Looking for a great place to eat after exploring the Colosseum in Rome? There are many to choose from—just watch out for the tourist traps. To help you enjoy authentic Roman cuisine in this historic area, our local guides and foodies have curated this list of the best restaurants near the Colosseum. Buon appetito!
Pro Tip: It’s easier to organize your trip when you have all your resources in one place. Bookmark this post so you can easily find it when you’re in the city. See our guide to Rome for more planning resources, our top Rome tours for a memorable trip, and the top foods to try in Rome.
Top Places To Eat Near the Colosseum
The Colosseum is a must-see monument for anyone traveling to Rome. It’s a huge site that includes the Palatine Hill and Roman Forum, which takes roughly 3 to 4 hours to fully explore in a Colosseum tour or a self-guided visit. There are also a lot of very cool things to see close to the Colosseum.
By the time you’re done exploring in and around the Colosseum, you’ll be famished. In this list, we’ve curated the best restaurants near the Colosseum to help you avoid the tourist traps without having to go too far.
We’ve marked the restaurants that are steps from the Colosseum or Roman Forum, so you’ll be able to get there quickly. If you’re looking for restaurant recommendations in other areas of Rome, use the toggle menu below.
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Ai Tre Scalini
€€ | Casual | Kid Friendly | Great Wine
I was introduced to Ai Tre Scalini on the first night that I moved to Rome full-time. If I was that lucky, you can be too! This is an awesome little enoteca that serves great wine by the glass as well as a rotating menu of seasonal dishes.
If it’s lunchtime and I’m in Monti (the neighborhood near the Colosseum), this is where I’m going to eat. It is the perfect lunch spot for anyone who doesn’t have plans for the rest of the day. Eat lunch, drink your way to dinner, and enjoy Rome!
Address: Via Panisperna, 251
Trattoria Luzzi
€€ | Casual | Outdoor Seating | Great Atmosphere | Steps From Colosseum
Luzzi is another place I‘ve been going to for years. It’s my absolute favorite lunch spot near the Colosseum. I doubt she is still alive, but the owner’s mother used to sit in the restaurant and yell at him all day, which can make the experience pretty funny. He’s a big tough guy but he’d just take it and laugh—a great son.
There are local rumors that the restaurant is going south because all the guidebooks have picked it up. However, I go there every time I’m in Rome and the food tastes as good as it did 15 years ago. It gets a little crowded with visitors but I don’t think it is a bad thing. The food is good and so are the prices—4500 reviews don’t lie.
They serve fresh pasta and good meat sauces. In the summer, you can get the Tonnarelli allo scoglio, which is pretty amazing. It’s also one of the only continuous service restaurants in Rome. You can try to make a reservation, but they’ll probably just seat people in the order they arrive. Your best bet is to show up 30 minutes before you want to sit down and drink some wine.
Address: Via Celimontana, 1
Top Colosseum Tours
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Colosseum Underground Tour with Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
This is our most popular Colosseum tour due to the incredible access to non-public areas like the underground chambers. All admissions are included and it is lead by an English speaking licensed guided and Colosseum expert.
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Special Access Colosseum Arena Floor Tour Through the Gladiator’s Gate
You’ll enter the Colosseum through the back door entrance avoiding lines and crowds, which is ideal! You’ll step through the gladiator’s gate and your English-speaking Colosseum guide will bring the stories to life. Next, on to the Roman Forum. All admissions are included.
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Pasta Chef Monti
€ | Casual and Quick | Kid Friendly | Steps From Roman Forum
Looking for somewhere to get something quick and cheap to eat after or before your Colosseum tour? This is it. Small, tasty, and inexpensive, you can get fresh pasta, salads, and even really good seafood. It’s the perfect spot for a quick tasty bite on a busy day of sightseeing.
Address: Via Baccina, 42
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La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali
€€ | Casual | Outdoor Seating | Kid Friendly | Steps From Roman Forum
Just a short walk from the Colosseum is the charming Monti neighborhood, where you’ll find La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali. Celebrities like Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman, and Bruce Springsteen have all dined here, so we can agree this is one of the best restaurants near the Colosseum.
There’s a wide choice of pasta dishes here, including fettucine alla carbonara, bucatini alla amatriciana, fettuccine al ragù, and cacio e pepe made with black truffle. Carnivores will be pleased with the range of secondi, which includes beef filet stuffed with prosciutto and topped with Parmigiano cheese, chicken breast with almonds in a lemon sauce, and veal with gorgonzola, Marsala wine, and hazelnuts.
Need we say more? The food here is both classic and creative Italian home-cooked pasta, sure to be a fantastic dining experience. Be sure to book ahead. It isn’t just one of the best restaurants near the Colosseum it’s one of the best restaurants in Rome.
Address: Via della Madonna dei Monti, 9
Cuoco & Camicia
€€ | Casual Italian | Outdoor Seating | Tasting Menus and Wine Pairings
This is a great little back-alley place to try if you have some time to sit down and savor a glass of wine with your meal. They have outdoor seating and a great menu full of really creative Italian dishes from all over the peninsula. It’s a great way to feel like you’re getting a Michelin star meal without the price tag.
Cuoco & Camicia is a great place to take someone special and still have enough money to fly home. It’s tucked far enough away from busy Via Cavour that you won’t be trampled by street traffic and close enough to Cavour metro station that you could easily get to your next destination.
Address: Via di Monte Polacco, 2/4
Aroma
€€€€ | Fine Dining | 1-Michelin Star | Fantastic View | Steps From Colosseum
For a truly luxurious experience, head to Aroma Restaurant. It’s on the rooftop of the five-star Palazzo Manfredi Hotel with a spectacular view of the Colosseum, which is just meters away. The menu here focuses on traditional Italian cooking. Guests can enjoy fine dining courtesy of chef Giuseppe di Iorio in what is one of the best Michelin-star restaurants in Rome.
It is without a doubt the fanciest of restaurants near the Colosseum, which makes it perfect for super special occasions. With a Michelin star to its name, Aroma isn’t cheap. A seafood tagliolini pasta on an eggplant and fennel puree costs €42 and the seven-course tasting menu will set you back €150 per person. If you want to splurge on a fine-dining experience with an unbeatable view, this is the place.
Address: Via Labicana, 125
Li Rioni a Santiquattro
€ – €€ | Casual | Pizza | Kid Friendly | Steps From Colosseum
If you’re looking for pizza restaurants near the Colosseum, Li Rioni is the place to go. Start your meal with fritti, deep-fried goodies like salted cod filets, battered mozzarella, stuffed zucchini flowers, and crispy rice balls known as supplì.
The pizza dough is left to rise for over 18 hours, which many Italians believe makes it more digestible. Then, it is shaped into the typical thin Roman-style base. Top your base with prosciutto, mushroom, artichokes, and a hard-boiled egg, otherwise known as a capricciosa. Or, keep it simple with a margherita pizza.
Although tradition dictates beer as the drink of choice, Li Rioni serves a selection of wines from the Lazio region. Li Rioni is right across the street from the Basilica of S. Clemente—if you have time, pop in and head down into the crypts.
Address: Via dei Santi Quattro 24
La Taverna dei Quaranta
€€ | Casual | Outdoor Seating | Traditional Roman Food | Steps From Colosseum
The usual advice for tourists is to stay away from the main sights if you want to avoid tourist traps and eat well. However, it is possible to find decent quality food at reasonable prices close to Rome’s monuments.
La Taverna dei Quaranta has been serving up traditional Roman food since 1982. It’s also less than a five-minute walk from the Colosseum. Order seafood on Tuesdays and Fridays when the catch comes in. Order gnocchi on Thursdays, as it is the tradition in Rome. Finish your meal with one of the homemade desserts like the ricotta and pear tart.
Address: Via Claudia, 24
Popular Tours from Rome
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Unforgettable Rome Day Trip to Pompeii and Sorrento
This is the best way to see Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast from Rome. You’ll take private transportation with our guide down to Pompeii where an archeologist will tour our small group through the ruins. Then we’ll head over to Sorrento which is the tip of the Amalfi Coast before returning to Rome. Tickets, transportation, and guides are included in the price.
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Rome in a Day Tour with Vatican, Sistine Chapel, Colosseum, and More!
Looking to get much of your sightseeing done in one day? This tour enters the Vatican an hour before opening and visits the Colosseum along with other sites like the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, and Trevi Fountain. All admissions and transportation are included as well as a licensed English-speaking guide!
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Urbana 47
€€ | Locally Sourced Ingredients | Outdoor Seating | Kid Friendly
Ask any Italian chef, and they’ll tell you that high-quality ingredients produce high-quality food. That’s why Urbana 47 sources its produce from small farmers across the Lazio region. Fresh pasta is made onsite using organic flour and eggs.
Then, it’s turned into dishes, including roast pork ravioli or tortelloni stuffed with ricotta and prosciutto. Always elegantly presented, options like swordfish ceviche and mixed vegetable millefeuille are served in this equally stylish restaurant.
Address: Via Urbana, 47
Naumachia
€€ | Locally Sourced Ingredients | Outdoor Seating | Kid Friendly
When I used to do daily tours of the Colosseum, I would never have added Naumachia to this list. Not because I didn’t like it but because I didn’t want to have to share it. Naumachia prepares both Roman and Tuscan dishes and prepares a decent pizza as well (but really, it isn’t a pizzeria, so don’t expect the world). The spaghetti alle vongole and the pasta alla gricia remain two of my own favorites.
Located a stone’s throw away from the Colosseum and just around the corner from the incredible archaeological complex of San Clemente, it’s one of the best restaurants near the Colosseum.
Address: Via Celimontana, 7
Café Café
€ | Casual | Kid Friendly | Holistic Food | Steps From Colosseum
This is a cute little place to have a sit-down coffee and a bite to eat. They serve hummus and all types of great dishes. You can grab a cafe e cornetto here in the morning or have any of the global breakfasts they serve. Come for the cozy atmosphere and the simple yet delicious food.
Address: Via dei SS. Quattro, 44
Go on a Local Food Tour in Rome
Love food and travel? Then a food tour is for you! It’s a fantastic way to spend an evening exploring the city and its local cuisine in authentic restaurants. Who doesn’t dream of eating Italian food in Italy, right?
You’ll be joined by a passionate local guide who not only knows what to eat and where to get it but also speaks the lingo. An absolute must for foodies, a local food tour is the best way to the heart (and stomach) of local food culture.
Tour the local food scene of Rome’s trendy Trastevere or go on an evening cocktail tour passing by the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and more!
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Great content for anyone visiting Rome for the first time, the food there is surely delicious and rich in taste. For someone who is always eager to see the Colosseum and wants to get a quick bite nearby, this article really helps. 😀
Ciao! Thanks for taking the time to read our blog! Check out our restaurants near the Vatican article as well!