Aperitivo at Home: Reclaiming the In-Between

Let’s talk about aperitivo.

If you’ve ever found yourself in an Italian piazza between 6 and 8 p.m., you already know. The city slows. The tables fill. The light gets golden. People linger, not over meals, but over moments.

Aperitivo is Italy’s answer to happy hour, but let’s be honest, it’s far chicer. It’s not about clocking out and slamming drinks. It’s about easing in. It’s about intention.

A spritz. A little cheese. Some olives. Maybe a few slices of prosciutto or warm focaccia. Small things. Light things. Just enough to hold you over until dinner. Just enough to gather with friends and soak in the atmosphere.

And here’s the magic: you don’t have to be in Rome to do it.

I started recreating aperitivo at home during the pandemic, and I haven’t stopped. I put on some soft jazz or Italian radio, pour something bubbly, and pull together a plate of salty little bites. Sometimes I light a candle. Sometimes I sit on the porch and watch the light change.

Because in a world that worships hustle, aperitivo invites you to pause.

It says: this moment matters, too. The one before dinner. The one after the chaos. The one where you let yourself be.

Try it sometime. Not because it’s fancy, but because it’s freeing.