Where to Eat Near the Colosseum: Streets, Traps and Good Addresses

Around the Colosseum, many tables live off passing groups: menus in six languages, waiters calling out to you, photos of dishes at the door. You can sometimes eat very well, but you need to know which streets to step away from. This article does not rank restaurants, whose prices and quality change from season to season: it explains how to choose, which streets to favour and which traps to avoid. For dishes to try, see what to eat in Rome and Roman cuisine trattorias.

The principle: walk 5 to 10 minutes away

The Colosseum at night

The closer a table is to piazza del Colosseo and the metro exit, the more it aims at passing trade rather than loyal customers. Simply moving a few hundred metres away from the monument changes the atmosphere: menus get shorter, customers speak Italian and prices are easier to read. Two directions give good results: the Monti district to the north and the Celio to the south-east.

Streets to look at closely

Piazza del Colosseo and via Nicola Salvi: terraces facing the monument. You pay for the view; read the prices before sitting down.
Via dei Fori Imperiali: a through avenue with few interesting tables.
Streets around Colosseo station (via Labicana, via di San Giovanni in Laterano): a mix of good tables and traps. Look at who is eating: if the room is full of locals at lunchtime, that is a good sign.
Monti (via del Boschetto, via Urbana, via Panisperna): about ten minutes' walk along via Cavour, with streets full of restaurants, wine bars and shops.
The Celio (via di San Giovanni in Laterano, towards the Basilica of San Clemente): quieter and more residential, with tables used by the neighbourhood.

Street names are given as orientation, not as recommendations of specific addresses: on the spot, the menu and the clientele decide.

Traps to spot

The Colosseum and the Roman Forum

The tourist menu: a fixed-price menu displayed in several languages, with photos of dishes, is a warning sign.
The coperto: the cover charge is a per-person supplement, legal and common in Rome; it must appear on the menu. A "service" charge may or may not be added depending on the house: ask before ordering.
Drinks and fish by weight: bottled water, wine by the glass or a fish sold "by weight" can inflate the bill. Ask the price before ordering; free tap water from fountains is explained in drinking water and nasoni.
Touts: someone calling out at the door to bring you in is rarely the best table.
The bill: check it line by line; our article scams to avoid in Rome gives other cases.

For a quick meal before or after the visit

Pizza al taglio, sold by the slice by weight, and panini are the quickest and cheapest meals; you eat them standing or on a bench in the Colle Oppio gardens, right next door, where picnics are possible. For more ideas: street food in Rome and the best pizza in Rome. For an ice cream after the visit, see the best gelaterias in Rome.

Meal times in Rome

Lunch is most often between 12:30 and 14:30 and dinner starts from 19:30, more often around 20:30. The kitchens of many restaurants close between the two services; places that serve all day are often the ones aimed at tourists. Book for dinner, especially at weekends.

Depending on your visit

Colosseum at 8:30: have a coffee and a brioche at a bar in the morning, then lunch in Monti on the way out.
Colosseum late in the day: dine late, in Monti or the Celio.
Children: pizza is the simplest choice, as are the gelaterias.

Find the rest of the area in around the Colosseum: what to see within 10 minutes on foot, and the Colosseum itself on its page. For tickets, read Colosseum tickets compared.