Prati is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Rome. I lived here for three years when I was in university and Rome was much less packed with tourists but this district has remained true to its original charm and flavors, even though right next to Vatican City. A full guide to the best restaurants in Prati is precious because this is the area I always recommend for lunch or dinner to tourists visiting the Vatican.
Prati, in fact, even though very close to Vatican City, is a residential and office area where mainly locals live and work. This is probably why the Prati neighborhood never fails to surprise us with great restaurants and culinary offers.
Whether you enjoy oriental flavors, hearty Roman dishes, or Middle Eastern finger food, our article will help you find the meal you feel like having after a day of sightseeing or the perfect lunch break that gives you the energy to carry on for the next half of the day.
To make things easier for you, we have also created a map to help you easily find your favorite restaurant. All that is left now is to get on exploring and enjoy your meal in Prati!
Map of the best restaurants in Prati
Where to eat and drink in Prati – Our picks
L’Arcangelo, fine dining in Prati
This is one of the best restaurants in Prati serving one of the best carbonara in Rome among the other specialties. With the style of a modern trattoria, at L’Arcangelo’s, you are going to find local Roman cuisine prepared and served with the original and sophisticated twist of chef Arcangelo Dandini, the founder also of Supplizio, one of Rome’s favorite street food places.
Along with the evergreen carbonara, some of the specialties on the menu include tagliatelle pasta on a sauce of pigeon and dried porcini mushrooms, stewed codfish Roman style with plums and nuts, veal tripes with mint and pecorino cheese, and beef meatballs on a white wine sauce.
- Where: Via Giuseppe Gioachino Belli 59.
- When: Monday to Saturday 5-7.15 pm for aperitif, 7.15-10.45 for dinner. Closed on Sunday.
- Website.
Carter Oblio gourmet restaurant in Prati
One of the favorite and best restaurants in Prati, the regular guests of Carter Oblio know that they will find a frequently changing menu with a mix of seasonal novelties and signature dishes of chef Ciro Alberto Cucciniello.
Among the most famous classics on the menu is the popular Carote Carote Carote, entirely made with carrots of different types and colors, and cooked to create different textures topped with a crunchy carrot crumble.
Another fare that is always very much appreciated is L’Anatra e lo Stagno. Literally standing for a suggestive “the Duck and the Pond”, this dish is a sort of fairy tale where each flavor evokes a place, a scenery, almost a painting with the use of ingredients such as duck breast, scorzonera, Jerusalem artichokes, cavolo nero, buckwheat, leaves of Tropaeolum majus.
Carter Oblio features also a dehors for cozy al fresco dining in the good season.
- Where: Via Giuseppe Gioachino Belli 21.
- When: Every day for dinner, Sunday also for lunch. Closed on Monday.
- Website.
MAE – Café Vin et Cuisine
With the promise that everyone wants to hear, at MAE the dishes are made using ingredients carefully selected from small local producers in full respect for the natural cycle. If you are staying in Prati, this is the perfect reference point food-wise because they serve all meals from breakfast to dinner all the way through lunch and aperitif. On the weekend, you can even stop here for brunch.
The dishes you will find on MAE’s menu are the result of an appetizing collaboration of fish, meat, nuts, herbs, and veggies, with traditional Roman dishes peeking out here and there like in the first course cannelloni stuffed with coda alla vaccinara oxtail or one of the mains with cod filet and sauteed chicory.
For breakfast, you can expect cakes, tarts, leavened pastries, cookies, pancakes, yogurts, and all types of coffee Italian style from espresso to cappuccino to American coffee, Matcha latte, tea, and all types of other beverages. The aperitif consists of 5 tastings of tapas and finger food to choose from a large menu and a drink.
- Where: Via della Giuliana 33.
- When: Tuesday to Friday 8 am-11 pm, Saturday and Sunday 9 am-11 pm. Closed on Monday.
- Website.
Lumière, French-style bistro in Prati
We recently stopped for a simple afternoon tea at Lumière and loved our experience, from the Parisian-style décor to the incredible quality of the teas.
Lumière is a cozy bistro near Piazza Cavour in the Prati district, some 20 minutes on foot from the Vatican Museums and Saint Peter’s Square, and 5 minutes from Via Cola di Rienzo shopping street. They are open from early morning to late night, so here you can enjoy a scrumptious meal from breakfast to dinner through aperitif and after-dinner drinks.
- Where: Via Cicerone 25.
- When: Every day 6.45 am-2 am, Sundays from 11.30 am.
- Website.
Banchina 63 fish and seafood restaurant in Prati
What makes the dishes of Banchina 63, one of the best restaurants in Prati and one of Rome’s top seafood eateries, is the selection of the highest quality of fish and seafood paired with excellent rice and pasta.
If you are looking for a relaxing break after an exhausting tour of the Vatican Museums, stop at Banchina 63 for a pleasant lunch, a tempting aperitif with wine, cocktails and raw seafood, or a mouthwatering fish and seafood dinner.
- Where: Via Emilio Faà di Bruno 63.
- When: Tuesday to Saturday 6.30-11 pm, Sunday 12-3 pm. Closed on Monday.
- Website.
Aqualunae Bistrot
We discovered Aqualunae Bistrot by chance after a long morning sightseeing with our then-1-year-old and immediately loved it. They serve gourmet fares prepared with a careful selection of high-quality ingredients and great attention to detail.
In this Prati restaurant, you can choose either a tasting menu that includes all the courses from the starters to the dessert, or pick each course from the menu à la carte. The dishes here are very original. On the menu, you will find specialties like pink prawns carpaccio with fiordilatte and wasabi as a starter or calamarata pasta Milan style with shredded ossobuco veal shank on pea cream as one of the first courses.
Among the mains are creations like tuna tataki with chicory rosti, avocado and turmeric, beef fondant with potato and marinated thyme, or leek, mushrooms and spinach candies with truffle-infused parmesan cream.
This is also a great restaurant to go to in Rome with a baby or toddler because they easily adapt and make simple pasta for the little ones.
- Where: Piazza dei Quiriti 20.
- When: Every day 12 pm-12 am.
- Website.
Roots Ristorante
With a décor voluntarily minimalist and clear Scandi style, Roots is a family project that chef Alessandro Gentile has been dreaming of since his experience at 2-Michelin-starred Rome restaurant Il Pagliaccio and that has finally come true with the help of his two sisters and life partner.
The dishes will evoke oriental nuances as well as Nordic flavors but the ingredients have local roots. In fact, while there are several fish and meat-based dishes, the chef likes to enhance each flavor with a large use of the veggies and herbs that come from his own garden. His approach is her-waste and little processed to preserve the purity of the elements without altering the main ingredients.
The quality remains high with the long-rising sourdough bread and the wines and craft beers carefully selected. Booking is recommended because the restaurant is not too big with 30 seats inside and 20 outside if you want to enjoy an al fresco dinner in the warm season.
- Where: Via Rodi 16.
- When: Monday to Friday 6-11 pm, Saturday 7.30-11 pm. Closed on Sunday.
- Website.
Palazzaccio Da Eduardo Ristorante
This is one of those restaurants in Rome that you would define no-frill. The dishes are extremely flavorful and well-balanced but essential and with a homely feel. In fact, the staff and chef make it a point to make their guests feel welcome.
Mainly a fish and seafood restaurant, you can also find meat-based dishes and vegetarian options. If you are a sweet tooth, end your lovely meal with one of their superb desserts where you won’t fail to notice the Neapolitan influence.
- Where: Via Ennio Quirino Visconti 66/68.
- When: Tuesday to Saturday 6.30-11.30 pm, Sunday 5.30-11 pm. Closed on Monday.
- Website.
Ristorante Re Bio – Local and Organic
In this lovely restaurant in Prati near the famous Via Cola di Rienzo shopping street, Piazza Risorgimento, and Vatican City you can order a classic course, be it first or main, a hearty sandwich or a fulfilling and complete salad.
With such a variety of courses and fares, everyone is bound to find what they most prefer, whether you are a vegan and want a plant-based meal or you enjoy fish or meat tartare. The bread itself is not an ordinary store-bought one but a curated product and freshly made by their own chef.
Their mission is to serve appetizing and delicious foods that are healthy and coming from organic farming. If I were to go soon, I would definitely want to try one of their sandwiches such as Il Goloso stuffed with artichokes, stracchino soft cheese, tomato, and radish cream, or the plant-based Microgreens one starring avocado, carrots, tofu, Romaine, and Jerusalem artichoke cream.
- Where: Via Germanico 59.
- When: Every day 10 am-5 pm, Thursday to Saturday open also for dinner 7-10.30 pm.
- Website.
Flower Burger
This is one of our favorite vegan restaurants in Rome. It’s some sort of fast-food place but leaning on the healthy side. In fact, here, even if you order a sandwich, which is their main, it will entirely be made with natural ingredients without chemicals, coloring and food additives of sorts.
We have been a few times and even my husband who’s not a vegan loved it. Their sandwiches are hearty, very tasty, and very fulfilling stuffed with fresh, grilled or marinated veggies, special sauces, and preparations like bean burgers.
They offer also sides which include baked potatoes, crunchy eggplants, and edamame, and appetizers like fried onion rings and seitan-based Flower Bombs. You can also round off your meal with a dessert like a milkshake and chocolate sweets.
- Where: Via dei Gracchi 87.
- When: Every day 12-3 pm and 7-10.30 pm.
- Website.
Ristorante Le Carré Français
Le Carré Français is a stylish corner of France in Prati. Bakery, pastry shop, restaurant, bistro, and cafe, they serve all meals from breakfast through dinner. The last time we went, we were welcomed and greeted in French. Thankfully, I speak the language, but I admit, I wasn’t expecting such nonchalance in Rome.
The food is very French style, so meals are rich in sauces, baguettes bread is never missing, and the pastries are heavy on butter and very tasty. There is also a shop where you can purchase food products from French artisans.
- Where: Via Vittoria Colonna 30.
- When: Every day 7.30 am-11.30 pm.
- Website.
Flavio Al Velavevodetto Ai Quiriti
After the success of their Testaccio venue, the owners of Flavio Al Velavevodetto decided to repeat and open a second restaurant in Rome’s Prati district. This is the place to go to try traditional fares including pasta classics such as carbonara, amatriciana, and cacio e pepe, or mains such as coda alla vaccinara, rabbit alla cacciatora, and meatballs on tomato sauce.
With a classic and traditional décor, this is one of the best restaurants in Prati for locals and tourists on the lookout for a hearty Roman-style meal.
- Where: Piazza dei Quiriti 4/5.
- When: Every day lunch and dinner.
- Website.
Grekos – Greek restaurant in Prati
Fans of international cuisines will definitely enjoy the simple and fulfilling dishes of this lovely Greek corner in Prati. At Grekos’, you can order several of the most traditional and internationally-renowned Greek preparations such as tzatziki, souvlaki meat grilled on a skewer, eggplant-based mousakas, and feta cheese in many different declinations.
If you are looking for a quick meal on the go, you can enjoy one of their pita gyros famous Greek street food, and enjoy it while walking. Of course, you will also find a rich selection of sweets such as baklava, feta tiganiti, and portokalopita.
- Where: Via dei Gracchi 282.
- When:
- Website.
Jinjá Prati Chinese Restaurant in Prati
This is one of the good Chinese restaurants in Rome, so if you like oriental cuisine, give this a try and you won’t be disappointed. Along with traditional Chinese dishes, Jinjà put on the menu plenty of Japanese specialties including the popular sushi preparations of uramaki, nigiri, gunkan, temaki, and hosomaki.
Among the Chinese fares, you are going to find typical appetizers like spring rolls and dumplings, while the mains include rice and noodles as well as lemon chicken, roasted duck, and curry prawns.
- Where: Circonvallazione Trionfale 59.
- When: Every day 12-3 pm and 6-11 pm.
- Website.
Bao Bao
To remain in China, Bao Bao is a fantastic place to try all types of Chinese dumplings. An original idea that quickly made it one of the most popular and best restaurants in Prati thanks to the diverse menu and the ease of ordering and consuming.
Changing dough preparation and filling, you can have a full meal made of many different types of dumplings always with different flavors. You can order different types of dumplings such as ha gao, xiao long, sheng jian, bao zi, xiao mai, and jo cai. The fillings include anything from veggies to pork to shrimp, to shiitake mushrooms.
- Where: Via Paolo Emilio 9/11.
- When: Every day 12-3.30 pm and 7-11 pm.
- Website.
Ristorante Margot Prati
Margot restaurant in Prati is located near Castel Sant’Angelo, one of the most famous landmarks in Rome, and specializes in revisited Roman classics. From attention to detail in the style and decoration to the great selection of the best wines in Italy, an entrance of flowers and plants are the introduction to a perfect experience where tradition meets modernity.
Among the classics, there is the evergreen pasta quaternity of carbonara, amatriciana, gricia (with the addition of artichokes when in season!), and cacio e pepe, but also tagliolini with squid black ink, and clams spaghetti.
The mains also include some of the traditional Roman dishes such as white wine scaloppine and saltimbocca alla romana, but also specialties like pistachio breaded sliced tuna, grilled salmon, and greater amberjack Sicilian style.
- Where: Via Crescenzio 39.
- When: Tuesday to Sunday 12-3 pm and 7 pm-12 am. Closed on Monday.
- Website.
La Pratolina pizza place in Prati
This is one of our very favorite pizza places in Rome. Serving the typical Roman-style oval-shaped pinsa, La Pratolina is in two venues and the one in Prati is open only for dinner. A proper restaurant, here you can grab a table and enjoy a relaxed meal.
Long-rising and quality flour make a perfect dough and a range of excellent ingredients sourced from small local producers guarantee incredible toppings and an overload of flavors.
- Where: Via degli Scipioni 248/250.
- When: Monday to Saturday 7.30 pm-12 am.
- Website.
Mezé Bistrot Prati
After the success in the Monteverde area, Mezé Bistrot repeated the adventure with a second location quickly becoming one of the top restaurants in Prati for those looking for a Mediterranean Middle Eastern experience. Mezé is a set of appetizers and finger foods typical from northern Africa and Middle Eastern countries such as Lebanon, Syria, and Israel.
At Mezé Bistrot you will find every day different appetizers to form their mezé and also daily specials that can be cous cous with fish, chicken, or veggies, kebab, Moroccan tajine, the Iranian tadig fesenjan, Maghrebin shakshuka, and a selection of Italian pasta dishes.
- Where: Via Properzio 30.
- When: Monday to Saturday 12.30-3 pm and 6.30-11 pm. Closed on Sunday.
- Website.
