Where to Eat and Drink Near the Vatican in Rome
Let’s be honest: You’d be crazy to visit Rome and not eat spaghetti alla carbonara and bucatini all’amatriciana. But you shouldn’t just stick to the classics. In recent years, massive strides forward in ingenuity, ingredient sourcing, and technique have ushered in a restaurant renaissance. That’s where the Prati and Trionfale districts, a pair of off-the-beaten-path neighborhoods just north of that tourist epicenter known as the Vatican, come into play. Together, they offer an inspired balance of tradition and innovation. Along the broad, tree-lined avenues and elegant residential blocks, you can eat inventive pizza from the “Michelangelo of dough” or simply order a perfect plate of salumi. Of course, there are plenty of sweets options: tiramisu and gelato in every flavor imaginable—even oyster and mortadella. If all roads lead to Rome, we’ll take the one less traveled.
PIZZARIUM & PANIFICIO BONCI Gabriele Bonci earned a spot on Rome's culinary map with Pizzarium, his hole in the wall where he redefined pizza al taglio, the city's famous rectangular pizza. His long-leavened dough, made from stone-ground organic wheat, is the vehicle for high-quality toppings. Traditionalists choose the potato-mozzarella pie, while more adventurous diners opt for seasonal ingredients like pumpkin purée with cured pork jowl and grated Pecorino Romano. In late 2012, the famed pizzaiolo opened the nearby Panifico Bonci, which sells a huge range of baked goods. For its pizza con la porchetta, a flatbread sandwich filled with slices of expertly seasoned roast pork.
ROMEO
There's a lot going on inside this bright, modern space. At the front, a bakery offers bread, cookies, and pizza; a gourmet food counter sells cheeses and cured meats. There's a café area for pairing these items with a glass of wine, while in back you'll find a full-service restaurant. Don't miss fresh pastas such as ricotta, Parmesan, and lemon ravioli with bottarga and breadcrumbs. They should be preceded by one of the cheese plates, like buffalo mozzarella with a side of Cantabrian anchovies.
LA TRADIZIONE
Your one-stop snack shop, La Tradizione currently stocks more than 400 cheeses, many of which are aged in their vast cellars. The gooey and pungent fresh varieties from Piedmont and Lombardy are particularly noteworthy, best enjoyed with bread from nearby Panificio Bonci. In addition to their vast dairy offerings, which are unrivaled in Rome, they source and sell fresh pastas, cured meats, traditionally made wines, and a well-curated selection of craft beers.
SORPASSO
This wine bar and trattoria on a quiet residential street is exceedingly friendly and flexible by Roman standards, and makes an ideal pit stop after a trip to the Vatican museums. Refuel with house-cured prosciutto, classic and creative pasta dishes, and regional wines served in the sunny dining room. Start with an assortment of trapizzini, spongy flatbread corners filled with traditional Roman entrées such as stewed oxtail, tongue with garlic-parsley sauce, and tripe cooked with tomato and mint. Between meals, Sorpasso doubles as a casual wine and cocktail bar.
SCIASCIA CAFFE
Rome is not the coffee capital that many make it out to be. Sure, the average espresso here may beat its American counterpart, but there are few truly stellar cafés turning out properly made coffee brewed from house-roasted beans. One spot that actually gets it right is Sciascia. Opened in 1919, it’s got an old-school vibe without looking too frayed around the edges. Ask for a caffè ristretto for added espresso intensity, or try the house specialty, caffè con cioccolata, a coffee with a spot of thick hot chocolate. And remember, this isn’t Starbucks: Order your drink at the bar, chat with the locals for a moment while standing, and move on.
L'ARCANGELO
Arcangelo Dandini’s potato gnocchi have, justifiably, achieved cult status. As prescribed by the local culinary canon, these pillowy dumplings were once served Thursdays only but now are on the menu daily to meet the demand. They arrive lightly sauced with tomato, Pecorino Romano, and a liberal amount of guanciale. Equally life-altering is the supplì starter, a crisp, fried rice ball studded with chunks of melted mozzarella and savory bits of meat and chicken gizzards. Round out the meal with braised oxtail, tripe stewed in tomatoes, or, when the season is right, roast spring lamb.
FORNO COLAPICCHIONI
For more than 70 years, this bakery has been delivering traditional breads, cookies, and pastries to Prati’s well-heeled locals. The Via Tacito location does double duty as a bakery and alimentari (grocery), while the smaller venue on Via Properzio offers sandwiches and pizza by the slice to take away. Both sell biscotti, ciamballine al vino (sugared cookies made with wine), and other simple Roman sweets, which are sold by weight.
THE SCOOP ON GELATO
Rome's iconic frozen treat is undergoing a modern makeover. It takes a savory turn at Il Gelato Bistrò, where Andrea Puddinu serves scoops of porcini, bell pepper, Gorgonzola, and habanero. At Fatamorgana, Maria Agnese Spagnuolo makes clean and natural flavors; may of them, like Estaso (chocolate with toasted hazelnut), are nondairy and substitute coffee or booze fro milk and cream. Newcomer Vice Café serves intensely creamy gelato; Bronte pistachio and zabaglione are standouts.
1/9Roman-style pizza al taglio gets a creative makeover at Pizzarium.
Kristina Gill2/9Gabriele Bonci of Pizzarium earned a spot on Rome's culinary map with his take on pizza el taglio, the city's famous rectangular pizza.
Kristina Gill3/9Church of St. Joachim in Prati, Rome
Kristina Gill4/9Ricotta, Parmesan, and lemon ravioli with bottarga and breadcrumbs at Romeo.
Kristina Gill5/9Sorpasso wine bar and trattoria, conveniently located close to the Vatican museums.
Kristina Gill6/9Trapizzini, spongy glatbread corners filled with traditional Roman entrées like stewed oxtail, tongue with garlic-parsley sauce, and tripe cooked with tomato and mint.
Kristina Gill7/9L'Arcangelo's gnocchi with tomato, Pecorino Romano, and guanciale.
Kristina Gill8/9Bell pepper gelato from Il Gelato Bistrò.
Kristina Gill9/9Milky mozzarella paired with sun-dried tomatoes from Romeo.
