Discover the best vegan and vegetarian restaurants in Rome
Italy and Rome are not exactly known for being havens for vegans and vegetarians. But if you think a diet without prosciutto and mozzarella will lead you to the brink of starvation, then you are mistaken. Not only is Italian cuisine fresh, flavoursome, and adaptable, but Rome is also bursting with great spots for veggies and vegans alike. Here are our top picks!
Eating Out
Écru
Via Acciaioli 13 (Centro storico)
Mon-Thur-Fri-Sun 12pm-9pm, Saturday until 11pm
06.68804282
ecrurawfood.it
Elegant and innovative, Écru is the perfect place for a vegan breakfast, brunch, lunch or snack when you’re out and about in the centre of Rome. The dishes prepared daily by Écru’s chefs are both sweet and savoury; crepes, cereals and breads, but also fruit and vegetable salads, vegetable purees, sushi and more. Theirs is a high-protein, nutritious and balanced menu that is both healthy and tasty.
Il Margutta Vegetarian Food & Art
Via Margutta, 118 (Popolo)
Daily 10.30am – 11.30pm
06.32650577
ilmargutta.bio
A sleek affair nearby Piazza del Popolo, Il Margutta is the perfect place for vegetarian dining when you’re out and about in the centre. Part veggie restaurant, part contemporary art gallery, Il Margutta is a multi-sensory experience. With over 50 different dishes to choose from, meals that are meticulously arranged on your plate and an extensive wine cellar, you can’t go wrong. A “Green Brunch” is also available every weekday.
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Mater Terrae
Raphael Hotel, Largo Febo, 2 (Piazza Navona)
Daily 12pm – 3pm, 7.30pm – 11pm
06.682831
raphaelhotel.com
Hands down, Mater Terrae is the most beautiful vegetarian/vegan restaurant in Rome. Why? Oh, only because it’s located on the rooftop of an exclusive hotel with beautiful views of the Eternal City in all its glory. With an award-winning chef who is committed not only to providing vegan and vegetarian dishes but to preparing organic dishes without eggs, gluten, and sugar, this is the place to go where you can feel both fabulous and fit.
INSPIRATION
Best Rooftop in Rome
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Buddy Veggy Restaurant Caffè
Corso Vittorio Emanuele II 107/A (Centro storico)
Mon – Fri 10am-11pm, Sat – Sun 9am-11pm
06.87728433
buddyroma.com
Centrally located! Friends of the veggy can rest assured. In a lovely and cozy place you will be able to enjoy an all vegetarian and vegan menu, rich and delicious, and appreciate the beauty of Rome, at a great price. And if you are not veggy fundamentalists, start with dessert!
Le Bistrot
Via delle Sette Chiese, 160 (Garbatella)
Mon – Sat 8pm – 11pm
06.5128991
ristorantelebistrot.com
Le Bistrotis a vegan restaurant in the Garbatella neighborhood near Via Ostiense, one of Rome’s nightlife hubs. In this tiny restaurant, you will be able to relax and unwind in a cozy atmosphere, as if you were sitting in a friend’s living room, with equally friendly service. You’ll be able to try a good selection of exclusively vegan original plates, designed for everyone and close to the Italian culinary tradition. The restaurant also offers a good choice of wines and a good selection of relaxing music.
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Ma va?
Via Euclide Turba, 6/8, (Prati)
Mon – Sat 12.30pm – 3pm, 7.30pm – 11pm; Sun 12.30pm – 3pm
06.3729134
instagram.com/ma.va.veganrestaurant/
Five-hundred meters from the Vatican and Metro stop Ottaviano, Ma Va? (meaning, “Really?”) has been a certainty for the vegetarians and vegans of Rome for a while now. If you follow a plant-based lifestyle you certainly will not miss out on the experience of a typical Italian trattoria coming here! Although it is a small space, the environment is friendly and laid-back, and the open kitchen lets you peek into what the chef is doing. The restaurant takes special care of those with food intolerances, and small pets are welcome. Ma Va?aims at creating the least environmental impact, by choosing local and organic foods, with an exquisite outcome.
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Rifugio Romano
Via Volturno, 39/41 (Castro Pretorio)
Tue – Sun 12.30pm – 11pm
06.4880945
rifugioromano.com
A few steps from the Termini Station, Rifugio Romano (Roman Sanctuary) has got all the feels of a typical Italian restaurant. However, it does an incredible job of combining Italian tradition with vegan innovation. Its cuisine is open to everyone to experience, both vegan and not. In fact, the friendly and welcoming ambiance of this restaurant is part of their philosophy: they strongly believe in food as an experience of sharing, and despite our lifestyles may differ, we all sit at the same table here. They offer a wide and careful selection of beers and wines. The “must-try” dish here is the vegan carbonara: you will remain surprised.
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Vitaminas 24
Via Ascoli Piceno, 40/42 (Pigneto)
Daily 10am – 1am
06.7022441
vitaminas24
Vitaminas 24 stands in the middle of the artsy neighborhood of Pigneto, where Francesco, the owner, started exporting some of the flavors of his native region of Ciociaria (in Lazio) in 2011. A colorful and completely cruelty-free space, this restaurant boasts an incredible variety of vegan and vegetarian options, with foods coming from the Lazio region, as well as tropical fruits. The menu changes daily based on seasonal and local availability, and the cooking methods used here are delicate and natural. It is a completely plastic-free restaurant, and all the takeaway cutlery is biodegradable. Smoothies, soups, burgers, pasta: Vitaminas 24offers them all. At the entrance of the restaurant, you will see a luminous sign that says “bio”: they saved them from the luminous sign of the previous business that stated “polli e abbacchi” (chicken and lamb): now it is telling a new and completely different story!
Flower Burger
Via dei Gracchi, 87 (Prati)
Daily 12pm – 3pm, 7pm – 10.30pm. Also delivery.
06.5404267
Flowers are colorful, and so are Flower Burgers. Flower Burger was born by an idea of young entrepreneur Matteo Toto who decided to merge the vegan and the burger cultures together, creating a truly delightful option for all budgets. Shocking pink and ocean blue buns, green and black bread, colorful sauces and splendid french fries. The colorants of the buns are all-natural: yellow buns are made from turmeric, pink ones from cherry and beetroot extracts, black ones from vegetable charcoal and so on. This is what you’ll find at Flower Burger, the first Italian vegan burger fast-food franchise, which was born in Milan in 2015. Now its buds sprouted and spread all across Italy, including Rome. Try them all!
Veghometro
Via del Gazometro 38 (Ostiense)
Mon – Sun 12.30am – 3:30pm, 6:00pm – 11.30pm
instagram.com/veghometro/
The “home of vegans” in the heart of Ostiense is a great place to savour Mediterranean cuisine with a modern twist and a dash of Asian inspiration. From à la carte lunch and dinner to buffet lunch only on weekdays (with set price per 100 grams of serving), this cool industrial location is also the perfect spot to hang out with friends while tasting a vegan aperitivo. The menu includes vegan sushi rolls, revisited Roman classics (such as carbonara and cacio e pepe), pinsa, tandoori stews, vebabs and stir fries with vegetarian and vegan ingredients.
Café
Romeow Cat Bistrot
Via Francesco Negri, 15 (Ostiense)
Tue – Sun 10am -11pm
06.57289203
romeowcatbistrot.com
A concept inspired by the success of Japanese Neko Cafes, Romeow is Rome’s first ever first ever Cat Café. Here you can enjoy a completely vegan menu along with the company of six felines that inhabit the locale. A purrfectly sublime place to grab a coffee, have dinner, try a raw, vegan treat from the pasticceria and make a furry friend.
Read the full review of Romeow
Veg Joy
Via Vasto, 4 (Re di Roma)
Mon – Tue 12pm – 4pm, Wed -Sat 12pm-4pm & 6pm-10.30pm
06.89134914
vegjoysrls
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and aperitivo. At Veg Joy you’ll always find something vegan to eat at any time of the day. It was born as a takeaway place, but now you can eat there too, either outside or inside. You will find healthy, organic, and local foods. Smoothies are a big one here! Although the products and preparations are mostly seasonal, some dishes are prepared all year long. Veg Joy is not only a cafè and a restaurant: they also organize caterings for events and prepare dinners at home. Definitely worth a try in all their shapes and forms.
Treats
Grezzo
Via Urbana, 130 (Monti)
Daily 10am – 11pm
06.483443
grezzorawchocolate.com
Ever wondered what guilt-free, mouthwatering chocolate heaven would be like? Welcome to Grezzo! The artisan chocolatiers based in Monti offer desserts, gelato and biscuits: all totally raw, totally vegan, totally gluten free and totally amazing. Oh and they are all free from sugar, flour and soy. That’s right, it’s basically good for you. Some might consider the prices a little steep, but it’s worth it when you take into account the quality of the produce. The raw chocolate gelato is a must!
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Julietta Pastry and Lab
Via Francesco Negri, 25/2 (Ostiense)
Tue – Fri 8:30am – 6:30 pm, Sat 9:00am – 6.30pm, Sun 9:00am – 5:30pm
Juliettapastryandlab
From the creators of Romeow Cat Bistrot, Julietta is a true paradise on Earth for pastry and cake lovers in the vegan world. Besides mouth watering delicacies, such as the iconic New York Roll, croissants, cheese cakes, colourful macarons and special maritozzi, this lab also produces a range of fermented products such as tempeh, tofu, kimchi, and vegan cheeses. And the cherry on top of the (vegan) cake is that you can also learn how to make them at home by joining one of the many workshops organised at the lab.
Radagast Vegan Bakery
Via Teano, 309 (Prenestino)
Mon 12pm-7pm, Tue, Thurs, Fri and Sat 10am-7pm, Tue – Sat 10am – 8pm, closed on Wednesday and Sunday
06.217232
radagast.it
Radagast Vegan Bakery produces 100% vegan products. It is a great alternative for vegans, people with milk and egg intolerances, and those who want to expand their culinary experiences beyond what they already know. They will be surprised! You can find cakes, cheesecakes, cookies, cupcakes, brownies, smoothies, coffee, and much more. You can stay and eat something there or take it away. Radagast Vegan Bakery even prepares cakes and catering options for events. To reach them, you need to take Metro C and hop off at the Teano stop, from there it is a 5-minute walk.
Eating In
Natura Si
Various Times and Locations
naturasi.it
If you’re cooking at home and need animal-friendly ingredients, Natura Si is a great chain of organic supermarkets that offer a host of staple veggie/vegan produce along with regular organic fare. You can find everything from veggie burgers, seitan and tofu to yeast flakes and vegan mayo. For a list of stores in Rome, check their website.
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Vegan Store Box 83
Via Lorenzo Ghiberti, Nuovo Mercato Testaccio (Testaccio)
Tue – Sat 8.30am – 2:30pm
veganstore83
Perhaps one of the most interesting entries on this list is Vegan Store Box 83, the first vegan and organic food stall in a local market in the Testaccio neighborhood, a 10 minute walk from Metro B Piramide. Here you can find anything a vegan dreams of: seitan and tempeh, vegan sausages, 100% vegan cold cuts that resemble completely those coming from the Italian gastronomy, vegan cheeses, teas, legumes, rice, and much more, including self-care products! All of this is done in the complete respect of animals and the planet.
Vegustibus
Via Giovanni Andrea Badoero 70/ 72 (Garbatella)
Tue – Sat 8:00am – 8:00pm, Sun 8:00am – 1:00pm
vegustibus_garbatella
If you like cooking and are always on the hunt for new vegan ingredients, pay a visit to this pet-friendly shop just a few steps away from the Garbatella Metro station. Owners Marco and Matilde will guide you through shelves and fridges filled with everything from vegan cheeses and charcuterie, spreads, drinks, pasta, personal care products and many other surprises. Don’t miss the chance to grab a bite too: you can choose among sweet and savoury vegan snacks, such as supplì, tramezzini, crostatine, cakes and much more.
Check out our guide to gluten-free restaurants in Rome
Other contributors: Maya Acharya, Elisa Fernandez Arias
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