Looking for the best places to eat near the Vatican? We’re here to help.
While Vatican City isn’t that large — it easily fits in a two-mile border — there’s a lot to see here. It houses some of the world’s most important religious and artistic treasures, and there’s a lot of ground to cover. You’ve got St. Peter’s Basilica as well as the art-filled palaces and hallways and chapels of the Vatican Museums, looping and winding for over four miles. Trust me: you’re going to get hungry.
Fortunately, this guide will help you find everything from a quick breakfast before your museum visit to a lazy lunch or dinner after a few hours of sightseeing. I’ve also got recommendations for where to break for a snack in between.
Here are the best places to eat and drink near the Vatican.
This Italian-American bistro is near the entrance to the Vatican Museums. You can get a fresh-pressed juice with eggs or a cappuccino and cornetto (a sweet croissant) for breakfast. In the afternoon, they have salads and sandwiches plus a small wine selection.
For their open hours and some delicious food photos, visit their website, but I recommend checking their Facebook page for the most up-to-date info.
A few steps from the entrance to the Vatican Museums, Forno Feliziani is the perfect place to refuel. This cafe is open all day and serves a cooked bacon and egg breakfast in the morning.
From early afternoon on, there are things like baked pastas and an assortment of vegetables. Look for Roman cicoria (chicory), cooked bitter greens, and rice-stuffed tomatoes. They also have pizza by the slice.
If you want something sweet, there is a large selection of fresh pastries and cakes, all baked on-site. The casual cafeteria style makes this a great place to come when you have a group with varying appetites.
Insider tip: There are also a few cafes inside the Vatican Museums. It can be fun to have a cappuccino with milk that comes from the Papal dairy herd in Castel Gandolfo.
It’s not a bar at all, but Il Bar Sotto del Mare is one of Rome’s best fish restaurants. The atmosphere is simple and unassuming but the seafood is fresh and well priced.
Start with a plate of crudo, the Italian version of sashimi, and try a seafood pasta dish like spaghetti alle vongole or a grilled local fish. Don’t know what to order? Ask your server what is fresh. Spigola (seabass) and orata (bream) are two kinds of white flaky fish to look for. There is also a small wine selection.
Take a break from pasta and pizza at Maybu Margaritas Y Burritos. At this cheery Mexican cafe, you can build your own burrito, taco, or salad bowl from a large selection that includes beef, pork, chicken, and vegetarian options. They have all the traditional toppings too, like guacamole and sour cream and three different salsas.
And don’t forget to add a strawberry or mango or lime margarita!
La Fiorentina 1942 is a historic bar open all day. It has lots of seating and something for every appetite, so it’s a great place to eat before or after your Vatican City tour.
You can stand at the bar and have a quick coffee or a tramezzino (a small sandwich.) There is also the option to sit down for a leisurely pizza or gelato or glass of wine.
Do you need to avoid gluten? It can sometimes be hard to find celiac-friendly restaurants in this dough-loving city, but there’s an increasing number of places that sell gluten-free dishes or products. When you’re near the Vatican, head to Celiachiamo.
This shop has everything a gluten-free foodie needs. You can grab a slice of pizza, lasagna, a selection of fried goodies, or even a breakfast pastry. It’s all made safely on-site, so you know it’s safe from potential allergens. It’s also a supermarket selling more than 4,000 gluten-free products, which means you can pick up something for dinner, too, while you’re here.
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Got picky eaters? Add this restaurant near the Vatican to your list.
A short walk from St. Peter’s Basilica, Homebaked is a friendly cafe that styles itself as “grandma’s kitchen” and serves up American fare like pancakes, breakfast wraps, and tuna melts. The beverage menu includes items hard to find in Rome, like bloody Mary’s and filter coffee. Important tip: Don’t head to the Homebaked in Monteverde. It’s over a mile and a half away. You’re looking for Homebaked Porta Cavalleggeri, located at Via di Porta Cavalleggeri, 25, Roma. It’s about 10 minutes from the basilica.
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Located in Prati, the neighborhood next to Vatican City, Sciascia Caffè is one of the very few cafes in Rome that roasts some of its own beans on site. This elegant wood paneled bar serves up coffee in pretty cups, and if you ask they’ll even add a dash of melted chocolate.
The excellent selection of Italian chocolate and candy in the front is good for some souvenir shopping — or eating right away. You decide.
Did you know? A few different residential Roman neighborhoods completely surround Vatican City. There is modern Prati and Trionfale with their wide boulevards and grand palazzi that were built at the beginning of the 20th century.
On the other side of the Piazza San Pietro is the medieval Borgo, connected to the Vatican by a secret passageway called the Passetto di Borgo that once provided a safe escape route for besieged popes.
La Zanzara is all-day bistro that serves a range of fare from traditional Italian — like a comforting bowl of fresh fettuccini with butter and anchovies — to charcuterie boards that include Spanish Jamón ibérico, pickled vegetables, and a variety of cheeses.
There is also a selection of big salads and an extensive cocktail menu. This is a great place you could take a date, cozy and chic but not over-the-top fancy.
Just across the river Tiber from the Vatican, you will find Trattoria Polese. This classic Rome restaurant has a charming garden outside and a menu that includes plenty of variety for those hard-to-please diners.
The trattoria has been serving pizza, pasta, fresh fish, and grilled meat to Romans and visitors since 1960. You’ll see dishes that have all but disappeared from most menus, such as minestra di broccoli e arzilla, a fish and vegetable soup with Roman broccoli and skate, and rigatoni con la pajata, a rich pasta dish made with milk-fed lamb intestines. Big salads and a solid wine list round out your options.
Look for the line at Old Bridge Gelateria, an unassuming gelato shop that is equidistant from the basilica and the entrance to the Vatican Museums. You won’t have to wait long though because the staff that scoops your cup or cone is fast. Remember to choose more than one flavor. Pistachio and chocolate is a classic combination, and always say yes to a dollop of whipped cream.
Make sure you have bookmarked this guide to where to eat and drink near the Vatican so that you’re prepared before or after your Vatican guided tour.
