The ancient hill has a serious food scene
The area around the Colosseum has a reputation problem. Visitors arriving for the first time assume that a neighbourhood dominated by one of the world’s most famous tourist attractions must be ringed with overpriced, mediocre restaurants targeting tired sightseers. In many cities, that would be true.
Rome is different. The Celio hill and the surrounding rioni — Monti to the north, Testaccio to the south, the ancient Aventine to the west — have some of the most honest, excellent and deeply Roman restaurants in the city. You just need to know where to look. These are the seven places we tell every guest staying with us.
Li Rioni
Roman pizza and trattoria · 3 minutes’ walk
If you could only choose one restaurant within walking distance of the Colosseum, Li Rioni would be a serious contender for the top spot. On Via dei Santi Quattro Coronati — a quiet medieval street barely three minutes from the Colosseum — it is the neighbourhood’s most beloved institution, and the place our guests mention most often when they come back from dinner glowing.
The name honours Rome’s 22 historic rioni, and the restaurant wears that civic pride on its sleeve. The pizza is Roman-style: thin, crisp, with a satisfying crunch and toppings that are simple, seasonal and never overdone. But Li Rioni is much more than pizza — the pasta dishes are impeccable, the supplì al telefono are some of the finest in the city, and the tiramisù is made in-house every morning. On warm evenings the outdoor tables fill with a mix of locals and visitors who have done their homework.
Our tip. Order the pizza con fiori di zucca e alici — courgette flower and anchovy — which is the house signature. And don’t skip the supplì: these fried rice balls with a molten mozzarella centre are Rome’s finest street food.
What to order: pizza con fiori di zucca e alici · supplì al telefono · spaghetti all’amatriciana · tiramisù della casa
Via dei Santi Quattro 24
Aroma
Contemporary Roman, Michelin-starred · 4 minutes’ walk
There is exactly one Michelin-starred restaurant in Rome where you can eat with the Colosseum illuminated directly outside your window. Aroma, on the rooftop terrace of the Palazzo Manfredi hotel, occupies one of the most extraordinary restaurant positions on earth — and the food, under executive chef Giuseppe Di Iorio, is worthy of it.
This is contemporary Roman cuisine at its most refined: the classics reimagined with precision, seasonal ingredients from carefully chosen producers, and a wine list that reads like a love letter to Italian viticulture. The tasting menu changes with the seasons and tells a coherent, intelligent story about Roman food and its history.
Our tip. Request a table on the outdoor terrace when booking — the view of the Colosseum at night is one of the most remarkable dining experiences in Europe. Book several weeks ahead, especially for weekend evenings in spring.
What to order: the seasonal tasting menu · carbonara reimaginata · Roman lamb with ancient grain · the Italian cheese trolley
Via Labicana 125 · book several weeks ahead
Taverna dei Quaranta
Roman trattoria · 5 minutes’ walk
On Via Claudia, in the heart of the Celio, Taverna dei Quaranta is the kind of place that feels like a genuine discovery — even though it has been feeding the neighbourhood for decades. The décor is rustic and unpretentious, the menu is a love letter to traditional Roman cooking, and the clientele is overwhelmingly local.
The pasta is made in-house, the vegetables come from the nearby markets, and the house wine arrives in an unlabelled carafe that tastes far better than it has any right to.
What to order: rigatoni alla carbonara · antipasto della casa · abbacchio scottadito · the house carafe — ask what’s open
Via Claudia 24, Celio · open daily
Café Café
Bistrot for breakfast, brunch and lunch · 5 minutes’ walk
Not every meal near the Colosseum needs to be a sit-down Roman feast. Café Café is a small bistrot on Via dei Santi Quattro that serves breakfast, brunch and light lunches: a calm place to sit down between one monument and the next, a few minutes from the crowds.
Via dei Santi Quattro 44 · 9:00–17:00, closed on Tuesdays
Hostaria Isidoro
Family-run Roman osteria · 5 minutes’ walk
Family-run for three generations, Hostaria Isidoro is the kind of restaurant that anchors a neighbourhood. The Isidoro family has been feeding the Celio hill since the 1950s — through Rome’s postwar reconstruction, the tourist boom and every shift in the city’s fortunes — and the kitchen has not changed its philosophy once.
The menu follows the cucina povera tradition: simple ingredients, long preparations, bold flavours. The coda alla vaccinara — braised oxtail in tomato, celery and cocoa — is one of the finest versions in Rome, slow-cooked until it falls apart at the touch of a fork. The carciofi alla romana, in spring, are extraordinary.
What to order: coda alla vaccinara · carciofi alla romana, in season March–May · pasta e ceci · baccalà in guazzetto
Via di San Giovanni in Laterano 59/A
Trattoria Monti
Le Marche meets Rome · 12 minutes’ walk
A twelve-minute walk from the Colosseum through the streets of Rione Monti, Trattoria Monti is the kind of restaurant that justifies the walk ten times over. Run by the Camerucci family from the Marche region for three generations, it offers a menu that bridges central Italian mountain cooking and the Roman classics.
The tortino di ricotta — a warm, runny ricotta tart that has been on the menu for thirty years — is one of the great Roman desserts. The vincisgrassi, a layered pasta bake from Le Marche, is a revelation for those who have never encountered it.
Our tip. This is one of the most booked restaurants in Rome. For dinner, expect to need three to four weeks’ notice as a minimum, more in peak season. Sunday lunch is slightly more accessible but still fills quickly.
What to order: tortino di ricotta · vincisgrassi · tagliolini al tartufo · coniglio in porchetta
Via di San Vito 13, Monti · booking essential
Felice a Testaccio
Historic trattoria, since 1936 · 20 minutes’ walk
Twenty minutes on foot from the Colosseum — through the ancient Aventine hill and down into the working-class neighbourhood of Testaccio — sits Felice a Testaccio, in the same family since 1936 and never having needed to change a thing. The tonnarelli cacio e pepe here is widely regarded as the finest in Rome.
The waiter finishes it tableside, tossing the pasta in a cloud of aged pecorino and freshly cracked black pepper until the sauce reaches a silky consistency. It is simultaneously simple and technically demanding, and watching it prepared is as much a part of the experience as eating it. If you are coming this far, our Testaccio food guide covers the market and the neighbouring trattorias.
Our tip. One of the most sought-after tables in Rome: book three to four weeks ahead for dinner. The walk from the Colosseum takes about twenty minutes through some quiet, lovely streets — treat it as a pre-dinner passeggiata.
What to order: tonnarelli cacio e pepe, finished tableside · rigatoni con la pajata · abbacchio alla scottadito · carciofi alla romana in spring
Via Mastro Giorgio 29, Testaccio · daily, 12:30–15:30 and 19:00–23:30
Questions we are asked most
Are there good restaurants actually next to the Colosseum?
Yes. Despite the area’s reputation, there are genuinely excellent restaurants within a five-minute walk. Li Rioni, Aroma, Café Café and Hostaria Isidoro are all within easy reach and none of them are tourist traps. The key is knowing where to look, which is what this guide is for.
When is the best time to eat lunch after visiting the Colosseum?
Roman restaurants typically open for lunch at 12:30 or 13:00. Time your Colosseum visit to finish around 12:30, then walk five to ten minutes to one of these restaurants. Arriving at 13:00 puts you at the start of service, before the rush at 13:30. Avoid eating at 12:00 — most good restaurants are not yet open.
What should I avoid eating near the Colosseum?
Be cautious of restaurants with laminated picture menus, tourist menu signs, and staff actively trying to flag you down from the street. These are reliable indicators of mediocre, overpriced food aimed at one-time visitors.
Do I need to book in advance?
For dinner, yes — especially at Trattoria Monti and Felice a Testaccio, which require booking weeks ahead. For lunch, Li Rioni, Taverna dei Quaranta and Hostaria Isidoro are more accessible, though a reservation is always advisable in spring and summer. Aroma should always be booked well in advance.
Is there anywhere good for a quick lunch, very close by?
Café Café, on Via dei Santi Quattro, is the one for a light lunch: it serves breakfast, brunch and lunch until 17:00, every day except Tuesday.
Details, hours and prices are subject to change. Please check directly with each restaurant before visiting.
