Where to Eat in Rome on a Monday

Rome can be a fantastic city to eat in, particularly if you have three hours for a Sunday lunch. But after a long week of cooking and entertaining, many restaurants take Monday off.

Here’s where to eat in Rome on a Monday if you are looking for a table at the beginning of the week.

Restaurants open on Monday in Rome:

Cesare al Casaletto

This local trattoria became the talk of the town by serving up fresh Roman classics. A bit off the beaten path, the location is easy to reach by public transport but its non-central location means fewer tourists make the trek. However, it is easy to get to – simply take the 8 tram past Trastevere and to the last stop (Casaletto). There you will find Cesare’s, which offers fantastic aubergine croquettes, seasonal pastas and hearty meat courses including some of the best oxtail in Rome.

Cesare is closed Wednesdays, so it is a great option for where to eat on a Monday in Rome. Reservations are essentially required if you hope to find a table. When you call, ask for a table outside on the patio when the weather is nice.

Via del Casaletto, 45
+39 06 536015

Flavio al Velavevodetto

Built into the side of an archeological site, Flavio al Velavevodetto is the perfect one stop shop for Rome’s most famous specialties. Chef Flavio De Maio oversees the busy kitchen which turns on of the city’s best versions of cacio e pepe – a creamy pasta dish made with pecorino cheese and topped with freshly ground black pepper.  You can try it any day of the week but I recommend calling ahead for both lunch and dinner reservations.

Via di Monte Testaccio, 97
+39 06 574 4194

 

Ristorante Salumeria Roscioli

Closed on Sundays, Roscioli is fair game for Monday meals in Rome. Call ahead to snag an upstairs table and settle in for a feast. The upscale Roman restaurant excels at appetizers like creamy burrata cheese with semi-dried tomatoes and vanilla-buttered anchovy bruschetta. The small dishes are recommended before moving on to one of the best carbonaras in the city.

Via dei Giubbonari, 21/22
+39 06 6875287

L’Arcangelo

How can you not love a guy whose name is literally Arcangelo? The chef has created a cosy bistrot in the Prati neighborhood that is an ideal stop for a quick lunch or dinner. The star of the menu is the Thursday special – gnocchi alla amatriciana – the bacon tomato sauce is perfection. However, even on Mondays you can sample L’Arcangelo’s distinct culinary touch, such as onion raviolo pasta topped with garum (ancient roman fish sauce) or squid covered in peach sauce.

Via Giuseppe Gioacchino Belli, 59
+39 06 321 0992

Armando al Pantheon

After taking Sunday off, this small but elegant dining room reopens on Monday just around the corner from the Pantheon. The family-run restaurant has been a part of Rome’s dining scene since the 1960s, when it began serving up lunches and wine by the liter to day laborers. Now a more refined affair, you can find some of the best takes on classics like gricia, amatriciana and cacio e pepe. Expect to pay a few euro more for each dish, but it will be money well spent.

Reservations are essential.

Salita dei Crescenzi, 31
+39 06 68803034

Trattoria Dal Cavalier Gino (also known as Gino al Parlamento)

Trattoria Dal Cavalier Gino has not changed much of its décor since opening in 1963 – but why mess with a good thing? The family-run restaurant is located in a quiet alley around the corner from Italy’s parliament, making it a favorite among politicians and the journalists who follow them. While the Roman specialties like carbonara are always recommended, the trattoria also has a changing menu of delicious seasonal dishes and sides.

Vicolo Rosini, 4
+39 06 6873434

Ristorante il San Lorenzo

Though closed for lunch, this restaurant reopens for Monday night dinners. Sleek and contemporary Il Sanlorenzo is undoubtedly one of the best places in Rome for seafood. In a city better known for offal, the modern dining experience with formal service also means that it is one of the priciest fish meals in Rome. The quality, however, is unrivaled.

Via dei Chiavari, 4/5
+39 06 6865097

Trattoria da Danilo

There are few dishes that are more Roman than carbonara, and Da Danilo makes one of the best versions of in the Eternal City. The small restaurant tops their carbonara with truffle and a perfectly crisped piece of bacon, instead of guanciale. Slightly outside the most touristy area of Rome, and only a few minutes from Santa Maria Maggiore, the cozy space is filled with Romans looking for a classic (but not overly casual) meal. An extensive wine list, with plenty of natural wine options, is also available to pair with your meal. It is open on Monday – but only for dinner!

Agustarello

Unassuming Agustarello skips all frills and focuses exclusively on the food. Located on a residential street near Testaccio’s church, the family run Trattoria excels at local Roman dishes, including oxtail slowly braised in a bitter chocolate, pine nut, raisin and tomato sauce. The casual restaurant has other Roman offal dishes such as tripe and coratella as well. In the summer, a small side patio offers a small bit of outdoor seating.

Via Giovanni Branca, 100
+39 06 5746585

Pizza on Mondays in Rome:

Many of Rome’s pizzerie are closed on Sundays, meaning they reopen Monday night for an easy week night meal.  (Some are closed Wednesdays – but don’t ask me why).

Options for pizza include:

Da Michele, Rome

Whereas Roman pizza tends towards thin and crispy, Neapolitan pizza is known for its chewy doughy base. Most of Rome’s pizzerie stick with the Roman classics, but the recently opened L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele comes directly from Naples. The Rome location, which is a short walk from Piazza del Popolo, has expanded offerings and a more modern atmosphere than the original Naples shop. Start with nodini – fried pizza dough that comes with your choice of saucy or cheesy dips. Then, opt for either the classic marinara (red sauce with garlic and oregano – no cheese), or margarita (red sauce with fiore di latte cheese).  Try to go early to avoid the line.

Explora Museum
Via Flaminia, 80/82

 

Ai Marmi

Ai Marmi is a lively traditional Roman pizzeria filled with long marble tables (marmi means “marble” in Italian) that are pushed together in rows to accommodate the crowds that flock to this Trastevere institution for crispy thin pizza. Watching the pizzas being expertly slipped into the woodfire oven is half the fun. The rest of the interior is dominated by old school typography advertising supplí al telefono (fried rice and mozzarella balls that you should order as an appetizer).

Viale Trastevere 53

 

Sforno

The out of the way location means Sforno requires a bit of a trek from the center of Rome, but the trip is worth it to experience Stefano Callegari’s pillowy creations. The pizza at this boutique pizzeria tend to be softer and chewier than standard Roman pizza due to the long slow rise used for the dough. Start with the cacio e pepe, a pizza so fully loaded with pecorino cheese that its best to share as an appetizer, along with a side of golden fried cod, called baccalà. Move on to the signature Greenwich pizza, topped with mozzarella, stilton and a port reduction, and pair with plenty of Italian craft beers.

Via Statilio Ottato, 110/116
+39 06 71546118

Da Remo

A classic pizzeria with Roman attitude, Da Remo is a no frills option for pizza in the Testaccio neighborhood. Once seated, you will be presented with a small sheet of paper listing the pizza options. If you don’t feel comfortable with your Italian, you can ask for a full menu that details what each topping means. However, hold on to that paper! It is also key to how you order – write the number of desired pizzas next to the appropriate topping and the waiter will stop by to pick it up.

Piazza di Santa Maria Liberatrice, 44

Are there any other places that you would recommend to eat on Monday?

Looking for more insider tips on what to see, do and eat in Rome? Download the Discover Rome App for iPhoneand Android today. 

10 thoughts on “Where to Eat in Rome on a Monday

  1. Lucy says:

    Ah so many familiar restaurant names from my last trip to Rome (which was THREE YEARS AGO, absolutely unacceptable…) I would say I don’t miss the difficulties of finding a decent place to eat on a Monday night, except that Exeter isn’t that much better. We have about five decent independent restaurants in this so-called “city” and they all like to close at awkward times too, just like being in Italy again but without the sun and pizza! xxx
    Lucy @ La Lingua | Life, Travel, Italy

  2. Odd says:

    Thanx for this post. I will arrive early on Sunday, i see many places is closed on Sundays too. I hope to book lunch at Colline Emiliane. Been there before.

    Gino al Parlamento is great, last time i did eat all my dinners there.

  3. Judy says:

    How to you recommend booking a reservation from overseas? I have asked my hostel to book for me but they said no. Do you think if I went to the restaurant a day ahead and booked for the following day, I would be able to get a spot at a restaurant like Armando Al Pantheon?

  4. Sara says:

    Hi Natalie,

    Thanks so much for this helpful list! Your website has been excellent for planning our trip to Rome, including day trips that you’ve recommended. I’m going to try calling some restaurants via Skype based on your recommendation above. I wanted to ask if these restaurants require a credit card to book a table? Thank you in advance!

    • Natalie says:

      Hi Sara! Upscale restaurants do sometimes require a credit card, but most will not. Those that do, usually have a booking system on their website so that you can do this online. (Armando al Pantheon comes to mind)

  5. David says:

    One of the first things I was told when I began traveling to Rome many years ago was not to eat fish on Monday, since the boats don’t go out on Sundays. I like Il Sanlorenzo a lot, and see that they are open on Monday night. But will I get their best effort (which is pretty spectacular)?
    Thanks!

  6. Lisa says:

    This will become a very valuable guide in exactly 59 days. Thank you so much for letting me know where we will be able to find a good meal on a Monday.

  7. Stephanie Stippich says:

    Hi Natalie, my family and I are visiting Rome this November 2021. Can you tell me if all these recommendations are still available to eat at? And if you don’t mind sharing what are the dining restrictions for public dining.
    Thank you so much

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