Discover the best cafés, cocktail bars, and restaurants inside Rome’s museums, perfect for coffee breaks, brunch, aperitivo, or dinner in unique cultural settings.

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Rome is packed with world class , and exploring them can easily fill an entire trip. The good news is that many of the city’s top cultural venues now offer excellent on site dining, from stylish museum cafés and cocktail bars to full service restaurants. It is the easiest way to take a proper break between galleries without leaving the museum complex. Expect design led spaces, quality coffee and pastries, aperitivo ready terraces, and menus that range from light lunches to refined dinners.

Whether you are planning a quick coffee stop, a relaxed brunch, an aperitivo with a view, or a memorable meal in a unique setting, this guide rounds up the best cafés and restaurants inside Rome’s museums.

Piazza Augusto Imperatore
Daily, 8:00 AM–8:00 PM

Very recently opened, Augusto Caffè is the new café and info point at the Ara Pacis Museum. Designed as a walk-through space accessible from the landings that frame the monumental stairways, it serves a dual purpose: an urban connection point and a place to pause and contemplate the monument and the square. The service is operated under concession by Le Caffetterie by Palombini.

Via Nizza 138
Tue–Sat 12:00 PM–4:00 PM | Fri–Sat 8:00 PM–1:00 AM | Sun 12:00 PM–4:00 PM

Materia Terrazza Macro is the MACRO’s new dining venue—Rome’s contemporary art museum in the Salaria–Nomentana area. It spans 300 sqm, plus a 500 sqm rooftop terrace overlooking Rome, offering food service from breakfast through to dinner. From Tuesday to Friday, it features two lunch formulas: a pasta course of your choice with a side or a dessert, plus water and coffee included (€13), or a main course with a side, water and coffee (€15). On Sundays there’s also brunch, again with two options: buffet (€25) or an à la carte menu. The venue also includes a cocktail bar, with freshly prepared tapas and signature mixology.

Galleria Doria Pamphilj, Via della Gatta 1
Tue–Sun 9:00 AM–9:00 PM

The is without a doubt one of the most beautiful museums in the city. Inside you’ll find Caffè Doria, located in what were once the palace’s old stables, behind the museum. The interiors are luxurious and elegant; the walls feature backlit reproductions of some of the masterpieces of Italian art history. Depending on the time of day, you can opt for a sweet break in the café, with its wide pastry selection (by Le Levain), or go for an aperitivo in the bistro and cocktail bar area, which offers a rich selection of gin-based spirits.

Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica – Palazzo Barberini, Via delle Quattro Fontane 13 (entrance via Palazzo Barberini) or Via XX Settembre 2
Tue–Sun 9:00 AM–7:00 PM

Born from the recent restoration of the historic greenhouses of the , the new offers a café-restaurant service from morning to late afternoon, set among the museum’s gardens—and it’s accessible without purchasing a museum ticket. It’s the perfect place for a coffee and breakfast (the Serre café uses the historic Trombetta coffee blend, alongside local organic and plant-based milks, plus a selection of organic infusions and teas from the renowned, colorful French brand Kusmi Tea, served with croissants or muffins). The brunch and lunch menu is truly varied, ranging from Black Angus ragù lasagnette to beef tartare and burger buns, plus a Club Sandwich, a pinsa made with organic ingredients, or a board featuring a top selection of DOP and IGP cured meats and cheeses.

Via Giovanni Amendola 6
Tue–Sun 11:00 AM–6:00 PM

Caffetteria Massimo, located inside the namesake Palazzo—home to countless masterpieces—offers dining options that shift throughout the day. From breakfast (with homemade cakes) to a light lunch (try the burratine wrapped in leaf with Cantabrian Sea anchovies), plus afternoon tea—and if you like, there’s also a dedicated coworking area.

Galleria Borghese, Piazzale Scipione Borghese 5
Tue–Sun 8:30 AM–7:00 PM

ViVi Galleria Borghese is a bistro located inside the famous . The menu follows the signature format of the ViVi bistro chain: an international approach with a preference for wholesome, organic ingredients. ViVi Galleria Borghese also offers dishes that pay tribute to the museum’s masterpieces: the Cardinal’s Breakfast (€24), dedicated to Cardinal Scipione Borghese—salmon and poached egg on a small square toast, served with fresh orange juice and an Americano—or the Borghese Tea Party (€11), organic Ceylon white tea flavored with cacao and lychees, served with homemade scones, whipped cream and strawberry jam. You can order and pay from your smartphone or opt for take-away, then enjoy what you’ve chosen in the beautiful park surrounding the museum, Villa Borghese.

Palazzo Bonaparte, Piazza Venezia 5
Daily 8:00 AM–9:00 PM

The ViVi bistro at Palazzo Bonaparte is a 200 sqm venue with retro touches inspired by 1920s Paris literary cafés. The three main rooms at ViVi – Piazza Venezia are defined by “Napoleonic blue” walls and an especially unique décor, featuring lampshades made with colorful Ikat fabrics, counters, plates and upcycled objects. The menu offers internationally inspired dishes made with top-quality Italian organic ingredients, like the Mango Tango, a marinated salmon poke with avocado, mango, corn nachos and a spicy mango dressing, or the Roman with a Twist with organic poached egg, crispy pancetta, baby spinach, stewed beans, and multigrain bread.

MAXXI – Via Guido Reni 4/A
Tue–Sun 11:00 AM–12:00 AM (Fri–Sat until 2:00 AM)

Mediterraneo is the restaurant at the , one of the capital’s most modern museums. Here you can enjoy a culinary experience that blends East and West through the chef’s creations, with special attention to classic Mediterranean specialties, as a tribute to the venue’s name.

Capitoline Museums – Piazzale Caffarelli 4
Daily 9:30 AM–7:00 PM

Among Rome’s museums, the boast the most beautiful view over the city—one you can take in from Terrazza Caffarelli, located on the museum’s top floor, with truly breathtaking panoramas. A venue for private events, banquets and weddings, the terrace includes a café where you can grab something to eat or drink a coffee, then step outside to fully soak up the view.

Palazzo delle Esposizioni – Stairway on Via Milano 9/A
Tue–Sun 12:30 PM–3:30 PM | 8:00 PM–11:45 PM

Esposizioni is the new dining space located inside the greenhouse of the Palazzo delle Esposizioni. Every day from 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM, you can enjoy the City Lunch curated by Chef Alessandro Circiello, whose concept focuses on Italy’s regional cuisines. In the evening, from 8:00 PM, it’s time for à la carte dinner, served in the beautiful upstairs space, surrounded by the lights of Rome filtering through the stunning glass ceiling.

Via Antonio Gramsci 63
Tue–Sun 8:00 AM–8:00 PM

Whether it’s for breakfast, lunch, or an aperitivo, Caffè delle Arti, located inside the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, offers the chance to enjoy a relaxing break in a truly charming setting, especially the outdoor garden, right in front of Villa Borghese. Worth noting is the wide wine selection, particularly the natural wines.

Piazza Navona 2
Tue–Sun 10:00 AM–12:00 AM

ViVi Bistrot is located on the ground floor of the Museo di Palazzo Braschi, and besides its richly decorated interiors, it also offers seating in an entrance hall overlooking the wonderful Piazza Navona, giving you a truly privileged viewpoint. ViVi Bistrot is the organic concept with multiple locations across Rome, and healthy eating is its calling card. From hummus to organic salads, from vegan bowls to burgers, the offer is extensive—not to mention brunch, with organic scrambled eggs and bacon, yogurt with homemade muesli, and pancakes with maple syrup.

Arco della Pace 5
Mon–Thu 9:30 AM–7:30 PM | Fri–Sat 9:30 AM–8:30 PM

The Chiostro del Bramante Café, overlooking the beautiful loggia, is the ideal spot for a sweet break with coffee, fresh juice, brownies and muffins. The Sala delle Sibille is the Chiostro’s bistro, serving Italian and international dishes; the unique feature of this space is that it looks directly onto The Sibyls fresco by Raphael, housed in the Church of Santa Maria della Pace. Try the homemade cakes, vegetable tempura with soy-mayo sauce, the rosetta burger with rosemary potatoes, cacio e pepe risotto, and the chestnut cheesecake.

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