The Best Restaurants in the Vatican City
Vatican City is famous for its famous artwork, architecturally accomplishments, and fascinating history, but what about its food?
After a long day of sightseeing, stopping off into one of the Vatican’s best restaurant is a must-do activity. Here are our top choices for the best dining establishments in the area!
Trattoria Vaticano Giggi
If you are after the charm of local Italians to go with your cuisine, this restaurant is for you. As the owner, known as ‘Giggi’, is as much a part of the attraction as the restaurant’s menu. Welcoming visitors in with open arms and telling wild stories to anyone who listens. He was born and raised in Rome, and famous for partaking in different films and meet important icons throughout his life. Park yourself at one of the set-up tables and tuck into the delicious cuisines while you enjoy Giggi’s charming attitude and passionate tales of the region.
Tre Pupazzi
The building has been around since the early 1600s, with this restaurant letting you immerse yourself in the region’s fascinating history. Serving up completely traditional Italian cuisines, as well as Roman traditional specialities, visitors can try the mouth-watering saltimbocca, ossobuco, and abbacchio. However, on Fridays and Saturdays, the owner’s Portuguese wife takes over the menu, offering a bunch of her nation’s best cuisine as well as Portuguese wines to go perfectly with them!
La Soffitta Renovatio
Owned by the Di Michele family since the early 1900s, the recipes served here have been passed down from generation to generation. Iconic visitors have visited this popular restaurant, such as Federico Fellini being a frequent visitor. Located near St Peter’s Square, it is perfect for those strolling around the best attractions about, is an easy stop to quickly refuel before heading out for more sightseeing!
L’Isola della Pizza
It is known for being a fabulous restaurant, a pizzeria, and a delicious steakhouse all in one! Founded in 1985, it has a long time to perfect its delightful menu, once starting as a small pizzeria and turning into one of the best restaurants around! Their pizza dough is heavenly, with the dough left for more than 48 hours to rise so it is fluffy and perfect for the many pizza flavourings!
Papa Rex
Only 400 metres away from the famous St Peters square, this restaurant is perfect for its location and its charm! With a quirky flare, the restaurant offers Roman and Italian cuisines, making the typical pizza and pasta but in a unique way. Music is always paired with the meals, with a pianist, a soprano and a tenor all singing some Italian opera in the background-turning an ordinary dinner into a musical concert! Head down to the basement area and enjoy the themed dinners based on ancient Roman times. The food and drinks are all based on historic cuisines and stories of the pantheon gods and emperors, a truly unforgettable roman dinner!
Arlu
A family-owned restaurant, being in the family since 1959. One of the greatest way to see if a restaurant is good is to see if locals order, and at Arlu, majority of the visitors are regulars. With locals spending hours in this small restaurant, drinking expressos and plates of homemade pasta as they speak rapid Italian. This is an experience in itself, as you can truly immerse yourself in the Italian culture of the Vatican! The desserts are made fresh every morning, so make sure to save enough room for these truly excellent sweet treats!
La Zanzara
A trendy, but comfortable bistro lets you enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner, staying open late into the night so you can finish up with the wine and cocktails served here. Come in the morning for an espresso and a sweet breakfast, and return after a day of sightseeing for a delicious platter of meats and veggies!
200 Gradi
Only wanting a quick snack while you explore the Vatican? 200 Gradi is for you! Offering quick lunches or takeaway meals to eat while you walk! It might not be the best place to sit down and enjoy for a couple of hours, but it prides itself on offering the best traditional takeaway meals around!
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