Our Favorite Rome Restaurants by Neighborhood: San Lorenzo

Last Updated on April 10, 2026 by Emma Fajcz | Published: February 28, 2019

Welcome to San Lorenzo. Right now, if you asked any Roman about San Lorenzo, they’d probably say “la movida.” A word borrowed from Spanish, it means the young-person culture of bars, aperitivo and late-nights. San Lorenzo, located just behind Termini, is adjacent to La Sapienza, Rome’s biggest university. Every night, its numerous bars, pubs, and restaurants fill with students and young Romans. Here’s some of our favorite restaurants in San Lorenzo for you to enjoy while you’re visiting.

A Little History of San Lorenzo

San Lorenzo’s history is far more profound than just a gathering place for young students. Originally a working-class neighborhood, San Lorenzo was heavily bombed by the Allies during World War Two, killing over 1,000 residents. You can still see a plaque commemorating this on one of the 3rd-century walls that ring San Lorenzo, for in ancient times this was the first area outside the city.

Such a diversity of history and residents gives San Lorenzo a wonderful mixture of spots, from old-school trattorie to student-heavy dives. Here’s where to find the best restaurants, bars and all-around fun in San Lorenzo for your next trip.

Wanting to enjoy happy hour like the Italians do? Here’s our 5 favorite spots for aperitivo in Rome!

1. Pommidoro

Great food, great history. Pommidoro, almost 80 years old, is a family-run restaurant with a big grill in the center, where long skewers of pajata (calf intestines) sizzle alongside thick steaks and slices of bread, destined to be brushed with olive oil for bruschetta.

A classic Roman trattoria, they serve dishes like real Roman carbonara and carciofi alla romana (poached artichokes with wild mint). They’re best known for meat, like grilled abbacchio (suckling lamb) and braised oxtails, but most of all for the game meats like pheasant and wild boar that the family hunts in the Roman countryside.

Over the years, countless famous artists, writers and athletes have frequented Pommidoro, most famously Pier Paolo Pasolini, who ate his last meal there before his murder in 1975, and whose check is still on the wall.

📍 Address: Piazza dei Sanniti, 44/46

2. Bar Marani

Bar Marani is a small, old, unexceptional caffè … which is precisely why it’s so beloved by everyone who’s ever been to it. Open only until 10 pm, Marani is just a register, a long bar and a fenced-in patio with tables.

Every day, all day, those tables are filled with all the eccentric types who frequent San Lorenzo. Students, bums, old professors, hustlers, backpackers, they all sit outside, smoke, and enjoy the cheap drinks, perfectly serviceable coffee, and rigorously hands-off attitude. This is a place you can sit for hours, nursing a drink and a chapter of a book, and no one will bother you, except to maybe ask for a lighter.

📍 Address: Via dei Volsci, 57

3. Tram Tram

Rome is a city which has always drawn people from other regions of Italy, all of whom brought their own cuisines. Tram Tram is such a spot. Run by the Di Vittorio family, here you’ll find expected (and delicious) Roman dishes like oxtails and cacio e pepe. (If you love pasta dishes, don’t miss our top 5 spots for cacio e pepe!)

What aren’t so expected, and yet equally delicious, are the Pugliese offerings from the family’s native region. Fish and vegetable heavy, the daily preparations might include a baked tiella of rice, potatoes and mussels, or a plate of fried anchovies. Warm and familiar, this is one of those restaurants where you really do feel at home, before and especially after you eat.

📍 Address: Via dei Reti, 44

4. La Taverna di San Lorenzo

Strong spritzes and cold draught beers? Heaping plates of salumi and cheese for € 4? Cigarette-stained walls and dusty floors? Check, check and check for La Taverna di San Lorenzo.

One of many locales in the neighborhood, this place stands out for its good food, ridiculously low prices, and atmosphere that recalls one of those colonial taverns people used to stop at during horse-and-buggy journeys. The perfect place to go with a group of friends when money is tight but a good time is a must.

📍 Address: Largo degli Osci, 22

5. Formula 1

As you might have guessed from the name, this pizzeria is decorated with race-car memorabilia. The kitsch adds to the appeal at Formula 1, San Lorenzo’s most popular pizzeria.

Open late and cheap, bar-goers and students flock here for thin, crispy Roman-style pizzas and supplì (fried rice balls). There might be a wait on weekends, but a crowded pizzeria on a Friday night is beautiful snapshot of modern Roman life.

📍 Address: Via degli Equi, 13

6. Pigmalione

There are three things you should know about Pigmalione. One, you can smoke inside (even though it’s technically illegal). Two, all the mismatched tables have chessboards. Three, all the music comes from Youtube on a ’90’s-era PC. Far and away San Lorenzo’s divey-est bar, Pigmalione is idiosyncratic to the extreme.

The drink offerings are bottled beer, some basic wine, and strong mixed drinks. The prices, as you might expect, are low, and the clientele diverse to the extreme. Sit at a table, next to some of the teenagers playing foosball, and a drunk poet might plop himself down and challenge you to a game of chess. What’s not to love?

📍 Address:Via di Porta Labicana, 29

7. Bar dei Brutti

Bar dei Brutti, located right near the main piazza, is your typical Roman bar in some ways. It’s open all day, has coffee and snacks, and you can lounge at one of the tables. At night, though, it transforms into one of Rome’s most popular locales.

When there’s a soccer game, it’s full of fans, and when there isn’t, it’s still full of that movida crowd, knocking back cheap craft beers and munching on the complimentary peanuts. And because this is Rome, they inevitably drift outside to smoke and chat, filling the whole street by midnight on a Saturday.

📍 Address: Via dei Volsci, 71-73

8. C’era una Volta Il Caffè

Rome is full of coffee bars, but most aren’t as good as C’era una Volta. From the outside, it looks to be another bar, with cigarettes at the register. Nope. Here, the coffee is as thick and dark as squid’s ink, perfectly pulled and creamy on top.

Did we mention the homemade pastries? Cornetti, hot and buttery from the attached bakery, are the best way to start the day, maybe stuffed with a fresh cream of pistachio, or even just plain. Also a good place to have an evening drink, with a variety of house-made aperitivi.

📍 Address:Via Tiburtina, 234

9. 32

Rome has a grand tradition of centri sociali, “social centers,” which are non-profit spaces that do everything from offer language lessons, to hosting concerts, to running full taverns. 32 no longer has a kitchen like it used to, which served cheap and tasty cucina romana. But, it remains one of San Lorenzo’s best bars.

It’s still non-profit, welcoming of all regardless of social class or country of origin. There are local Roman craft beers on tap, and cold amari in plastic cups. Sit at one of the long communal tables, and rub elbows with friendly souls from around the world.

📍 Address:Via dei Volsci

Enjoy Rome’s Best Cuisine on Tour

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Best Restaurants in San Lorenzo FAQs

What kind of food is San Lorenzo in Rome known for?
San Lorenzo is known for casual, affordable Roman food and lively student-friendly restaurants. Because the neighborhood sits next to Sapienza University, many eateries focus on classic pasta dishes, thin Roman-style pizza, and budget-friendly plates that attract locals and students alike.

Is San Lorenzo a good neighborhood for eating in Rome?
Yes. San Lorenzo is one of Rome’s best neighborhoods for authentic, non-touristy dining. The area has a mix of traditional trattorias, lively pizzerias, wine bars, and late-night spots, making it a great place to experience the city’s youthful food and nightlife scene.

Where can you find traditional Roman food in San Lorenzo?
For classic Roman dishes like carbonara, artichokes, and braised oxtail, locals often head to places such as Trattoria Pommidoro. Historic trattorias like this have been serving traditional cucina romana for decades and remain favorites among residents and visitors alike.

Where can you get good pizza in San Lorenzo?
One of the most popular pizzerias in the neighborhood is Pizzeria Formula 1. Known for its thin, crispy Roman-style pizza and casual atmosphere, it’s especially busy late at night when students and locals stop by for a slice and fried snacks like supplì.

Is San Lorenzo good for nightlife and late-night food?
Absolutely. San Lorenzo is one of Rome’s liveliest neighborhoods after dark, with bars, casual restaurants, and street-side cafés that stay busy well into the night. Many spots serve inexpensive food and drinks, making the area popular for aperitivo, pizza, and late-night bites.