If you are a true food connoisseur and want to seize the opportunity of your trip to the Italian capital to indulge in a truly sumptuous meal, try one of the best seafood restaurants in Rome we recommend and you will long for more.
In some Italian regions, seafood is more common than in others. If you travel to Sardinia, Sicily, or Puglia, you are likely to find better seafood restaurants than in Valle d’Aosta. Great fish-based dishes, however, can be found all over the country, and Rome boasts some pretty awesome fish restaurants that can’t miss.
Our list includes options for every budget, from the pricy fine-dining restaurant to the affordable osteria-type eatery, all with the common trait of high-quality fresh fish and original dish creations. To make it easier to decide where to go, we mentioned the neighborhood each restaurant is located in and we placed them on an easy map.
Read on and get ready to tuck into unforgettable seafood delicacies in Rome!
The best fish and seafood restaurants in Rome – Map
L’Estro del Pesce (Rione Trieste)
L’Estro del Pesce is a relatively new fish restaurant in Rome that opened its doors in 2019 in the elegant Trieste area near Quartiere Coppedè and Viale Regina Margherita. This is a residential area packed with offices where you will find mainly demanding locals so the food is not of tourist quality.
While serving original and innovative dishes, the chef of this cozy restaurant proposes a culinary offer that remains familiar, simple, and homemade-style. Beautiful plating and attention to detail complete the experience. What you will find here are the dishes of the tradition prepared and served with the chef’s personal touch and imagination.
The fish is very fresh and a large part of the appetizers consists of tartare and raw pieces as well as oysters and smoked fish. Following are cooked starters and deep-fried appetizers. Among the first courses, you can order all types of pasta such as tonnarelli, paccheri short pasta, and gnocchi, while the mains include the catch of the day in salt or potato crust or prepared in a different way every day depending on what arrives from the sea.
- Where: Via Adige 30e.
- When: Tuesday to Saturday 11 am-3 pm and 6-11.30 pm, Sunday 12-3 pm. Monday closed.
- Website.
Pirò – Seafood Osteria (Rome City Center)
One of the best seafood restaurants in Rome that is also very affordable is conveniently located in the heart of the Centro Storico, so easy to get to while exploring the most famous landmarks. For its position and great fares, this is one of the fish restaurants in Rome you can keep in mind at the end of your sightseeing. Pirò, in fact, is open only for dinner.
This is a relatively recent project by the Pironi family, founders and owners of Trattoria Trilussa historic restaurant in Trastevere and is located in an 11th-century palace near Piazza Navona. The kitchen dishes out intentionally simple fares that bring out the authentic flavors of each ingredient.
With a menu that strictly follows seasons and tides, customers will always find the freshest fish from the Italian coast. The list of recipes ranges from raw and warm appetizers to first courses where fish, shellfish, and seafood meet seasonal veggies and herbs. Among the mains are fine dishes such as stir-fried octopus on potatoes mille-feuille and sea-inspired chimichurri, and salmon on lemon and shallot sauce and sauteed spinach.
- Where: Vicolo della Cancelleria 36.
- When: Monday to Saturday 7-11 pm. Sunday closed.
- Website.
MARE NOSTRUM Seafood (Trastevere)
One of the top seafood restaurants in Rome’s Trastevere, Mare Nostrum is the Mediterranean and Seafood stands for the touch of modernity the chef wants to give to traditional recipes. The epicenter here is Sicily and its rich gastronomy of intoxicating flavors and scents.
The ingredients they use are seasonal and locally sourced fresh every day. This is why, apart from the fixed menu, the chef also proposes dishes that change on a daily basis depending on the catch of the day and the products they find at the local market.
They have a menu for lunch, one for dinner, and one à la carte also for aperitif organized every day from 6 pm to 8 pm. The aperitif mainly consists of a drink (soft drinks, wines, and cocktails) and finger foods. Lunch is only on Saturday and Sunday, while dinner is every day except Monday and the menu includes fish and seafood courses from the appetizers (both raw and cooked) to the first courses to the mains.
Some of the dishes are clearly inspired by Sicilian cuisine and they all match the fish with seasonal veggies including the delicious glassworts. Sicily’s influence can be spotted in the desserts too with options like “cannolo” and “cassata”.
- Where: Via Aurelio Saffi 7.
- When: Tuesday to Sunday 7.30 pm-10.30 pm, Saturday and Sunday also for lunch 12.30-3.30 pm.
- Website.
Il Tempio di Iside (Rione Monti)
This is one of the historic seafood restaurants in Rome and is located in the lively Monti neighborhood. While it’s not a cheap eat, the quality and freshness of their ingredients and the creativity of their dishes make Il Tempio di Iside always a safe choice. Its position a stone’s throw from the Colosseum makes it even more alluring.
If you are looking for a great place for Italian and Mediterranean seafood dishes, give this restaurant a try. Here, you can even enjoy very well-made deep-fried preparations that won’t give you a sense of heaviness and guilt.
Once you are done visiting Rome’s most famous archaeological sites, a meal here is well-deserved.
- Where: Via Pietro Verri 1.
- When: Monday to Saturday 12.30-2.30 pm and 7.30-10.30 pm. Closed on Sunday.
- Website.
Don’t miss our tips for visiting the Colosseum in Rome.
Il SanLorenzo (Rione Regola/Campo de’ Fiori)
This is another place among the most famous seafood restaurants in Rome located in the heart of the city between Campo de’ Fiori and Largo Argentina so also close to the Jewish Quarter easy to reach on foot.
Their menu changes frequently because it strictly depends on each harvest and what produce the seasons offer. Some of the dishes that are likely to remain in all seasons include the raws, the farro spaghetti with Ponza anchovies, and when in season, spaghetti with sea urchins.
The pasta and the bread they serve come from high-quality famous bakeries and forni, while the cakes are made by their own pastry chef. The shellfish you will find here come from Sabaudia near Rome, famous for the clams, while the oysters are from Brittany. The fish they serve and cook comes from Ponza island in the Lazio region and from the coast near Rome, Civitavecchia and Anzio.
- Where: Via dei Chiavari 4/5.
- When: Tuesday to Friday 12.45-2.45 pm and 7.30-11.45 pm, Saturday and Monday only for dinner 7.30-11.45 pm. Sunday closed.
- Website.
Osteria Maré (Salario)
We loved this cozy and laid-back seafood restaurant in Rome’s Salario neighborhood. We ended up here after a full morning exploring Villa Torlonia park and its beautiful Casino Nobile, Serra Moresca, and Casina delle Civette.
Given its position in a residential district packed with offices, such a great restaurant offering delicious dishes at very convenient prices is always crowded. We arrived without booking and we only found a table outside, but since it was nice weather, we immediately accepted.
For office workers and only on weekdays from Monday to Friday, they have a business lunch format that becomes very convenient where you can choose two dishes, one first course and a main for 10€. Even though we were not office workers, we used the same menu option and our meal was more than fulfilling.
Their deep-fried was excellent, crunchy, and light instead of heavy and greasy like when it’s made with low-quality oil. All the dishes we ordered were extremely fresh as the chef only uses the catch of the day strictly from the Italian coast.
The dishes are strongly influenced by the Sicilian gastronomy built over thousands of years, and eating here will give you a piece of regional culture. Apart from the dishes on the menu, you can also approach the counter, pick your favorite fish, and ask to prepare it for you the way you prefer.
Even though this might not an area you go to every day, this is a restaurant to keep in mind because it’s likely where you will want to eat if you visit the landmarks of the area or if you have booked here your hotel.
- Where: Viale Regina Margherita 225.
- When: Tuesday to Sunday 12.30-3 pm and 7.30-11 pm, Friday and Saturday until 11.30 pm, Sunday until 10.30 pm. Monday closed.
- Website.
Ristorante Banchina 63 (Prati)
The Prati neighborhood is always where I suggest going when someone asks me where to eat near the Vatican. This is a very touristy area and the result is that in the local restaurants, you will find many tourist menus and deals. Once you are done visiting the Vatican, I recommend straying a bit from the tourist areas and getting to Prati because this is where locals eat.
Banchina 63 is a great place for lunch, aperitif, and dinner. Their kitchen dishes out a tempting menu of fresh fish where attention is paid to the smallest details. In the appetizers to open the meal, a selection of the best raws is unmissable including oysters, red prawns from Mazara del Vallo, tuna, and more.
The dishes are made with a careful selection of the catch of the day and high-quality pasta and rice.
The drinks selection is handled by a professional barman who will give you suggestions on the right wines and drinks depending on your dishes and whether you are having lunch, aperitif, or dinner. If you are enjoying there your aperitif, you can give one of their cocktails a try as they are a perfect balance of drinks and fresh fruits, and high-quality ingredients.
- Where: Via Emilio Faà di Bruno 63.
- When: Tuesday to Saturday 6.30-11 pm, Sunday 12-3 pm. Monday closed.
- Website.
Check out our top tips for visiting the Vatican and optimizing your time and money!
Le Mani in Pasta (Trastevere)
This was a surprise that quickly became one of our favorite restaurants in Trastevere. It was founded by a Sardinian and an Apulian and you can see the touch of both regions in several preparations and ingredients such as the wide presence of bottarga (mullet roe), typical from Cabras in Sardinia.
In fact, I ordered what the waiter suggested, seafood spaghetti with bottarga and loved it. The fish and seafood offered are always very fresh, and the ingredients used follow the seasonal produce. So when is the season for mushrooms, artichokes, or whatever produce, go for it. We also ordered a delicious and crunchy squid and artichoke salad and we all loved it, my then 2-year-old included.
The restaurant is quite small inside, even though it has also an upper floor. If you have in mind to dine here, booking is highly recommended because it’s becoming always more popular and gets crowded pretty quickly.
- Where: Via dei Genovesi 37.
- When: Tuesday to Sunday 12.30-3 pm and 7.30-11.30 pm. Closed on Monday.
- Website.
Aromi Bistrot (Trevi)
One of the best places to eat near the Trevi Fountain, Aromi Bistrot is another great seafood restaurant in Rome that enjoys a fantastic location. Close to the famous Baroque fountain, Piazza Venezia, the Trajan’s Markets, and the Capitoline Museums, it’s easy to reach from several of the central landmarks.
The imagination and creative dishes of chef Erica De Falco are the ingredients of the successful recipe that makes Aromi Bistrot a perfect stop during your day of sightseeing, shopping, or lunch break from work.
Raws and tartare play a big role, and so do delicious deep-fried appetizers. But Aromi Bistrot is especially famous for its sandwiches, placing the restaurant the first gourmet fast food in Rome. Their dishes, in fact, are very versatile and can be enjoyed at the table or on the go.
Whatever you decide, you are going to love their original cold cuts of fish such as ham of amberjack, porchetta-style tuna, and amberjack sausage. Some of the dishes you might want to try if the catch of the day allows are deep-fried squid in a tabasco and lime mayo, supplì rice ball with eggplant cream, scamorza smoked cheese, a cube of smoked gilt-head bream, and herbs mayo, and mille-feuille of potatoes, salmon marinated with lime and pink pepper.
Their sandwich fillings include fried anchovies with burrata and smoked lemon jam, or salmon tartare with grilled zucchini and mint and goat cheese mousse with caramelized red onion, while the first courses are prepared with homemade egg pasta.
- Where: Via Quattro Novembre 138.
- When: Tuesday to Sunday 12-3.30 pm, from Thursday to Sunday open also for dinner 7.30-10.30 pm. Closed on Monday.
- Website.
Acquasanta Seafood Restaurant (Testaccio)
Launched in 2019, Acquasanta is the project of three friends from Anzio, near Rome. Here, you will find fish and seafood dishes that are no-frill and prepared according to tradition and perfectly blend with the traditional Testaccio neighborhood they are in.
While the dishes are simple, the menu changes frequently every season and even a few times each month. This gives customers always new flavors and new experiences.
Along with the menu à la carte, Acquasanta offers also three tasting menus, one for vegetarians and vegans. While most of the dishes on the menu are fish and seafood, you can find one or two options with meat or game such as quail. This is not very cheap eat as prices for a first course range between 24 and 27€ and mains cost between 24 and 28€.
- Where: Via Aldo Manuzio 28.
- When: Every day 7.30-11 pm, Thursday to Sunday also 12.30-3 pm.
- Website.
Meglio Fresco (Boccea and Vignaclara)
This is a fish market and seafood bistrot in northern Rome’s Boccea, an area of the Aurelio district. Located not far from the Battistini metro station on line A, it’s easy to reach with public transport in case you decide to book your hotel not in the immediate Centro Storico.
As a second venue, they have opened another shop also in northern Rome in the Vigna Clara area, far from the city center and served mainly by buses since there is no metro station nearby.
Both locations have both a fish market and a seafood restaurant. While Meglio Fresco in Boccea is great for working lunches and important occasions, the bistrot of Vigna Clara is more for casual dining.
The fish here is obviously very fresh so raw appetizers are a big part of the menu and so are the oysters, of which they offer a large choice with famous types such as Pousse en Claire, Ancelin, Gillardeau, Jardin de Tatihou, Fines de Claires, Special Daniel Sorlut (Perle Blanche), Tarbouriech, and Tsarskaya.
Their dishes are mainly made of fresh fish and fresh veggies, frequently changing depending on the season and the catch of the night before. This is why it’s not uncommon to find new dishes of the day on the menu.
- Where: Via di Boccea 350 and Via Pompeo Neri 42.
- When: Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. Closed on Sunday and Monday.
- Website.
Chinappi Seafood Restaurant (Trieste)
One of the most well-known seafood restaurants in Rome, Chinappi has been around since the 1950s in Formia (Latina province) first and then in the capital. Even though in the very city center, it’s located near Porta Pia in a lovely neighborhood, one of my favorite areas in Rome, lively, elegant, rich in history and landmarks, and packed with great restaurants.
So whether you are spending a day off the beaten path or you have booked here your hotel, consider Chinappi for a healthy lunch or a scrumptious, luxury dinner at the end of your sightseeing.
The fish cooked at Chinappi is bought daily at the auction of Formia on the Lazio coast. From raw and warm appetizers to first courses made with high-quality pasta and rice to mains where the seafood is the true star of the show, here you are going to have a gourmet meal any time.
If you are unsure about what to order, Chinappi also offers three tasting menus, one of 4 courses that costs 59€, one with 7 courses for 89€, and one “surprise” menu where the chef Stefano decides for 109€.
- Where: Via Augusto Valenziani 19.
- When: Tuesday to Sunday 12.30-2.30 pm and 7-10.30 pm. Closed on Monday.
- Website.
Looking for a place to stay? Check out our guide to the best hotels in Rome!
Barra Pescheria con Cucina (Piazza Vescovio)
Located in Piazza Vescovio near Villa Ada park on the side of the Catacombs of Priscilla. Like other places that made it on our list of the best seafood restaurants in Rome, this one, too, is set inside a fish shop. This makes it busy but it also guarantees extra freshness.
A cozy and rustic décor welcomes different types of customers, from businessmen to curious tourists on the lookout for a good restaurant where Romans eat. Make your ideal meal with raw and cooked starters, delicious seafood pasta, rice, or gnocchi, and grilled or fried fish and seafood as mains.
- Where: Piazza Vescovio 14.
- When: Tuesday to Saturday 12.30-3 pm and 7-11.30 pm, Sunday only 12.30-3.30 pm.
- Website.
Sor Duilio (Tiburtina)
This is quite far from the city center, but if you have opted for cheap Rome accommodation and have booked your room in the Tiburtina area, I’m sure you will be pleased to know that you can enjoy a top-notch fish and seafood dinner.
This is a historical fish shop and now also a fish restaurant in Rome that receives new fresh catch every day. Preparing it always in a different way, they ensure that eating at their restaurant equals a dive in the Mediterranean Sea.
The fish is very fresh so on the menu you will naturally find several raw dishes, especially among the starters. The main courses include “pasta del giorno”, pasta of the day that changes frequently, a few soup options, and mains such as stuffed squid or red tuna skewer.
What the staff suggests is to approach the counter when you arrive, take a look at the catch of the day, and let them help you decide what’s the best way to prepare them.
- Where: Via delle Cave di Pietralata 46.
- When: Tuesday to Saturday 8 am-11.30 pm. Sunday and Monday closed.
- Website.
Il Pescatorio Seafood Bistrot & Restaurant (Gianicolense/Monteverde)
Self-defined as the “kingdom” of fresh fish in Rome and the temple of those who want to eat fish in the capital, Il Pescatorio is in the green and residential Monteverde area, a lovely neighborhood to book your hotel even though a little far from the city center to which it’s connected with buses.
The bistro set beside the fish market offers options for a casual lunch, a cool aperitif of selected wines and raws, and a gourmet dinner with oysters, fish and seafood, and champagne.
If you have booked an apartment for your stay in Rome and sometimes you prefer to stay in for dinner or lunch, Il Pescatorio can become your reference for ready take-away meals or courses seasoned and ready to cook following the easy instructions they will give you at the shop.
- Where: Via Virginia Agnelli 91/93.
- When: Tuesday to Saturday 12.30-3 pm and 7.30-10.30 pm. Closed on Sunday and Monday.
- Website.
Ristorante Livello1 (EUR)
This is a great fish restaurant in Rome but it’s located far from the touristy areas in the modern EUR district. Easy to reach with public transport (closest metro is Laurentina of line B), this is a great eatery to keep in mind if you book here your hotel to stay far from the crowds and enjoy more tranquil nights.
EUR is a lively and busy residential area and this restaurant lies some 2 km (around 1.3 miles) from landmarks such as the Lago dell’EUR park, Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana known as the Square Colosseum for its shape, and kids’ heaven Luneur Park.
Ristorante Livello1 serves gourmet seafood dishes in a modern design for lunch and dinner. Every day from 6.30 pm, you can also enjoy a captivating aperitif with raw and cooked tastings and finger foods paired with cocktails and wines.
Next to the restaurant is also their Pescatoria fish market.
- Where: Via Duccio di Buoninsegna 25.
- When: Tuesday to Saturday 12.30-3 pm and 7.30-11 pm, Sunday only for lunch. Closed on Monday.
- Website.
