The 10 Best Restaurants Near the Vatican in 2024

Looking for a great place to eat after your Vatican tour? Our local team and life-long students of Roman cuisine have put together this list of the best restaurants near the Vatican, updated and refined annually.

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Pro Tip: Planning your visit to the Vatican? Bookmark this post in your browser so you can easily find it when you’re hungry near the Vatican. See our guide to the Vatican for more planning resources, our top Vatican tours for a memorable visit, and the top foods to try in Rome

Great Places To Eat Near the Vatican

The Vatican neighborhood is referred to as Prati. It’s a surprisingly local and residential neighborhood completely filled with Italians. It has a more modern feel than the rest of Rome because the area was almost completely demolished and rebuilt under Mussolini.

Today, it is a beautiful and posh place to live and it’s filled with great food, pizza, gelato, and more. In this guide, find the best places to eat in Prati near the Vatican.

For restaurant recommendations in other areas, explore the menu below. If you love food and travel (and we think you do!), check out our local food tours in Rome. They’re a great way to explore a new city and eat good authentic food.

Panificio Bonci

€  | Pizza Take Away | Kids 

This is considered one of the best pizza places, if not the best Pizza al Taglio in Rome. It is more of an institution than a pizza place. It is a bit of a hike from the Vatican Museums but worth it for a very creative post-Vatican tour quick meal.

It’s named Panificio Bonci after the owner, Gabriele Bonci. Panificio refers to it as a bread shop, which is literally the foundation of good pizza. This place is a must if you have the time to get over there during your sightseeing. It’s the best pizza restaurant near the Vatican and possibly all of Rome.

However, you may or may not find what you call “pizza” here. In Rome, pizza basically refers to the bread and not the tomato sauce and cheese melted on top. It takes time to understand it. Here you’ll find delicacies from out of this world—and damn good bread, of course.

Address: Via Trionfale, 36

Il Sorpasso

€€ | Classic Casual | Some Outdoor Seating | Steps From St. Peter’s Basilica

This is a real treat and overall my top recommendation if you are coming from St. Peter’s Basilica where most Vatican tours end. You’ll find high-quality Italian food with the level of creativity and presentation you may find at a fancy restaurant. It’s a great place to stop and get lunch in a myriad of over-priced tourist traps.

Address: Via Properzio, 31

Popular Vatican Tours

Not ready to book a tour? Find out if a Vatican tour is worth it.

La Zanzara

€€ | Casual | Outdoor Seating | Kids | Steps From St. Peter’s Basilica

Breakfast, lunch, aperitivo, dinner, or just cocktails, this trendy place is definitively one of the best restaurants in Prati, Rome. Enjoy savory dishes like eggplant parmigiana (served in true Italian style without pasta), selections of meat, delicious homemade pasta, and salads.

If you aren’t famished, opt for one of the small dishes, called “pick-me-ups,” a perfect choice to pair with a glass of wine in the afternoon. It’ll tide you over until aperitivo time at 7 pm.

Pro Tip: Reservations are important here if you don’t want to wait outside. Otherwise, you’ll join other groups (all Italian) waiting for a table, which is a surprisingly fun cultural experience.

Address: Via Crescenzio, 84 

Il Gatto e l’Uva

€€ – €€€ | Chic | Outdoor Seating 

This is a super cool and innovative Italian restaurant near the Vatican. It probably isn’t within walking distance if you just finished a Vatican tour or spent a while at the museums. You can enjoy a nice outdoor lunch or dinner here.

They have a lot of creative and well-presented dishes mainly focused on seafood. If you’ve been eating the same dishes for a few nights in a row, this is a real treat.

Address: Via Trionfale 88/90

Hostaria Dino e Toni

€ – €€ | Casual | Outdoor Seating | Kids | Steps From The Vatican Museums

Dino e Toni doesn’t stand out from the street, but this is one of the best restaurants near the Vatican. This typical Roman trattoria serves honest Roman food for a fair price. We even have a video on it.

Named after the two owners who’ve been best friends since childhood, the atmosphere is relaxed. With paper table cloths and table wine by the carafe, the slapstick-style service from the owners is like a scene from a classic Italian film.

Pro Tip: There’s no menu at this Prati restaurant. Just nod when they ask if you want antipasto, then pasta, then meat, and then dessert. You’ll often get a bottle of limoncello at the end of your meal to help digestion. Come hungry.

Address: Via Leone IV, 60  

La Pergola

€€€€ | Fine Dining | 3 Michelin Stars | Breathtaking Views 

La Pergola is considered to be the institution of Italian dining. This three-star Michelin restaurant has continuously earned its crown year after year. Let’s put it this way, there are 137 three-star rated Michelin restaurants on Earth.  Nine of those are in Italy, and La Pergola is the only one in Rome.

If you’re looking for a fancy night out for a very special occasion, then you’re in the right place. Dress nice and bring your appetite and your checkbook. This may be the best meal you ever have. It’s definitely the best restaurant near the Vatican and also the most expensive, so it’s your choice.

Address: Via Alberto Cadlolo, 101 

200 Gradi (due cento gradi)

€  | Sandwich/Lunch | Some Outdoor Seating | Kids | Steps From The Vatican Museums

This is your go-to quick lunch after a Vatican tour. Done. Despite its location right across from the Vatican, this place is no tourist trap. In fact, locals love it. 

The menu is written all over the wall on the left as you walk in. They make your panino in front of you with local ingredients like salami, truffle, and ricotta. They also have healthy vegetarian and vegan options for non-meat eaters.

Pro Tip: Order your panino from the cashier and grab a ticket. They’ll call your number when your panino is ready.

Address: Piazza Risorgimento, 3 

Popular Vatican Tours

Not ready to book a tour? Check out our Vatican Guide for more info.

Pompi Tiramisù (Coffee)

€ | Take Away Dessert and Cafe | Steps From the Vatican Museums

Pompi has consistently made the best tiramisu in Rome for decades. If you happen to eat lunch or dinner nearby, skip dessert and have it here. If you ask someone local to Rome where to get the best Tiramisù, nine times out of 10 they’re going to say Pompi without hesitation.

They also make a great espresso or cappuccino. You could have your morning coffee here before your Vatican tour. The only question is, would you crush a tiramisù at 7 am?

Address: Piazza del Risorgimento, 43

Mercato Trionfale

€  | Market/Lunch | Kids | Steps From The Vatican Museums

You can’t mention eating by the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel without mentioning Mercato Trionfale. Inside, there are tons of sandwich shops, pizza shops, and places to get local products like cheese and meats. You won’t write home about your experience, but it is a cool market to walk around and food is plentiful.

Address: Via Andrea Doria

Bar Giulio Cesare

€ | Café and Cornetto Take Away

Ok, this place is a hard sell. It doesn’t look cool. It actually looks like a tourist trap and it may well be. That said, they have an amazing cornetto crema di riso. They make them fresh each hour, so they are warm and delicious.

I used to live above this little bar and really looked forward to breakfast. It is in between the Vatican Museums and Ottaviano metro station, so it’s the perfect place to get a quick coffee, fresh orange juice, and cornetto crema di riso takeaway. It’ll probably cost you €5 total.

Address: Viale Giulio Cesare, 225-225 A

Tips for Dining in Rome

Reservations: You can make reservations and it will probably work, but most inexpensive restaurants treat reservations loosely due to the number of no-shows. Ask for a glass of wine while you wait.

Service: Don’t get up in arms if it takes a while for the waiter to come over or if you can’t get their attention. Enjoy your time in Rome.

Tipping: A few euros per person is great. If you want to give your 10 – 20% be our guest, but it’s not necessary. That said, everyone likes more money.

Not ready to book a tour? See if a Rome food tour is worth it.