turning the bar into a place of constant exchange. “We want to bring everyone there, to create an experience built around direct interaction,” he explains.
Music as a Defining Part of Nucleo’s Identity
That idea of proximity runs through the music as well, a core element of Nucleo and, for Livio Morena, almost a personal mantra. “I’ve played bass for as long as I can remember and I discovered the world of drinks through music. I see the bar as if it were a band: the ice, the voices, the steel are all part of one big score,” he says. There will be a fixed DJ booth built into the counter, even though Nucleo will not be a club or a listening bar. “Music will simply be part of the life of the place, setting the pace of the night: rock, metal, softer electronica, funk. An eclectic soundtrack shaped by the mood of the team and whoever walks in,” Morena says.
A place meant for returning
Nucleo will be easy to inhabit, so that guests can focus on enjoying the moment. “The first drink list will be almost entirely made up of classics, a solid starting point for anyone taking their first steps into cocktails,” Diaferia explains. “Then we’ll lead guests towards things they may never have tried before.” The same thinking applies to service. “We don’t want a bar without a soul. Nucleo will be solid and coherent,” adds Morena. For him, the cocktail is just one line in a broader equaliser. “Our identity has to feel credible and welcoming. I’d like people to think of us as a place where they can spend quality time. The ‘place to be’ pulls you in once, but it doesn’t mean you go back. I hope people will come back to us.”
Nucleo, the Synthesis of a Personal and Professional journey
The project also carries a personal weight. “After almost twenty years in bars, I finally have the chance to do something of my own,” Davide admits. “I’d like to find a bit of peace and to really get back behind the counter.” For Livio, Nucleo is a synthesis of his journey so far: “I hope it’s the sublimation of everything I’ve learned up to now, a faithful portrait of who I am and of the values the bar represents for me.” Fofi, more pragmatic, looks at the fundamentals: “I want the place to work and to give them both professional and personal satisfaction. I’m not thinking about rankings.”
The Balance Within the Group
The team will also include Nausica Vitali, a young talent on the Italian bar scene, who will complete a flat, non-hierarchical structure. “She was the missing piece in the trio,” says Fofi. “Nausica is a gem. I can’t wait for us all to work together,” adds Morena. “We found common ground on many things because, in the end, this job is a mission: you have to really love people. If they feel good, it means you’ve created an alchemy that runs from the architecture to the drinks, from the music to the lights, right through to the soul you put into it.” Opening is scheduled for early 2026. “I’m as excited as a fifteen-year-old,” Livio smiles. “I can’t wait to start.” Nucleo aims to be a bar to be lived in, a place people will want to come back to, with the counter as its true centre of gravity.
The article first appeared on Coqtail – for fine drinkers. Order your copy here
Images credits of Bruno D’Amata
