Numa al Circo on Viale Aventino, a restaurant near Circus Maximus in Rome, is a great all-day bar and restaurant covering every drinking and dining need.
Opening early in the morning for breakfast, and staying open for lunch, aperitivo and eventually dinner, Numa al Circo is perfectly placed to serve FAO staff and those looking for a restaurant near Circus Maximus.
Chef Davide Cianetti has created an easy and welcoming vibe which extends from the spacious indoor and outdoor seating options to the laid-back menu. Says Cianetti: “The service is informal yet high quality. I don’t want customers to feel neither limited nor obliged: you can eat what you want, when you want.
‘Post-pandemic, our social lives will be more important that ever and I want to start now by making people feel always welcome at Numa al Circo. No matter whether you’re here for a business lunch, a quick drink with friends or a lazy Sunday brunch with the family.”
Numa: Restaurant near Circus Maximus
Numa al Circo’s interiors were designed by RPM Proget with an eco-friendly focus. Expect wood, glass and recycled materials – such as tiles taken from an ancient villa and cut in the shape of a rhombus to recreate the circus floor. Everything has been designed to impact the environment as little as possible, limiting the use of plastic and promoting the use of recyclable materials also for the restaurant service.
Its sprawling 200 m2 layout accommodates 100 covers (50 under pandemic protocols) ranging from the front terrace to a vertical garden at the rear. Inside, the restaurant stretches from a cocktail bar to salumeria area, followed by the pizzeria and dessert counter.
Numa al Circo: food review
I sampled a range of goodies on my visit to this charming restaurant near Circus Maximus. We started with a range of moreish antipasti, something I imagine the restaurant will quickly become famous for. Chef Cianetti acquires the cheeses and charcuterie from the Dol team, famed for sourcing rare and original products from the Lazio region.
So it is that Numa al Circo specialises squarely in Roman cuisine, although you should expect some classics from all over Italy. Varied sharing plates and charcuterie boards are perfect for accompanying a light lunch or a quick drink. I particularly love the buffalo mozzarella with grilled artichokes and slices of grilled pumpkin.
We also tried a slice of melanzana alla parmigiana, which was lovely and rich, before sampling one of Cianetti’s signature dishes, the pasta all’amatriciana. This was a rich dish with plenty of savoury notes and crunchy guanciale.
The menu shifts seasonally, so expect some changes as the year goes on. I ordered the porchetta-style pork as my main course, beautifully tender on the inside with lovely crunchy crackling outside. This was served with bitter cicoria and fat chips.
Numa al Circo is also famous for pizza. If you are going for restaurant-style dining or an aperitivo, try ordering the Roman-style focaccia, a plain white pizza topped with rosemary and rock salt, for a tasty side to share. Otherwise, the ample pizza options range from tomato-bases to so-called ‘white’ pizzas (without tomato sauce) but topped with other delicious seasonal ingredients.
There are also delicious stuffed pizzas which make an excellent starter or side. I furthermore tried the home-delivery pizza and can highly recommend if you’re within a couple of kilometres of the restaurant and can’t be bothered to go out! Full menu and delivery options are right here on the official site.
As you might expect, this restaurant near Circus Maximus also boasts an ample wine and cocktail list. Again, there are plenty of local choices on the wine list so you can stay in the Lazio mood.
All in all, Numa al Circo is a great choice for any time of day. This restaurant near Circus Maximus is also very close to the Colosseum and Palatine Hill, so it’s perfect for dining after a long morning of sightseeing in Rome. And, as mentioned before, it’s a great restaurant near FAO and within easy reach of Testaccio.
Highly recommended!
Numa al Circo | Viale Aventino, 20 | Roma | Tel. 06 64420669
