For the vegetarian traveler in Rome, one may find it somewhat difficult to find satisfying vegetarian dishes in this meat-loving city. Surprisingly, if one knows where to look, there are some fantastic options even for the hungry vegetarian.
Being a semi-vegetarian myself, (I eat mostly vegetables, fruit & legumes but also eat dairy products, eggs and seafood) I sometimes had a hard time finding things to order other than the vegetable side dishes at the traditional Roman restaurants where meat & poultry was a large part of every menu.
Luckily, the Italians also love fruits and vegetables and many of the antipasti or appetizers and contorni or side dishes always included such vegetarian items such as sautéed spinach with garlic, grilled vegetables brushed with fresh olive oil, roasted potatoes with rosemary or the always popular insalata caprese which is a simple yet tasty salad composed of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella & basil with olive oil drizzled on top. If you are a vegetarian that does not eat dairy products, you can always ask them to leave out the cheese. Most restaurants also provided fresh pineapple, strawberries and fruit salad for dessert. The Italian restaurants in Rome almost always have some kind of soup, but make sure to inquire about what kind of broth was used for the base as some of the “vegetable” soups could have used beef or chicken stock for the soup’s base.
For the vegetarian traveler with heartier appetites, you may want a restaurant that offers vegetarian options as the “main course.” Luckily for you, with a little help from my Italian friends, I was able to find some excellent vegetarian restaurants conveniently located around the historical center.
One of my favorites was definitely Il Margutta RistoArte” located within short walking distance from the Piazza di Spagna and the fashionable shopping street Via Condotti. This restaurant is beautifully decorated and usually has live entertainment (a singing pianist) in the evenings. My favorite meal there last winter was the polenta served with a savory wild mushroom ragù. The menu is innovative and the presentation gorgeous. They also have a delicious raspberry mille feuille with a delicate custard cream. Il Margutta has 2 different menus which changes with the seasons. There is a vegan menu as well as the vegetarian menu. This restaurant also stocks organic wines and sparkling ciders, which were especially good.
Another great place that is also a short walk from the Spanish Steps is Naturist Club - L’Isola located on the charming Via della Vita. This cozy restaurant and health food store serves homemade vegetarian/macrobiotic and organic fare made of simple yet tasty ingredients. I enjoyed a very satisfying dinner of hearty lentil soup and polpettine vegetali or meatless meatballs with a freshly made tomato sauce seasoned with coriander. They offered some tempting tarts and dolci as well but unfortunately, I was too full from the dinner to try them! I’ll look forward to the dessert the next time I am in Rome.
Other vegetarian or semi-vegetarian restaurants that I did not go to but garnered great reviews from my local Roman friends are listed below.
Enjoy your stay in Rome and don’t forget, you can always find great vegetarian dining as long as you know where to look!
And if you look for an accommodation in Rome offering organic and vegetarian breakfast, check out the Bed and Breakfast Villaggio Olimpico on venere.com.
Via Margutta, 118
+39 06 326 50577
Via della Vita 14
+39 06 679 2509
Via dei Latini @ Via Tiburtina
+39 06 703 45432
Via Trionfale 94
+39 06 397 42975
Via delle Sette Chiese 160 (Garbatella)
+39 06 512 8991
Via Trionfale 94 (Circ.ne Clodia)
39 06 397 42975
Via di S.Francesco di Sales 1a (Trastevere)
+39 06 688 09989
Photos originally posted by Robyn Lee
Topic: Restaurants & Food |
5 Comments
Tags: Italy, restaurants, Rome, vegetarian
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About the author
Tamae Ishii was born in Japan, raised in California and now resides in New York where she is a fashion designer with her eponymous line of women’s apparel called “Ishii New York.” In her spare time, Tamae enjoys international travel, cooking, spending time with her pets and of course freelance writing.
5 responses to “Tips for vegetarian travelers in Rome”
Report an inappropriate commentJanuary 24th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
If you like Indian food, try Shanti’s vegetarian dishes. Shanti is a little Indian restaurant in Via Fabio Massimo 70 (in the area of Prati)…My favourite vegeterian dish there is “polpette di verdure in yougurt sauce”…spicy and sweet at the same time. I’m sure you’ll love it!!!
January 25th, 2008 at 8:31 am
Thanks for the information - I immediately passed it on to my vegetarian niece who will be in Rome later this year.
January 25th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Great article… wish it had been around before my trip to Rome last fall… but I’ll definitely try a couple of these places next time I go. I spent a week in Italy last fall and didn’t have much trouble finding vegetarian options at each place but variety was a bit lacking.
February 9th, 2008 at 1:57 am
It is amazing that you were able to find such tasty healthy dishes in Rome, where hearty pasta dishes and meat is the main fare! Thank you for all your very helpful comments — I will definately visit some of your tips on my next visit to Roma! Great article
June 4th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
As a vegetarian pizza lover, I have never found any difficulties to find food in Rome. But after having tried several (at least 25, maybe 35) different restaurants, my favourite is “Smeraldo” in Via Principe Amedeo 16-18, a couple of streets below Stazione Termini, just around the corner from Via Cavour.
This restaurant has from my judgment, excellent food to a reasonable price. As they are closed on every Monday, I sometimes have to test some other restaurants in the area, and is (very) disappointed every time. I have even managed to get icecream as dessert that was so old it had a “skin” on top of it! But at Smeraldo, I find the food made from first class vegetables, prepared very delicate and to a reasonable price. Using the hotel star rating, I regard this as a “four star restaurant” to a “two star price”.
As I have eaten here at least 20 times, usually having a four dishes dinner (antipasta, pasta, pizza (alternative fried mushrooms) and desserts), I have a very few (max. 3) times felt that the dish was not perfectly made, last time the pasta was a bit too hard. But that means approx. 20 X 4 = 80 - 3 = 77 perfect dishes.
The waiters are nice and helpful, but do not understand English too well. But the menu is given in both Italian and English, and with an additional pocket dictionary, it will be no problem.
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