Rooftop restaurants in Rome are amongst the most coveted dining options in the city. The only problem is that rooftop dining in Rome can get really expensive, particularly if you don’t do your homework!
The following list of rooftop restaurants in Rome admittedly includes some high cost options, but I have tried to break it down so you know exactly what you’re paying for. The Rome rooftop restaurant list also has cheaper restaurants and less formal places so you can get your rooftop fix without blowing your entire vacation budget.
So read on for the official Testaccina list of the best rooftop restaurants in Rome! And if you’re looking for the best rooftop bars in Rome, head over here instead!
Rome rooftop price guide for 2-3 courses:
€ – €25-€35 per head excluding drinks
€€ – €35-€50 per head excluding drinks
€€€ – €50-€75 per head excluding drinks
€€€€ – €100+ per head excluding drinks
Rooftop dining near the Vatican: Terrazza Les Etoiles
Terrazza Les Etoiles Rome is a cocktail bar and fine-dining restaurant near the Vatican in Rome offering peerless rooftop views of Saint Peter’s Basilica.
Located in a sleepy side street close to Castel Sant Angelo and Piazza Cavour, Les Etoiles is the rooftop restaurant and bar of the Atlante Star Hotel in Rome, a luxury hotel with 70 rooms and suites.
Don’t be fooled by its neutral exteriors – Les Etoiles has the best rooftop with Vatican views in the whole of Rome. As one of the highest buildings this side of Saint Peter’s, you almost feel like you’re getting an exclusive audience with the Pope!
Thanks to its strategic position, Les Etoiles offers plenty of charms during the aperitivo hour when golden light slants across the rooftop terrace. You’ll be getting ready for a Vatican selfie from this peerless spot, on the building’s highest rooftop terrace.
Once the aperitivo hour is done at Les Etoiles, head to the lower terrace for fine dining. Think fish-focused gourmet food, with Saint Peter’s Basilica perched on the horizon like a jewellery box. As the sun goes down and the lights come up on Vatican City, this is an unforgettable experience! Full food review here.
€€€ Les Etoiles, Via dei Bastioni, 1, Rome Tel +39 06 686386
Aroma Restaurant at Palazzo Manfredi, 1 Michelin Star in Rome
There are just 10 or so tables at this gorgeous rooftop restaurant in Rome, Aroma Restaurant, which enjoys the ultimate Instagram-friendly view of the Colosseum. If that wasn’t enough, chef Guiseppe di Iorio has won a Michelin star for his plates, served across a menu which is surprisingly wide ranging.
As you might expect, tasting or degustation menus start from around €160 per head (with wine pairings from €80 per person) but there is a smart menu priced at €130 which comprises two courses and a dessert (drinks are extra). So if you’re determined to have this experience but can’t afford €300 per person, you can just about do it for half that.
Dishes range from the fantastical Iberian pig feather to rather down-to-earth local flavours, including amatriciana (€40) and carbonara (€40) – although the latter is served ‘shaken’, so it’s not classic trattoria food!
Aroma Restaurant occupies the fifth foor of Palazzo Manfredi and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Year round, the restaurant is able to take advantage of this sensational Roman rooftop thanks to retractable walls and a roof cover which roll back to exhibit all the glories of Rome in the summer months.
Expect a more relaxed affair at lunchtime, but look forward to going all out with a glamourous look for that Instagrammable shot – when night falls. When you’re done at rooftop restaurant Aroma, head down to Palazzo Manfredi’s cocktail bar, The Court, at ground floor, for some of the best drinks in town.
€€€€ Aroma Restaurant, Via Labicana 125, Rome Tel +39 06 9761 5109
Rooftop restaurant Enoteca La Torre, La Rinascente Piazza Fiume
Enoteca La Torre at La Rinascente in Piazza Fiume, Rome, is the latest adventure from Enoteca La Torre Group, a restaurant and catering collective which has only made smart choices to date.
Spearheaded by power couple Michele and Silvia, Enoteca La Torre is a collection of restaurants which includes Enoteca La Torre – Villa Laetitia, Rome, which is a 1 Michelin Star restaurant in the villa of designer royalty, Anna Fendi, no less. They also launched Enoteca La Torre in Prati, a pleasant restaurant in a picturesque spot. But the latest project, Enoteca La Torre, Rinascente, joins the hallowed halls of rooftop restaurants in Rome, as part of a stylish store revamp.
The Piazza Fiume department store, La Rinascente, has recently undergone a glam makeover (in line with other stores in the group) and after creating a beautiful, glass-paned attic floor, it has welcomed Enoteca La Torre as its resident restaurant and bar.
While you can definitely come here for gourmet dining, with well-plated fish and delicate risottos a speciality, the really cool thing about this rooftop restaurant in Rome is its casual options. That means you can plan a lazy breakfast or brunch here, or a lunch, with dishes including bagels, poke, salads and more that won’t break the bank. There is also an ample cocktail list to quench your thirst.
While the main restaurant is strictly speaking under cover, it still enjoys exceptional views of the city. And there is also a bijoux roof terrace for sunset drinks in the open air which really hits the spot!
€-€€€ Enoteca La Torre, Rinascente Piazza Fiume, Rome Tel +39 06 8400 9725
Osteria Trastevere: cute hotel rooftop serving Roman cuisine
Osteria Trastevere is the latest rooftop restaurant in Trastevere, Rome’s best-loved going out district. It’s a cute, under-the-radar hotel restaurant that you would have to know about, as you are not going to stumble upon this in a million years.
Osteria Trastevere serves as the house restaurant of Loly Boutique hotel, a cute hotel with around 35 rooms which opened in June 2022 in an old printing press on the quiet site of Trastevere.
The rooftop doesn’t enjoy particularly panoramic views, but it is nestled amongst cute apartment blocks in a wholesome corner of Trastevere. The overall mood is one of dining in a private and reasonably exclusive spot.
Osteria Trastevere is open to outside diners – not just hotel guests – but booking is advised as there aren’t many tables on the roof. In cool weather, plan to eat indoors on a gorgeous mezzanine round the high atrium of the hotel.
What’s on offer here? Osteria Trastevere stays true to its name and its heritage by placing Roman cuisine at the heart of the menu, even if it is refined and reworked. I tried scallop, prawn and skate-filled ravioli served with a tomato sauce – a huge plate of pasta priced at €20. The classics of Roman cuisine all cost a good value €14 – perfect prices for a homely Roman rooftop like this.
€€ Osteria Trastevere, Via Emilio Morosini, 17, Rome Tel +39 (0)6 8679 8001
Polpetta Trastevere: street food in a pretty, terraced garden
Polpetta Trastevere, a fast casual eatery in Rome’s buzziest going-out district, is both a simple street food joint and a restaurant with a lovely rooftop garden. From the outside, you wouldn’t know that this meatball-themed diner has a garden bigger than the restaurant itself, but that’s the beauty of Polpetta!
Heavily patronised by tourists due to its Trastevere location, this is the fourth Polpetta restaurant in the city, after Ostiense, Monti and Fiumicino. But Romans in the know are happy to drop in as well, particularly for the aperitivo hour, when meat, fish and vegan balls contribute to the perfect pre-dinner drink and the cocktails are pretty good too! Try the bubble spritz which contains little balls of tapioca to stay on theme.
If you’re planning to stay for dinner, pick the Trastevere location and reserve a table on the rooftop. You won’t be disappointed! The historic garden of Polpetta Trastevere, which is connected to lots of lovely Roman (and romantic) anecdotes, overlooks the ancient city walls and it manages to be quite a romantic spot as well. But the prices are down to earth: expect to pay €2-€3 per polpette, with the recipes ranging from Thai spices to Neapolitan favourite salsiccia e friarelli. There are also sturdy pasta dishes combining spaghetti and meatballs with a variety of sauces – expect to pay around €10 for these. Despite the meatball theme, this restaurant caters well to non meat eaters with a range of vegetarian options.
Of course, the desserts are round in form too but rather tasty – including varieties such as tiramisu, strawberry cheesecake, and coconut with hazelnut spread. All in all, Polpetta Trastevere is a great solution when you fancy a Roman rooftop but you don’t want to blow the budget.
€ Polpetta Trasevere, Via di Porta Settimiana 8, Rome Tel +39 06 581 8284
Ninkasi Craft Beer House – the ultimate biergarten in Rome
I’ll be the first to admit that Nnkasi Craft Beer House isn’t on a rooftop, but how about a old-world pub nestled in an extensive, green biergarten which whisks you away to Munich in a trice?
This unique bar and eatery, positioned on the edge of the San Giovanni district and not far from Pigneto, is set in an old, farmhouse-style villa in a courtyard garden. The owners have added plants, candles and twinkling lights to create a beer garden with distinctly German undertones – just perfect in the hot Italian summer!
Settle in to try one of over 100 varities of Lambic beer, or select one of the tens of craft ales on tap, from Belgium, Germany, the UK and Italy. The food is designed to complement the informal beer garden style, with lots of moreish fried goodies – from suppli to vegetable bites – and the pizzas are superb. In the winter months, expect some rather Germanic fare which includes tasty shanks of meat and roast veg.
Come for the garden, stay for the beer, the food and the atmosphere!
€ Ninkasi Craft Beer House, Via Acireale, 22, Rome Tel +39 (0)6 9594 7356
Donna E Bistrot at Elizabeth Unique Hotel in via del Corso
If you’re staying right in the heart of Rome, it can be difficult to find a good restaurant on a rooftop. The Donna E Bistrot at the Elizabeth Unique Hotel is an exception, positioned right on Via del Corso – Rome’s main shopping street – and just minutes from both Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps.
This refined, 5 star hotel is ideal for art lovers, as it also functions as a private art gallery with art for sale curated by local gallerist Fabrizio Russo.
Even if you can’t quite stretch to a room or a suite here, I’m here to tell you that you can probably afford dinner in the Donna E Bistrot, with its modest, modern roof terrace.
The chef, Riccardo Pepe, hails from Basilicata and brings a distinct taste of the south to his menus. We started with a tomato stuffed with mozzarella cream, before trying other simple fare such as orecchiette pasta with breadcrumbs and crusco pepper. There are some other good plates for vegetarians, including vegetarian dumplings with tomato sauce and pecorino.
If you love desserts, don’t miss the peaches and cream crumble or flambeed crepe suzette.
€€€ Donna E Bistrot, Elizabeth Unique Hotel, Via delle Colonnette, 35, Rome Tel +39 (0)6 322 3633
Casina Valadier, panoramic restaurant in Villa Borghese
Casina Valadier, a white-pillared mansion on the edge of Villa Borghese overlooking the rooftops of old Rome, is one of the city’s best kept secrets.
Comprising the gourmet Vista Restaurant on its rooftop – one of Rome’s most romantic restaurants – and representing an exceptional events space and wedding venue, Casina Valadier is also home to a summer pop-up restaurant and bar which takes advantage of its extraordinary gardens.
The focus here is on sustainable dining and an experience at one with the plants, encircled as it is by the wonderful park and landscaped gardens of Villa Borghese. With peerless terrace views, you’ll feel like you’re on top of the world – a great place to escape the heat in Rome.
Casina Valadier’s summer garden restaurant is open from 18.00 in the evening to 2.00 in the morning, so you can not only enjoy sunset moments here but also candlelit al fresco dining.
€€€ Casina Valadier Roma , Piazza Bucarest, Rome Tel +39 392 382 3924
Ristorante Mirabelle: rooftop restaurant in Rome
Mirabelle Restaurant Rome, the seventh floor restaurant at the Splendide Royal Hotel in Rome, is one of the very best rooftop restaurants in Rome.
Offering open air dining in the warm months of the year on one of Rome’s best roof terraces overlooking Villa Borghese, Mirabelle is still one of the best restaurants in Rome with a view during winter. From the end of October, the wrap-around terrace is closed under glass and heated snugly with burners, without interrupting its peerless views of Saint Peter’s in the Vatican.
Views aside, choose Mirabelle Restaurant for assured, gourmet dining in the safe hands of chef Stefano Marzetti, who had been guiding the ample kitchen brigade here for around a decade. Mirabelle is perfect for a romantic dinner or anniversary, or simply a decadent occasion to enjoy good company, fine food, and impeccable service. Read my full review here.
€€€ Mirabelle Restaurant, Hotel Splendide Royale, Via di Porta Pinciana, 14, Rome
Livia Restaurant, rooftop dining on a Roman museum
If you fancy dining in an original and very centrally located restaurant in Rome, then Livia Restaurant at Palazzo Massimo may be the right choice for you. Livia Restaurant at Palazzo Massimo launched in early April 2022 in a brand new restaurant space on the first floor of the National Roman Museum at Palazzo Massimo.
Representing a cosy spot in the winter, it is also a great choice for dining in summer, due to its gorgeous outdoor terrace with views across Piazza Repubblica. Livia Restaurant at the National Roman Museum serves food from chef Fulvio Penta, who combines seasonal Italian ingredients with flavours from further afield.
On my visit to Livia Restaurant at Palazzo Massimo, dinner including a lovely pasta course of fettuccine with a savoury veal and artichoke sauce (€14). I also tried the fillet of Black Angus with a potato rosti (€22), and a tasty layered pastry and fruit coulis dessert called a diplomatico (€4). This was served with local Italian wines – the list of wines and champagnes is excellent.
Livia Restaurant is an elegant yet cosy space on the first floor of a stunning museum, making it an unusual and impressive restaurant for a date or a special dinner with a difference. While the mood is gourmet, you can also order burgers priced between €11 and €14 so it doesn’t have to be a prohibitively expensive experience.
Overall, this is a great restaurant in Rome to have up your sleeve when in the Termini area, when in search of a budget rooftop restaurant in Rome, or after a visit to the National Roman Museum at Palazzo Massimo. Full article here.
€ Livia Restaurant, National Roman Museum, Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Largo di Villa Peretti, 2, Rome
Hi-Res, one of the most glamourous rooftop restaurants in Rome
Right in the heart of old Rome, just a stone’s throw from Piazza del Popolo, Hi-Res or High Restaurant is a dreamy, glass-walled palace overlooking terracotta rooftops and cobbled streets on top of the Hotel Valadier.
Hotel Valadier in Rome is one of those iconic properties which has left an indelible mark on the city of Rome, but isn’t afraid of change. As well as Hi-Res, it also has a divine cellar bar, Valentyne, with live music.
Hi-Res is a rooftop restaurant in Rome which manages to mix old and new in both its architecture and menu. The restaurant is housed in an extraordinary glass-house on top of this period building, with stunning views of Villa Borghese and Piazza del Popolo.
Its menu is steeped in Italian lore, featuring the freshest fish, pasta, locally sourced meats and more – but the presentation and ingredient combinations are avant-garde.
This is a sensationally well put together menu and restaurant with Italian aesthetics in its DNA. As well as being a beautifully appointed lunch or dinner for a special occasion, the people watching at Hi-Res is divine.
€€€ Hi-Res, Hotel Valadier, Via della Fontanella, 15, Rome Tel +39 06 321 2905
Terrazza Ciampini, Rome rooftop restaurant at Caffè Ciampini
If you’ve ever fancied eating a pizza on a rooftop in the heart of old Rome with scintillating Spanish Steps views, I’m here to tell you that it can be done! Terrazza Ciampini, which looks like a green den from the roadside, enjoys incredible rooftop views of the back of the Spanish Steps and Via di S. Sebastianello, while remaining a great place for a relatively affordable and simple dinner. The ample menu contains something for everyone, whether you fancy pizza and a beer, or pasta with a glass of sparkling wine – Terrazza Ciampini has it all.
Come for the views and stay for the cool breeze when it’s hot in the city. Terrazza Ciampini is one of Rome’s best-kept secrets and one of the prettiest restaurants near the Spanish Steps.
€€ Terrazza Ciampini, Caffè Ciampini di Marco Ciampini, Piazza della Trinità dei Monti, 2, Rome, Tel +39 06 678 5678
Up Sunset Bar – La Rinascente rooftop, Via del Tritone, Rome
The Up Sunset bar and terrace restaurant occupies the sixth and seventh floor of La Rinascente in Via del Tritone, including the outdoor, upper level. Owned by by Michelin-starred chef Riccardo Di Giacinto, Up Sunset Bar is one of the best rooftop restaurants in Rome for casual dining. Enjoying fabulous views overlooking the Eternal City, this is just the place for a quick bite or refreshing drink after some much deserved retail therapy.
If you’re planning on eating here, breakfast is available from 10.00, with the regular kitchen open from 11.00 in the morning until 23.00 at night, offering pasta and pizza, salads and sandwiches, hamburgers and moreish desserts. The aperitivo hour official runs from 17.00 – 21.00, while from 22.00 until midnight, it’s time to get into the after dinner mood with a signature cocktail. Reserving a table for a special occasion is essential.
€ Up Sunset Bar, 6th & 7th floors La Rinascente, Via del Tritone 61, Rome Tel +39 0687916652
