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 ten 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 · Tue–Sun, 19:30–23:30 · around €25–35 a head
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 · daily, 19:30–22:30 · around €120–160 a head
Taverna dei Quaranta
Roman trattoria · 5 minutes’ walk
Tucked into a courtyard just off 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. In spring the courtyard fills with the scent of wisteria.
Our tip. The courtyard comes into its own in March and April, when the wisteria blooms and the evening air is warm enough to dine outside without a jacket. Ask for a courtyard table when you book.
What to order: rigatoni alla carbonara · antipasto della casa · abbacchio scottadito · the house carafe — ask what’s open
Via Claudia 24, Celio · Mon–Sat, 12:30–15:00 and 19:30–23:00 · around €28–38 a head
Café Café
Wine bar and bistrot · 5 minutes’ walk
Not every evening near the Colosseum needs to be a sit-down Roman feast. Sometimes what you want is a glass of something excellent, a plate of well-chosen charcuterie, and a warm, unhurried place to decompress after a day among ancient ruins. Café Café has been providing exactly this for years.
The wine list is thoughtfully assembled, with a focus on small Italian producers and natural wines you won’t easily find elsewhere. The food — bruschette, salumi, formaggi and a handful of hot dishes — is carefully sourced. The low lighting, mismatched furniture and genuine warmth of the staff make it feel like a friend’s sitting room rather than a commercial establishment.
Our tip. Ask the staff about the natural wine selection — they change the by-the-glass list regularly and are genuinely enthusiastic about what they are pouring.
What to order: tagliere misto · natural wine by the glass · bruschetta al pomodoro · the soup of the day
Via dei Santi Quattro 44 · daily, 10:00–01:00 · around €20–30 a head
Hostaria Isidoro
Family-run Roman osteria · 7 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.
Our tip. Hostaria Isidoro is not on any major tourist app or guide. The clientele is almost entirely local. Sitting here and listening to the conversations around you is a Roman experience in itself.
What to order: coda alla vaccinara · carciofi alla romana, in season March–May · pasta e ceci · baccalà in guazzetto
Via dell’Arco di San Calisto 6 · Mon–Sat, 12:30–15:00 and 19:30–22:30 · around €28–36 a head
Il Matriciano al Colosseo
Contemporary Roman · 10 minutes’ walk
Rome’s restaurant scene has evolved considerably over the past decade, and the area around the Colosseum has not been left behind. Il Matriciano al Colosseo represents the best of the new generation: a restaurant that takes Roman cooking seriously but wears its knowledge lightly.
The menu is a thoughtful dialogue between traditional Roman recipes and modern technique. The pastas are made fresh daily and cooked with precision. The meat dishes draw on the cucina romana tradition but with cleaner plating. The wine list is short but intelligently chosen.
Our tip. This is one of the best lunch options in the area — the streamlined lunchtime menu is excellent value and much quicker than the full dinner service. Perfect if you are fitting in a meal between monuments.
What to order: tonnarelli cacio e pepe · fritto misto romano · polpette al sugo · panna cotta al pistacchio
Via Capo d’Africa 8, Celio · daily, 12:00–15:30 and 19:00–23:00 · around €35–45 a head
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 · Tue–Sun, 13:00–14:45 and 20:00–22:45 · around €45–55 a head
Il Gelato di Claudio Torcè
Gelateria · 4 minutes’ walk
Not every entry in a restaurant guide has to be a sit-down meal. Sometimes the most important thing to eat in Rome is a gelato — and the gelato here is among the finest in the city. Claudio Torcè is one of Italy’s most respected gelatieri, and his approach — seasonal fruit, traditional techniques, no artificial colours or stabilisers — produces flavours of remarkable intensity and purity.
The pistachio is made with Bronte pistachios from Sicily. The fig appears only when figs are in season, which in spring means late April. The nocciola is prepared with Piedmontese hazelnuts.
Our tip. Never add multiple conflicting flavours to a single cup. Romans take gelato as seriously as wine. Two complementary flavours — pistachio and stracciatella, or fig and ricotta — is the sophisticated choice.
What to try: pistacchio di Bronte · fior di latte · fico fresco, in late April · ricotta e visciola
Via Labicana 88 · daily, 11:00–22:00 · around €3–5 a serving
Ristorante Vincenzo all’Arco
Seafood · 10 minutes’ walk
Roman cuisine is often discussed in terms of its famous pasta and meat dishes, but Rome also has a serious seafood tradition, drawing on the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian fishing fleets that have supplied the city’s markets for millennia. Vincenzo all’Arco is one of the area’s finest exponents: an elegant, warmly lit restaurant where the fish arrives fresh each morning.
The fritto misto di mare is as good as you will find in the city. The raw preparations, when the quality justifies it, are excellent. And the pasta alle vongole is made with clams that actually taste of the sea.
Our tip. Always ask what came in that morning before ordering. The kitchen is guided by what is best on the day, and the staff will steer you honestly. A restaurant that admits the octopus is not great today is a restaurant you can trust.
What to order: fritto misto di mare · spaghetti alle vongole · carpaccio di branzino · the catch of the day
Via dell’Arco di Travertino 24 · Tue–Sun, 12:30–15:00 and 19:30–23:00 · around €45–60 a head
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.
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 · Mon–Sat, 12:30–14:45 and 20:00–23:00 · around €45–55 a head
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?
Li Rioni and Café Café are both excellent for a quicker, more casual meal. For the quickest option, Il Gelato di Claudio Torcè is perfect for a quality gelato and a moment of recovery after the Colosseum crowds.
Details, hours and prices are subject to change. Please check directly with each restaurant before visiting.