Vegan
Pizza
Italian
Beer/Wine
Delivery
Take-out

Family-owned vegan restaurant with roman style cuisine, seasonal dishes, and pizza. Dishes include carbonara, amatriciana, cacio e pepe, gricia, and veganized traditional desserts. Reservations required; book through the restaurant website. LGBTQ+ friendly. Note: Previously veg options only, but fully vegan since 1st March 2023. Open Mon-Sun 11:00-23:30.


Venue map for Rifugio Romano
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1074 Reviews

First Review by lotustummy

MikeJensen

Points +84

Vegan
30 Aug 2016

Best vegan food in Italy

5/5 stars - this is a small, centrally-located restaurant in Rome which is so far our favourite vegan restaurant in the world. Unfortunately not vegetarian or vegan, but the vegan menu is large, clearly-marked, very diverse with lots of different pasta and other Italian dishes, and everything we tried was absolutely delicious.

I had the gnocchi with a creamy walnut sauce, it was superb. My partner had the seitan ravioli which was also incredible. For dessert we had the tiramisu which was so good we couldn't believe it.

Another big plus point, they have marked vegan wine options!

Prices are fair, staff was very friendly, waiting times were good even though the restaurant got busier after we arrived.

All in all we absolutely regret coming to this restaurant on our last day in Rome, because otherwise we would have come back as often as possible to try more of their dishes. Next time we are in Rome this will be our first stop.

Pros: Most delicious vegan food we have so far found, Fair prices, Vegan wine

Cons: Not vegan/vegetarian, Portion sizes could be a pinch bigger

nylars

Points +147

Vegan
28 Aug 2016

Our favorite restaurant in Rome

We went here four times during our stay in Rome because this restaurant provides very tasty food for a very reasonable price (unlike many other places in Rome)!

On busy times the service was quite slow and unfortunately the quality of the food was poorer those times, but on less busy times the service and the food was perfect. I therefore recommend this restaurant for lunch or early dinner because this place seems to be most popular in the late evenings.

I highly recommend the ravioli, it's the best ravioli I have ever tried and maybe even the best pasta dish I've ever had! The farinata is also out of this world!

Pros: Most of the staff seems to be vegan, Very nice Italian food, good value

Cons: Slow service when busy

YvonneRakhorstMejias

Points +234

Vegan
28 Aug 2016

Lovely place with very good vegan options!

We had dinner over here on our first day in Rome. It's a lovely place with a lot of vegan options. I had a vegan carbonara as starter, a vegan omelet for main and of course the vegan tiramisu as dessert!

The food tasted very good, especially the tiramisu. My non-vegan boyfriend admitted that he liked the vegan more then his normal tiramisu :-D

The staff is also very nice. I even made friends with the blonde vegan waitress! Very nice girl!

The price of the food is good for what you get.

Pros: A lot of vegan options , Friendly staff, Good prices

Cons: The restaurant is not nearby my home in The Nether

DominicDale

Points +18

Vegan
27 Aug 2016

Great vegan options

Lovely restaurant with loads of vegan options - hard to choose what to eat. My partner and I ordered two of the vegan pizzas (plus fries) and they were delicious. Portions are huge and we were very satisfied with our meal. The waitress serving us was very friendly and made us feel welcome. Definitely recommend going here. It's not exactly central, but is well worth the effort getting there :)

Pros: Loads of vegan options , Friendly staff, Amazing food & affordable

Cons: Not central

Federclown

Points +179

Vegan
26 Aug 2016

I wished to give five stars but...

...our second experience wasnt nearly as good as our first one.
First time going there I couldnt decide for ages since the vegan menu is huuuge and sounds too delicious. Ultimately, I decided for the pizza with Mozzarella and salami and DAMN it was the best vegan pizza Ive ever had! I almost cried, haha. My boyfriend chose this rolled up pizza thing with Mayo, onion and potato and it was absolutely amazing aswell. Tasted really German ;D Both was 8 or 9€ which was okay, not more or less expensive than omnivore pizza and the pizza was big, too.

But our second experience was really awful. I ordered the pizza with wurstel and he ordered the vegan burger. It took ages to prepare, we got our orders way after the two people ordering after us got theirs... Bruschetta (4€) was good, nothing special, quite average. My pizza was okay, not nearly as good as the first one, not enough sausage and the cheese tasted too artificial for some reason. The vegan burger was the biggest joke on Earth: buns with a mushy patty and a lettuce leaf and one slice of tomato, thats it. The Patty was so mushy, the burger was barely edible. I think the patty tasted okay but my boyfriend (vegetarian) hated it. According to him, the burger was just dry (no sauce) and had no taste. He was highly disappointed as the burger was 10(!!!!!)€. The fries were horrible aswell, not properly fried. Sorry, but among the most disgusting fries I tried. :(

Pros: Many, many vegan options, Price for pizza is good, Salami pizza is heavenly, bruschetta good

Cons: Burger overpriced and an absolute joke, Waiting time the second time we went there

AgnieszkaPomianowska

Points +16

Vegan
21 Aug 2016

delicious vegan pizza

Place doesn't look nice, but vegan capriciosa that I ate was amazing. Great proporcions of cheese, vegan salami and vegetables. Staff was very vegan friendly, suggested us eating a vegan tiramisu which was also great :)

Danikathy

Points +16

Vegan
19 Aug 2016

great place

Amazing vegan food!! And service! Loved it

KristinaPatatina

Points +209

Vegan
08 Aug 2016

Tasty food and a lot of vegan options!

Me and my partner (carnivore) have recently visited this restaurant and were very satisfied with a variety of options on the menu. Both of us managed to try delicious food according to our diets. This is a place run by a vegan/vegetarian family, so they will always find a way to accommodate your needs. For starter we ordered a vegan plate with finger food - this way we could try all different flavours and vegan combinations (marinated tofu, mock meat slices, olives, home-made hummus on a bread with tomatoes, sticks with cherry tomatoes and vegan sausages, aubergine puree, vegan cheese with herbs). Our main courses were also satisfying. At the end of the visit we were treated with Limoncello!

In general, it was a good experience. All members of the stuff were very friendly and welcoming.

Pros: Adequate prices, Big menu with a lot of vegan options, Quick service

Rosebush

Points +18

Vegan
02 Aug 2016

Vegan Romans

An excellent family run Roman restaurant which offers non vegans the chance to try traditional Italian dishes but in vegan form. I really enjoyed a creamy,nutty vegan gnocchi, which is rare to find in a restaurant. The vegan menu is extensive and the presentation and portion sizes were good. Our friendly waitress explained all the dishes and knows them well as it's her family's business and she is vegan herself.

Pros: Great choice of dishes. , Friendly staff. , Presentation of food and decor of restaurant.

Cons: A bit more veg within the dishes.

Marinaparedes

Points +16

Vegan
30 Jul 2016

DELICIOUS

I was so impressed by this nice and comfy restaurant. I am not used to know restaurants with a whole different menu with only vegan options, and that they are absolutely delicious.
I only regret visiting this restaurant the day before our departure. We went twice and both of this times the meal was great!
When I tried the Tiramisu I had to ask twice if it was vegan, 'cause the taste was so accurate!!
Also Pizza Dumpling where marvelous

Pros: Loads of delicious vegan options , Cheap

Cons: none

BrunaValadares

Points +20

Vegan
28 Jul 2016

FANTASTIC

i'm soooo impressed! i ordered lasagna and tiramisu and i had to double check with the waitress to confirm they were Vegan! they tasted amazing!

Pros: lots of Vegan options, everything is labled, very

SamuelKaviar

Points +18

Vegan
19 Jul 2016

Great Vegan Food

This was my first meal in Italy and it did not disappoint. In fact I came back the next day. Scrumptious and ornate italian vegan food.

Pros: traditional italian food, friendly staff, reasonably priced

Cons: in true italian style it's very carb and refined h

Nk1178

Points +39

Vegan
18 Jul 2016

3 whole menu pages of vegan options!

If I had visited this place on my first day in Rome, I would have eaten here EVERY day! Family owned and run traditional Italian restaurant. Two daughters and the mother are vegan, and made sure the menu has a rich choice of vegan options: from starters to deserts, including pizza and pasta. Everything we ordered was delicious and fantastic, and the service was superior, knowledgeable and kind. My first and last Gnocchi in Rome, since it's so hard to find a vegan version. I give them 5 stars, even though Happy Cow allow only four for non-vegan restaurant. Don't miss this gem of a restaurant!

Pros: Fantastic Italian food, lots of choice

FabiolaBeneath

Points +22

Vegan
18 Jul 2016

Assolutamente da provare! Consigliato!

Locale molto bello, mi ha colpito subito l'insegna fuori :D Anche il nome "rifugio" dà l'idea di un posto caldo e accogliente e in effetti è proprio così. Si mangia molto bene. La pizza è proprio quella tipica romana (fina e leggera) come piace a me e ci sono anche molte scelte per chi come noi mangia vegan, sia di pizza che di primi, secondi e dessert (c'è addirittura in vino vegan). Menù molto ricco, ci sono stata diverse volte e ho provato diversi piatti come la carbonara, i ravioli, le scaloppine di seitan, il burger, le polpettine, l'antipasto misto e diversi dolci come il tiramisù, la sacher e la sbriciolata, tutto vegan :D consigliato davvero!

Pros: excellente food, friendly staff, very good dessert

Cons: I can not fault

rmsing

Points +16

Vegan
13 Jul 2016

Best Vegan Italian Food Ever

We ate here twice because every single dish was delicious. Extensive vegan menu, excellent staff, well-priced, cute outdoor seating. Wish we had more time in Rome to try more of their food. 10/10

Pros: Delicious, Extensive, Welcoming

Cons: no GF vegan pizza

ElisaGR

Points +1694

Vegan
02 Jul 2016

Very nice place & employees

I went twice to this restaurant, during my 1week stay in Rome. First time was to try its vegan pizza (as I read in an article about it being the only place someone could find vegan pizza) and 2nd on my way to the airport, I stopped by for lunch.
Prices reasonable, the waitress has such a nice energy and the vibes in the restaurant are very positive.
Thumbs up for not closing between 3.30-8 as many restaurants do...

Pros: Location, Variety, Cozy

Tomshanan

Points +45

Vegetarian
29 Jun 2016

Fantastic Italian cuisine suited for Vegans

This place has really managed to turn the meaty and cheesy Italian cuisine to be suitable for vegans, and done a remarkable job at it too!

I've come here twice, and had the vegan Lasagna Bolognese and vegan creamy ravioli with seitan.
Both were impressively tasty and not at all bearing the bizarre flavours of fake cheeses and meat. (I was actually sure they gave me the non vegan lasagna by mistake).

They also make their own vegan ice cream in three flavours (not from soy). That was also one of the best vegan ice creams I've had.

The service was slow on one occasion but fast on the second. It depends on the day you visit I guess. They are very friendly nonetheless. There is reliable wifi, just ask for the password.

Also it's recommended to check if they are open on Mondays since I've heard they can sometimes be off.

Pros: Great vegan menu, Great location (7 minute walk from Termini), Great staff

Cons: Aircon is a bit weak, Slow service at times, Quite small so it can get busy quickly

Josiah

Points +20

Vegan
25 Jun 2016

Favorite food in Rome!

Went here twice during a 3 day stay in Rome. Happened to walk in after arriving at Stazione Termini because we needed WiFi (which they have and it's good). My travel buddy isn't vegan and we started flipping through the menu and I was delighted to find two pages of vegan options! They're cheese is made from rice and it's some of the best vegan cheese I've ever had. Had the best vegan pizza I've ever had. It had tofu, cardamom, vegan cheese... And other things I can't remember. It was heavenly. Had they're amazing vegan calzone, the seitan escalope with mushroom sauce, and the gnocchi with nutritional yeast. All so amazing. Our two servers spoke great English and helped with wine selection and even brought the vegan cheese packaging from the kitchen to show me. One of the servers was vegan and she said she had to fight for the vegan menu. So go support and eat there! It's amazing.

Pros: Great vegan cheese

lakris98

Points +28

Vegan
24 Jun 2016

Great food

Great and tasty vegan food and vegan desserts. Cozy atmosphere

Pros: Full vegan menu , Great food, Homemade gnocchi and desserts

Meaks

Points +5840

Vegan
02 Jun 2016

Excellent vegan options

Not a veggie venue but has a two page vegan menu and the waitress serving us was vegan (and very helpful). Vegan starters (I had the mixed starter which was hummus, smoked tofu, salad, rice ball, dough balls and mayo), mains (seitan in mushroom sauce with a portion of chips) and a choice of desserts. They also had pasta courses and pizzas (with cheese or without) as well as some other main course options.
Despite it not being a 'vegan' restaurant it was one of the best meals we had while we were in Rome and wasn't particularly expensive. Recommended for those bored of organic raw bio restaurants with no fries!

Pros: Extensive vegan menu inc. fries, Averagely priced, Friendly (vegan) staff

Cons: Serves meat

lotustummy

Points +1233

Vegan
19 May 2016

yummy vegan options

So excited to see tofu and tempeh on the menu as meat replacements "typical" Roman dishes. Was good. I had a pasta and friend had pizza with vegan cheese. Both good. Vegan wine too

Pros: vegan options , outdoor seating.

Cons: not cheap , not the nicest area.




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