I stumbled on this delicious vegan restaurant while wandering the streets of Rome. I would've never guessed that the dish was vegan had I not read the menu more closely. The cheese was creamy and delicious, and the vegan bacon was crunchy with the perfect texture - just like real bacon. The owner stated that it was made from pea protein, which I also would never have guessed. PRO TIP: The they close the kitchen between lunch and dinner (at 3:30) so be sure to get there earlier for full access to the menu. Even though I arrived late, the waiter asked the kitchen to make me carbonara, and I'm so glad they did! I will definitely be coming back here again to try their other vegan dishes. The bruschetta was also phenomenal. The tomatoes are so much sweeter and the olive oil so smooth, much better than in the U.S. And of course, I can't forget the noodles - perfectly al dente and fresh. I feel so spoiled when I eat pasta in Italy! read more

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Rifugio Romano served the best vegan pizza I've ever eaten! Tbh, I haven't sampled too many other vegan pies prior, however this one certainly beat them out, though they could also work on their technique and flavors a little more. Searching for a place to eat, this place caught my eye for its good reviews on Gmaps and optimistic take on Roman classics turned plant-based. On a Friday around 1pm, right after we sat down, the restaurant sudden filled up with additional customers to about three-quarters full. Approximately two dozen seats inside and another dozen street side tables outside. Inside it's got a mom and pop traditional restaurant feel--a handful of two and four tops, a drinks fridge/wine chiller, a small corner bar, with medium-toned wooden tables and chairs. We checked in with the staff inside and they gave us the option to sit in or outside, we chose outdoors. Menus are scanned via QR code and if I recall correctly they have mostly Italian with some English. We ordered: - seasonal artichoke and vegan bacon pizza €16: first of all, the scale isn't obvious from my photo--it was a 12 inch pizza, for an individual pie--HUGE! Glad I saw the table over receiving their pizza first so I didn't make the big mistake of ordering more than one. Flavor--the artichoke, cheese and crust were a great combo, and the plant-based cheese stood out as one of the most strikingly similar cheesy textures out there. The bacon was visually and texturally dissimilar to the real thing, it looked dry though wasn't, and it wasn't bad, but it wasn't bacon. At least they hit one out of two on this pizza. It was a satisfying pie. - ratatouille €6: which ended up being sautéed beans, peas and asparagus. If there is one thing I noticed eating at a few different Italian restaurants in Italy--they overcook their vegetables, and this was on trend, a tad over, though still edible. The flavor was good but needed to tone down the salt a notch. Food arrived in about 15 minutes, the pizza was hot and crisp at the crust. Staff was friendly and checked in once during the meal. Cash and card accepted. Bathroom available though I didn't use it to comment. read more

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Disclaimer: I am a flexitarian. I generally try to eat plant based, but will still eat meat and other animal products on occasion - and when on vacation, I lift all food restrictions. All this is to say, while in Italy, I've had excellent cheese - and with vegan cheese being hit or miss, I went in a bit nervous about the vegan cheese platter appetizer. However, the cheese really blew me away: it was excellent vegan cheese and with great variety. The cheese on the platter had different textures and different flavors (including one with a delicious kick that I happily would've bought a block of) and did a great job emulating non-vegan cheese plates. I followed this up by trying their 3-d printed steak in pumpkin sauce. Firstly, the pumpkin sauce was incredible: I generally only tolerate pumpkin-based products, but I found this pumpkin sauce delicious - excellent flavor profile and perfectly complimenting the steak. For the steak: you definitely won't confuse this with actual meat, but it was still good and flavorful - and the texture itself was super interesting. It had the bit of a real steak but with layers and complexity. I'm very glad I ended up trying this. All in all, the dishes we ordered were all great - and really interesting. I'd highly recommend this place to anyone - even if you aren't vegan! read more

Rifugio Romano - cheese platter - Pizza Near Me - Rome, RM

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This was undoubtedly the best meal we had on our Rome trip. Italian food with a creative flare to elevate it beyond its usual simplicity and, in my opinion, rather bland and uninspired basis. All-vegan, highly varied menu with lots of creative appetizers, pasta, pizza, and plenty more. We split everything so we can try many thing. We ordered: -Vegan Tagliere (vegan meat & cheese plate; €16) -- this was easily the best of such dishes we've ever had, with everything homemade. The vegan cheeses were particularly incredible, with flavour sharpness and textures that were pretty damn impressive and realistic. -Gnocci (€14) -- wonderfully cooked gnocchi, served with artichokes, and served on a smoked cheesy base. -Vegan chicken with tomatoes and a potato side (€15) -- incredible vegan chicken texture made of soy, accompanied wonderfully by the tomatoes, and succulent herbed, roasted potatoes that melt in the mouth. Top-notch dish -Creamed spinach (€5) -- simple but nice accompaniment to the mains. Generous portion. -Tiramisu (€6) -- easily the best vegan tiramisu I've ever had. Wonderful textures, just enough coffee, great custard character, everything balanced. Doesn't get better. Friendly, fast service, and a pleasant environment. What more can be said? This place was awesome. read more

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Huge, diverse menu of vegan Italian food. The pasta carbonara, seafood and saffron arancini and tomato bruschetta were my faves. The spaghetti with tomato sauce looked amazing. Prompt and friendly service. All the servers work as a team and all strive to take care of you. Adorable patio. Small interior. Get a seat outside under the twinkly lights if the weather is nice. It's great for people-watching. read more

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Excellent food. Quaint restaurant. Tried the 3d printed soy steak which was excellent (I know it sounds weird).

Probably the best vegan pasta in the world. I came here twice, and tried the carbonara and the alla gricia. The carbonara was the best pasta I had ever had in my life up until I came back for the alla gricia. Both pastas were insanely creamy and simply perfection. I wish I had more time in Rome so I could try more of the extensive menu. Reservations are required, but it's not too hard to get one. Very decently priced as well, the pastas were both €13 each plus 2,50 for service/water. Seriously cannot recommend enough, this is easily some of the best vegan food in the world. read more

Rifugio Romano - carbonara - Pizza Near Me - Rome, RM

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My husband and I stumbled upon this place while roaming around in Rome :) we were lucky enough we were able to catch a seat without a reservation but I do recommend you make one. We had no idea that they were a fully vegan restaurant (not that it was an issue with us at all). We both ordered our dishes (cannelloni and cacio e pepe). They were both exceptional! The red sauce used in the cannelloni was the best I've ever had. The cacio e pepe had a nice twist with pear on it. Definitely recommend. The ladies that helped us during lunch time were great! We even decided to come back a second time during our time in Rome. read more

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The food was amazing! I already recommended it to my Vegan friends in the USA to check this place out when they visit. I was dining solo as was another lady that showed up a little while after me and the staff were very kind to make places for us to eat outside even though they shortly after had to turn away others due to lack of seating. I really appreciated that they treat solo diners just like any other customer, rather than turning us away in favor of more diners. read more

Had a reservation and due to traffic I missed and was late. However they were able to accommodate me and give me a seat outside under the gas warmers which was nice. I had the carbonara (amazing!) croquets (very good, didn't care for the sauce), and caramel desert (different but good) with a sauce didn't taste like caramel but wasn't bad, and a hard shelled caramel topping that was delicious! The cheesecake and whip cream were good but not the best I've ever had. My food came out quickly! I also had an excellent waiter! Overall, a must visit for vegans and non vegans. read more

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The cheese plate from this place was the most flavorful I've ever had. I've been plant based for 14+ years and have never had cheese this delicious. read more

Nothing special at beginning the girl that helped us was not too bad but the guys after was very rude! Still their food was ok! buddy in Rome is much much better read more

Service was very slow and worst I've experienced while in Rome, it was very obvious they favored locals, they checked on every table consistently but my fiancé and I. We got there around 9:15, we're ignored for the first 10-15 minutes even though multiple workers passed us, were done eating by 10:30 and didn't get the check until 10:56 even though our food was boxed up already and it was clear we were done eating as we had everything stacked to the side. Food was ok, overall rating of 5/10, very big menu must scan a QR Code to view, asked for a physical menu since the amount of options were overwhelming but they had none. Visited twice, yesterday night we made a reservation at 10, got there 15 minutes late unfortunately and were told we could no longer eat there yet they closed at 11 and almost every table was empty so we asked if we could get food to go and he said yes, if we ordered quickly. Tonight, we decided to go without a reservation and even though we were ignored for the first 10-15 min or so as multiple workers passed us, eventually a worker that had not passed us came up to us so we asked if we could be seated and they said that they were packed for the night. I asked if we could just wait until a table opened up and she said I don't know, I don't think so then shortly after she asked us if we were ok with being seated in the corner she could serve us so we said yes and we're seated. Overall customer service was poor and food wasn't great. Definitely need to work on their customer service as we felt uncomfortable most of the time we were there. read more

As a vegan family traveling to Rome, we were so excited to eat at Rifugio Romano, and to celebrate my 13 year old's birthday there. We had 48 hours in the city and this was the first place we went to, because of our excitement for it, and because we were sure we'd like to return. There was nothing on the website saying that a reservation was necessary. We excitedly walked up at 11:55am (they open at 11). Several tables were sat and they were serving already, but the VAST majority were free. As soon as we walked up, a waitress rudely told us that they wouldn't seat us without a reservation and they were going to be full at 12:30 - which I can appreciate if this was clear on the site, but it wasn't. She also didn't need to be rude like she was. We were crushed. We made a reservation for later in the afternoon, unsure how we were going to change plans. We then stood in front of the restaurant for nearly 45 minutes, trying to find other options for lunch (it's SO hard to find great vegan options in Italy) - and no one else arrived for the tables. We could have been done with our meal by the time we finally left the area. In the end, we never ended up going back because of the way that we were treated, it felt so awful to us and we could no longer be excited for a place who has such terrible customer service. So disappointed in this spot which is now forever off our bucket lists. read more

We ended up here on our first night in Roma. Highly rated and I can see why. Food was delicious. Everything tasted authentic and fresh. The reason why I am rating it one star less is because of the initial customer experience. The server was very dismissive bordering rudeness. Camilla however made up for his rudeness. read more

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Great place with outdoor seating that has many vegan options like spaghetti carbonara & pasta a la gricia. Staff is friendly and accommodating but arrive early because they get busy and indoor dining requires reservations. read more

I ordered the Eggplant rolls, and Suppli as starters, the Carbonara, Risotto and Summer Salad as mains and the Tiramisu for dessert. The starters we're both fine. The dipping sauce for the Suppli tasted like canned sauce but was ok and the eggplant was cooked well for the rolls. The Carbonara tasted like butter noodles with some cheesiness and a slightly off flavor. The meat was kinda sweet, chewy and almost tasted like jerky. This dish was the most disappointing since this is supposed to be their best while I couldn't even finish it. I don't have a good reference for non-vegan Rissoto but the one here was ok. Nothing offensive just not very tasty. The summer salad was probably the best thing but still not great. The texture of the salad was pretty uniform, but the flavor and ingredients were good. The Tiramisu tasted overly sour and the creme was thicker than I was expecting. Overall I was extremely disappointed in the food. I felt that this vegan food would be fine 10+ years ago but certainly needs an update. It feels like food like this is why people think vegan food is lesser than the animal product counterparts. read more

The food here is absolutely amazing! And it's hard to find too much fully vegan stuff in Rome, but here we are. Food: 5/5 All of it is vegan and tastes amazing. Service: the staff were friendly and amicable. The staff each spoke English or Spanish to varying degrees (all spoke Italian) The ambience is really nice, you can either sit outside or inside which is great. Interesting to note that they immediately tell people the food is 100% vegan, which is interesting to deter anybody who might be confused or just not interested. Be sure to make reservations beforehand or you might not eat, especially if you plan on eating in the evening. The only downside is that they have no breakfast. Would be absolutely great! Been going here every day for our trip. Still going! read more

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As a vegetarian, I can say without a doubt that the food this small vegan restaurant does is to die for. You could not even tell if the food was vegan or not. The service was super helpful and were very good english speakers. If you are vegetarian / vegan and are travelling to Rome and want to avoid the tourist traps; i would totally recommend here. I would recommend the cacío e pepe the most :) read more

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(Italy Edition) This place was a great find near our hotel (near roma termini). Homemade pasta was some of the best I had in Rome and the pizza was great too. Very busy local joint, nothing fancy but the food shines, super reasonable prices. Gluten free options as well which was a rare find. Food: 10/10 Value: 10/10 Service: 7/10 Atmosphere: 6/10 read more

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This place was highly recommended online so therefore it was extremely busy every night Reservations can only be made online. We did so for our last night in Rome with a table for two inside It is very small but we wanted to sit inside which we did. The menu can be seen on your phone and they have wifi to assist you We ordered the cheese plate with honey, the vegetable croquette, the beef and tomato sauce rice ball and the Cacio et Pepe truffle pasta When the waitress asked "all together" we thought she meant in regards to the bill. In actual fact she meant the meal. We were very surprised when it all came at once. But if a rush job there. The language barrier was a factor. So we ate the pasta and croquettes and had the cheese for dessert All of the food was very good. read more

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First, I reserved and the RUDEST girl, who "greeted" us said "no table available." I told her I'd reserved and she said NO again. She is the young lady with the shaved head, smells like cigarettes and has multiple piercings. This wasn't the first time she had been this rude. She was rude on other occasions that I ate here. I only came back because my previous meals had been so good. Today, the meal and service was atrocious. I had just taken a taxi there @ $12 to get there. I opted to take away food. I ordered the special risotto with the green peas and mint sauce. I also ordered the cacio e pepe and a small mixta salad. The young man who had taken our order, had also been our server on a couple of other occasions, and had been very pleasant. He looked extremely uncomfortable when the girl said there was no table available while they were three empty tables waiting, and not one of them had a reserved sign on them. I placed the order and called for another taxi to come and pick me up and take me back home to my rental. Another $12 to get home after spending $24 on this meal only to arrive home and have no risotto in the container as well as no dressing for the salad and over cooked pasta dish that was mushed together. I called the restaurant and informed the owner. He told me I could come back and they would prepare a risotto for me. I had already spent $24 to go and come in a taxi and $24 plus a tip and not to include the fact that he added a servizio charge even though we were not given a table to sit at. Be wary of this location, and especially of the young woman server with a shaved head, and all of the piercings on her ears, and face. If I were the owner or manager, I would have made it right and delivered the food. read more

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The food was very good--some of the best vegan Italian I've had. However the service left me somewhat dumbfounded. I tried to walk in one evening and they told me I needed a reservation. Totally fair; I made a reservation for the following evening right then with no dispute. The next evening, I show up at the time of my reservation and am told to wait, despite many open tables. Someone else shows up minutes later with no reservation, and they literally pull out an extra folding table to immediately seat him. Confused, some minutes later I request to be seated. All's fine and I think we're back on track until my food stops coming... 30 mins between my first and second courses as I sat with an empty wine glass. This was the restaurant I was most excited to try in Rome, but the service made me feel really mistreated. read more

Romantic vegan spot. Make a reservation. Their pastas and salads are incredible. Not too heavy and fresh. read more

Rifugio Romano - pasta and salad - Pizza Near Me - Rome, RM

Absolutely delicious! Staff is friendly and will provide assistance if asked. Quaint place....but very busy! It is best to make a reservation. We came without one and was able to get in...think because we got here before the TRUE dinner rush hit. I had the very spicy sausage spaghetti (it wasn't too spicy) and hubby had the vodka penne (with bacon). Also had the focaccia bread....each and every single thing we had was delicious! read more

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The food, ambiance, and customer service were all stellar. I would definitely recommend coming here. Especially to try their porchetta! It even inspired me to recreate this marvelous dish! read more

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I thought I'd be stuck with cheeseless pizza and salads in Rome as a vegan but THIS PLACE IS INCREDIBLE. They have a whole 4 pages of vegan menu including appetizers, pizza, pasta, desserts. So much to choose from that it honestly made it hard!! I started with the arrancini (fried rice ball) with vegan cheese inside... DELICIOUS. Came out hot and crispy. As my meal I got the vegan Diavola pizza with vegan cheese and spicy vegan salami. It was completely convincing as real cheese. Even my omnivorous friends loved it and couldn't believe it was vegan. My friend got the vegan carbonara and although he's not vegan, he said it was the best meal he's had all vacation (we're on about our 7th day). It was creamy and wonderful and the pieces of seitan were perfect. I would suggest calling ahead if that's a possibility for you. We had to wait a little while as the place was busy and is rather small. They do have nice outdoor heated seating though! The service was good / nice, but slow! Reasonable prices and incredible food. read more

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Make a reservation to be 10pm, arrived a 9:40 and told us not availability for the rest of the night. Very bad service Food is excellent read more

That was absolutely fantastic and awesome and every other superlative I could provide. Staff was wonderful - although they did not exactly give away their secrets on how these dishes are made! Wow! I happily recommend this restaurant. read more

Rifugio Romano - "Pannecota" - Pizza Near Me - Rome, RM

This place has a tom of vegan options. The vegan carbonara was amazing! I am excited to visit here again! read more

Rifugio Romano - Spaghetti alla carbonara vegan - Pizza Near Me - Rome, RM

This place is absolutely not to be skipped. Every single thing is delicious. Pricey but sooo worth it! I would eat here daily if I could. If you only eat at one splurge restaurant while you're in Rome, make it this one. The panna cotta was to die for. read more

Even though I enjoyed the dish I ordered, risotto with a creamy asparagus sauce, I will never return here. The waitstaff was extremely rude on my second visit and refused to seat me even though the restaurant was empty. I don't patronize racist establishments. read more

Rifugio Romano - Pizza Near Me - Rome, RM

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One of the best vegan restaurants in Rome I ordered the carbonara and the taste was super good reservations is needed since they do get busy. read more

Everything here is amazing! The food is divine! The service is fantastic! Great wine selection! There's street parking too. You must get here!! read more

We did not have a reservation, but they were able to squeeze us in at a table for only an hour, which was plenty of time. Food and wine was very tasty (although the vegan carbonara wasn't quite as well appreciated, but no fault to the dish, just an atypical order by someone who doesn't typically like carbonara). Would definitely go back. read more

Delicious with an incredible menu of vegan and traditional options. So good! It's very busy so make reservations. Velentino is the host/waiter who took excellent care of us, grazie Valentino! read more

Rifugio Romano - Vegan omelette and tempeh dish ... the potatoes were the best we've ever had! - Pizza Near Me - Rome, RM

My friend and I spent one night in Rome and knew we had to pick a great spot for our last dinner in Italy. When looking on Yelp, Rifugio Romano caught our eye because of all the rave reviews of the veg options on the menu. RR was very close to where we were staying which was nice! Since we were only in Rome for one day, I can't say for sure how centrally located it is, but it is close to the main train station. There were SO MANY menu options- I was sad I only had one stomach to eat one meal. I ordered a pasta with a walnut sauce that I am still dreaming about almost a month later. Our service there was good- as what we found to be typical in Europe, you need to flag the waiter when you are ready to order or want the check. A couple that sat next to us seemed to be very upset by this, but we were in no rush to be in and out of the restaurant quickly. We left full and happy & ready to head back to America- 10/10 definitely recommend! read more

Rifugio Romano - Pizza Near Me - Rome, RM

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Unfortunately the restaurant has a super rude hostess that only honors the reservations she feels like acknowledging. Made a reservation online, arrived at the restaurant, gave the hostess my name and received the rudest response. She said she didn't have the reservation on her computer and that it wasn't her problem. Seemed very upset at us. But when an Italian couple walked in she was super friendly. Very weird. We had proof of our reservation, but decided not to pursue the issue. We didn't feel like spending our last honeymoon night in Rome eating in such a negative environment. Do reed reviews This seems to be a recurring problem at this restaurant. Went to Pizzarium instead and had a great meal. read more

Went there for the first meal in Rome but I ended up a bit underwhelmed given the expectation for a restaurant with a pretty high rating. Service was alright, could just be me not ordering the right dish. I ordered a plate of Fettuccine al Funghi Porcini (egg pasta with porcini mushroom). The amount of mushroom used was plentiful but the noodle itself tasted very bland. The sauce for this plate of pasta was just some olive oil, which didn't seem to blend well with the noodle but only floated on the surface of everything and made the dish feel greasy. read more

Rifugio Romano - Fettuccine al Funghi Porcini - Pizza Near Me - Rome, RM

While the food was great for our first night in Rome, the place paled in comparison to other restaurants in the area by the time we finished our trip. The carbonara was out of balance with the egg overpowering everything else after just a couple bites. The porchetta was a mixed bag where some pieces were fatty and flavorful while others were completely overdone. The mushroom pizza was easily the best of the trio, yet it lacked a certain cohesion found in my favorites. Also, while bottles of wine in Italy are very affordable and pair wonderfully with the cuisine...skip the House Red here. Painfully overwhelming tannins. Service was passable and be aware that the indoor dining area is small and cramped. read more