We have a Scavi tour at 9:30 am (which I understand is about 1.5 hours), and then a 1 pm Vatican museum tour with Scala Reale. Can anyone recommend a place we can get lunch between the 2 tours?
Thanks.

Hi
I haven't tried all of these, but I have this list

The first warning is to avoid the "Snack Bar", a private enterprise, that is located across the street from the entrance/ exit of the Vatican museum. I have read several postings here and elsewhere that the menu prices are NOT what you will be charged, and that the owners inflate the final prices and add "extra charges" for an exorbitant rip-off.

?Arlu, steps away from St. Peter?s Square, down the Borgo Pio, this family-run restaurant with only 12 tables is perfect for a plate of pasta at lunchtime?Borgo Pio 135"

One Rick Steves recommended place is halfway between the Vat. Museums and St Peters,at 29 Via Leone IV.
Open for lunch and dinner.

Dolcebergo, pastry shop, Borgo Pio 162.


"Franchi
Via Cola di Rienzo 200 tel 06.686.4576. Metro A Lepanto or
Ottaviano. Mon?Sat 8am?9pm. One of the best delis in Rome ? a
triumph of cheeses, sausages and an ample choice of cold or hot food to go, including
roast chicken. They?ll make up customized lunches for you, and they also have the wines to go with it."

Latteria Giuliani,Borgo Pio 48. Recommended for ?the best cappuccino in the neighborhood.?

Non Solo Pizza
Via degli Scipioni 95?97 tel 06.372.5820. Metro A Ottaviano. Tues?Sun 8.30am?10pm.
Try a slice of pizza with sausage and broccoli or with
courgette flowers. "There?s also the whole range of
Roman fritters ? supplì,olive ascolane,fiori di zucca,crocchette, etc. ? and also a complete selection of hot dishes tavola calda style. Starting at 7pm, they offer made-to-order round pizzas, too. No extra charge to sit, inside or out."

Old Bridge, Via Bastioni di Michelangelo. ?If you follow the Viale Vaticano from the exit, down the curve, you?ll come to this?storefront..the people outside are waiting for homemade ice cream, which they eat inside or take to a bench in the nearby Piazza del Risorgimento.?

Il Papalino. "For good cappuccino, delicious pastries, and first-rate people watching?At lunchtime there is light fare, with some hot dishes?Borgo Pio 170, tel 06 686 5539.?

Pizza Rustica Al Gracchi, via dei Gracchi 7
Closed Sun. Continuous service 10am t 8pm. "Lip-smacking pizza?convenient" Recommended in Gustafson's "Cheap Eats in Italy." When you order, choose the type of pizza and the size of your slice, sold by weight. There are only a couple of chairs, so plan to eat it somewhere else.

Dal Toscano, Via Germanico 58-60. ?Turn right after leaving the museums and cut down to the Via Germanico which will lead you to this stalwart trattoria, for wonderful pappardelle, great steaks, and ribollita (a simmering soup/stew.)?The waiters know how to pamper clients.?

?La Veranda, in the Hotel Columbus, about 600 feet from St. Peter?s Square?elegant restaurant?great for lunch, tea, or drinks?in good weather tables spill out in to the courtyard?? Via della Conciliazione 33, enter through garden of Borgo Santo Spirito 73.

Thanks Elaine, you're always full of great information.

I think I remember reading on Fodors that there's a cafeteria that's open to the public right in the Vatican somewhere. Can anyone who may be familiar with this add more specific information?

I was going to say that I know that during most of the time I spent in England I came to prefer lunches at museum and castle cafes.

Do most of Italies museums (and the vatican specifically) have these?

Castel Sant'Angelo is a short walk from the St. Pietro area (it's a museum inside, you pay admission--it's worth seeing and it doesn't take long to see). Up at the top is an outdoor rooftop restaurant with a gorgeous view of the city. They serve simple paninis, salads, etc. We really enjoyed our time here and felt refreshed for lots more sightseeing afterwards.

The Vatican Museum has a cafeteria. Also, the Borghese Gallery has a cafe and the Capitoline Museums has a small snack bar area.

Castel Sant'Angelo's snack bar, as mentioned above, is decent and has a great view. The only downside is that you may be rushed with that time frame to be able to see the site along with eating. It might be enough though; an hour at the site and a half hour for lunch might do. That would give you 30 minutes for walking to and from. There are a few little snack bars directly between the Castel and St. Peters too; we ate at one - can't remember names.

Here's a message copied from a post in 2003:

For a very local place in Rome that you won't find in the guidebooks or any magazines, try Dino & Toni's Hosteria. This place was recommended by one of the priests at the Vatican and we had a great meal here. Lots of food and inexpensive. And Dino and Toni are great. It's not far from the Vatican. I would suggest reservations as the place is small.

Here's the contact information from the Pagine gialle:

Ristorante Dino E Toni
00192 Roma (RM) - 60, v. Leone IV
tel: 06 39733284

Thanks all for your replies. We certainly have plenty to choose from now.

Yes, thanks to the poster above, I'm reminded of the cafeteria right inside the museum complex. In fact, I did my tour of the museums, ending in the Sistine Chapel, didn't go outside, went to the cafeteria and rest rooms, then went back to the Sistine Chapel and found it slightly less crowded. Then I left the Chapel via the 'group exit' (no one stopped me) and found myself outside of St Peter's, which saved a 20 minute walk from the museum exit.

The cafeteria is pretty nice as these things go, if crowded. Plenty of choices, everything from salads and desserts to hot meats carved to your order.