23 Best Restaurants in The Vatican, Rome

This tiny storefront by famed pizzaiolo Gabriele Bonci is the city's most famous place for pizza al taglio (by the slice). It serves more than a dozen versions, from the standard margherita to slices piled high with prosciutto and other tasty ingredients. There's no seating, but you can stand at one of the tables outside. Avoid peak hours or be prepared to wait up to an hour.

Tucked away above the Auditorium della Conciliazione, this glamorous restaurant/lounge with sky-high ceilings, marble walls, and plush seating feels like something out of Paolo Sorrentino's award-winning film La Grande Bellezza. Renowned bartender Massimo d'Addezio shakes up creative cocktails, like a twist on a French 75 made with yuzu, while the kitchen whips up delicious modern Italian cuisine.

In the Villa Laetitia, a boutique hotel owned by Anna Fendi, this gorgeous restaurant has soaring ceilings, a crystal chandelier, and Art Nouveau motifs. The elegant setting provides the perfect backdrop for creative, flavorful dishes by Domenico Stile, one of Rome's youngest two-Michelin-starred chefs, and surprising wine pairings by Rudy Travagli, sommelier and restaurant manager. Choose two courses and dessert à la carte, or select a six- or eight-course tasting menu curated by the chef.

Roman Chef Davide Pulejo cut his teeth at Noma in Copenhagen as well as Michelin-starred restaurants in the Eternal City and Milan before opening his namesake restaurant, which quickly earned accolades and a Michelin star of its own. The five- and seven-course tasting menus are flavorful, sensory journeys perfectly paired with wines from small producers. His greatest hits include roasted red peppers in the guise of beef tartare, Milanese-style saffron risotto with Roman-style oxtail, and celeriac tarte tatin.

The unusual flavors of gelato scooped up here include cinnamon and ginger and fig with cardamom and walnut, but the classics also get rave reviews. Ask for a taste of the passito flavor, if it's available; it's inspired by the popular sweet Italian dessert wine. The homemade panna or whipped cream is a great addition to any flavor. If you can't decide on one, mix and match.

Chef Ciro Alberto Cucciniello studied economics, pivoted to cooking, and then cut his teeth at renowned restaurants in Italy and abroad before opening this intimate eatery with a Nordic-inspired design. He plays with smoke and fire to elevate humble ingredients like carrots to avant-garde dishes (look for "Carote, Carote, Carote" on the menu, which translates to "Carrots, Carrots, Carrots"). You can order à la carte, but the prix fixe options with five or seven courses are among the most affordable tasting menus in the city.

This impressive wine bar pairs modern decor with creative cuisine and three dozen wines available by the glass. There are some fantastic seasonal specialties, but you can also get cheeses, smoked meats, and composed salads. Try a risotto or spaghetti with kale, red shrimp, and burnt lemon for a primo and the duck breast with foie gras and red berries for a secondo. 

Set in a historical, ivy-covered building in the Piazza del Catalone, with its famous fountain for pilgrims, this charming gelato shop makes its products according to tradition, with just the essentials: milk, cream, sugar, and eggs—usually all from organic farms. Its sorbetti are also classic, consisting of just water, sugar, and 51% minimum of fruit. Cannoli and other desserts are also made in the shop.

With wood-paneled walls, white tablecloths, and formally attired waiters, the vibe is old school at this Prati standby, so it's no surprise that the menu emphasizes culinary tradition. Homemade pasta with meat sauce is the primo to order; marinated anchovies and sardines or raw oysters quell seafood cravings, and thick Florentine steaks satisfy meat lovers.

At the most upscale wine bar in town, you come for the vino but return for the food. Everything here is appropriately raffinato (refined): raw and marinated fish; spaghetti with garlic and minced raw shrimp; and saffron risotto with red prawn carpaccio. Main courses might be seafood or meat—all of which complement the vast offerings of top-notch wines.

Right near the Vatican Metro stop, the "Island of Pizza" is also known for its copious antipasti. Ask for the house appetizers, and a waiter will swoop down numerous plates of salad, seafood, bruschetta, prosciutto, and crispy pizza bianca to choose from. Though it's easy to fill up on starters—you can order just one, or a selection for a fixed price—the pizza is dependably good, and meat lovers appreciate the steak.

Run by the third generation of a family of restaurateurs, this casual restaurant near the Vatican serves reliably tasty Roman classics, plus a rotating list of specials. As a member of the Associazione Italiana Celiachia (Italian Celiacs Association), they take gluten intolerance seriously and can prepare gluten-free versions of their pizzas and pastas upon request.

This bright, white-subway-tiled bistro functions as a bar, café, and restaurant all in one, with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Salads, pastas, steaks, and seafood run the international gamut, but the beef burger is a standout. Although the restaurant buzzes from morning till night, things are especially busy in the late afternoon and early evening, when the waitstaff serves cocktails and light bites.

This friendly spot, a stone's throw from the Musei Vaticani, serves super-fresh, organic, made-to-order sandwiches, poke bowls, and salads. Seating is limited.

This tiny family-run restaurant has changed a lot since it first opened in 1959 as a simple trattoria. Today you'll still find classic Roman dishes on the menu, but it's worth trying original creations like salmon marinated in Aperol with avocado and savory panna cotta or the homemade ravioli stuffed with ricotta and topped with octopus confit. There is just a handful of tables inside, but in the warmer seasons you can sit outside on the cobblestone street.

Named in homage to the Italian-American crooner, this intimate restaurant has a refined yet casual atmosphere, with wine bottles lining the walls, black-and-white photographs of jazz musicians, and vintage touches like rotary telephones. The menu emphasizes Italian classics, with options like raw meat and fish, fried artichokes, carbonara, meatballs, and steaks. On Friday and Saturday nights, you can dine while listening to live jazz.

Impresario chef Stefano Callegari's casual restaurant excels at reimagining nostalgic dishes, as evidenced by the fettuccine al tortellino, which transforms the classic tortellini in brodo into a rich primo of homemade fettuccine cooked in broth and topped with mortadella, prosciutto, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and nutmeg. Order à la carte, or opt for one of the affordable tasting menus, which include an appetizer, primo, secondo, side dish, and dessert.

More upscale than a typical pizzeria but casual enough for a weeknight, this establishment pairs its pies with sparkling wines instead of beer. Opt for a classic pizza, or go with an innovative option, like one topped with squash, speck, pomegranate, and mint.

A Prati institution for more than a century, this family-run café has been in its current location since 1937, and it looks like little has changed since then. Grab a table or stand at the counter and order the signature caffè con cioccolato fondente (espresso with melted chocolate). Pastries, sandwiches, and cocktails are also available.

If you fancy a cocktail with your pizza, head to this hip pizzeria created by the team behind the award-winning bar, Freni & Frizioni, in Trastevere. Six of the eatery's 18 taps are used for beer; the rest dispense cocktails that have been pre-batched and carbonated, resulting in perfectly blended, easy-to-serve drinks. Choose one of the classics, like a Spritz or G&T, or an original creation like the Saint-Tony, a sparkling riff on a Garibaldi. The thin, Roman-style pizzas are made with four kinds of flour and topped with premium ingredients. Fritti, like supplì and mac and cheese, are top-notch too.

The focus at this happening spot is on using excellently sourced products to make simple but wonderful food. In the morning and afternoon, stop in for freshly baked sweet treats; in the evening, when people spill out into the street with cocktails in hand, come for an aperitivo or a hearty meal. Prices are great for the neighborhood and the quality of dishes.

The Borgo area near St. Peter's Basilica hasn't been known for culinary excellence, but Taverna Angelica was one of the first refined restaurants in this part of town. The dining room is small, which allows the chef to create a menu that's inventive without being pretentious.

Exposed brick walls and tables made from upcycled parquet flooring or white marble are among the design elements at this welcoming bistro founded by two surfer brothers. With the exception of primi (pastas) and burgers, all of the dishes can be ordered as full-size options or small portions that let you taste your way through the menu.