Restaurants Near the Vatican: Where to Eat in Prati and Borgo
Updated October 28, 2026
For restaurants near the Vatican you have two options: the cafés inside the Museums or the restaurants of Prati and Borgo, a few minutes' walk away. Inside the Museums there are cafés, a self-service restaurant and a pizzeria along the route, which covers lunch at the Vatican Museums, but you cannot eat or drink in the galleries. Outside, in Prati you will find everything from the neighborhood market to pizza by the slice next to Cipro metro; Borgo is closer to St. Peter's Square. Below are eight real places with their address and straight-line distance to the Museums entrance. We are not paid by any of them. Opening hours change, so check them before you go.
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1. Old Bridge Gelateria
Prati · 0.24 km
A gelato shop on the street that runs along the wall, on the way between the metro and the Museums entrance. It is about 240 m in a straight line from the Vatican Museums entrance and about 470 m from St. Peter's Square.
Viale dei Bastioni di Michelangelo 5, 00192 Roma
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3. Mercato Trionfale
Prati · 0.32 km
The neighborhood food market, for buying food and having a picnic. It is open Monday to Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., according to OpenStreetMap. It is about 320 m in a straight line from the Vatican Museums entrance and about 880 m from St. Peter's Square.
Via Andrea Doria 41, 00192 Roma
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5. Bonci Pizzarium
Prati · 0.57 km
Pizza by the slice to take away, next to Cipro metro station. According to OpenStreetMap it is open Monday to Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and on Sundays from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. It is about 570 m in a straight line from the Vatican Museums entrance and 1 km from St. Peter's Square.
Via della Meloria 43, 00136 Roma
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7. Sciascia Caffè
Prati · 0.78 km
A café in Prati for breakfast or a coffee before your visit, a few blocks from Ottaviano metro. It is about 780 m in a straight line from the Vatican Museums entrance and about 920 m from St. Peter's Square.
Via Fabio Massimo 80a, 00192 Roma
Eating inside the Vatican Museums
The Vatican Museums have cafés, a self-service restaurant and a pizzeria along the route. Food and drink cannot be consumed in the galleries. The route is about 7 km long, so a break halfway helps. To work out your timing, see how long it takes to see the Vatican Museums.
Prati and Borgo: where everything is
Prati, north of the Museums, is a neighborhood with hotels, restaurants and the Mercato Trionfale; it is the best area to eat before an early-entry ticket or after leaving via Viale Vaticano. Borgo, between St. Peter's Square and Castel Sant'Angelo, has trattorias and pizzerias on streets such as Borgo Pio; it suits you if you finish your visit at the basilica.
What to avoid
Three simple tips to keep in mind.
- Eating in the galleries — It is not allowed. Use the cafés along the route or eat before you go in.
- Rushing to your time slot — Tickets have a fixed time. Eat after your visit if your ticket is for midday.
- Taking bags of food into the basilica — The basilica does not allow eating inside and has no cloakroom: finish eating before the security check.
Frequently asked questions
Where can you eat near the Vatican?
Inside the Museums, at their cafés, self-service restaurant or pizzeria; outside, in Prati (north of the Museums) or in Borgo (next to St. Peter's Square).
Is there a restaurant inside the Vatican Museums?
Yes. Along the route there are cafés, a self-service restaurant and a pizzeria. You cannot eat or drink in the galleries.
Is there a restaurant in the Sistine Chapel?
No. The Sistine Chapel is a chapel where silence is kept; the cafés are in other parts of the Museums route.
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