Best Burgers in Rome, Italy: 10 Picks for 2026

The best burgers in Rome, Italy, start at Bar Sota on Via della Frezza, a short walk from Piazza del Popolo. Since December 2023 it has served American-style smash burgers on house buns made every day with kefir. Next on my list come Open Baladin near Campo de’ Fiori, where Piedmontese Fassona beef sits on Gabriele Bonci’s sourdough, then CULT Burger in Prati, Rome’s first sous-vide burgeria, then Smashtag, with smash burgers in Prati and Piazza Bologna. All 10 picks follow, each with its full address, neighbourhood and signature burger.

This is Rome in Lazio, not Rome, Georgia. The guide is part of our burger city guides in the Restaurants section. For the neighbourhoods and eating habits behind it, see our Rome burger city page.

The best burger restaurants in Rome at a glance

Most of Rome’s 10 best burger restaurants cluster in three areas: Prati by the Vatican, the Centro Storico and Piazza Bologna. The table gives each pick’s neighbourhood, signature burger and style.

The 10 best burger restaurants in Rome at a glance: rank, neighbourhood, style and signature burger, from Bar Sota near Piazza del Popolo to Flower Burger in Prati and Salario. Prices are left out because no 2026 menu price could be verified. (Table: Burger Breton, CC BY 4.0, data from Romeing (19 Nov 2025), Gambero Rosso, The Foodzilla (26 Nov 2025), Secret Roma (Apr 2025), Ohdog and The Roman Post (Mar 2025))

How I ranked the best burgers in Rome

This ranking comes from the press, not from my own tasting notes: I ranked each restaurant by how often recent Italian and English-language guides cite it. My sources date from 2025 and 2026: Gambero Rosso, Romeing (updated 19 November 2025), The Foodzilla (26 November 2025), Secret Roma (April 2025), Ohdog and The Roman Post (March 2025). Addresses, phone numbers and hours come from each restaurant’s own site or Instagram where one exists.

Two names that older lists still carry are missing here. One source reports Quarto Burgers & Drink as permanently closed, and I found no recent source at all for Tommi’s Burger Joint Rome.

Two limits apply. I could not verify a single 2026 menu price, so this guide prints none. And the newest listings date from November 2025, so check the Google listing or Instagram for current hours before you go.

1. Bar Sota: the best smash burger in Rome

Bar Sota is my pick for the best smash burger in Rome, served on buns it makes every day with kefir. It opened in December 2023 at Via della Frezza 55, 00186 Roma, in the Centro Storico near Piazza del Popolo (Gambero Rosso).

Behind the bar is Sota, a clothing and design brand whose name stands for ‘State of the Art’. Mornings belong to specialty coffee from the Ialty roastery. In the evening the menu turns to American-style smash burgers (italia.it).

Two quirks won me over. Bar Sota runs ‘secret’ dinners, booked through its social media. And its pastry counter bakes kouign-amann, the butter cake of Brittany, which a site called Burger Breton could hardly ignore.

Even the signature burger is disputed: Romeing names the Bacon Cheese, Secret Roma a croissant smash burger. Check the current menu on barsota.it or Instagram.

A Madonnella, one of Rome’s Marian street shrines, at the corner of Via del Corso and Via della Frezza in Campo Marzio. Bar Sota serves its smash burgers on kefir buns further along the street, at number 55. Photo of the street, not of the bar (February 2025). (Photo: FredSeiller, CC0 1.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Campo\_Marzio\_-\_Madonnella,\_via\_del\_Corso\_et\_via\_della\_Frezza.jpg (1267×1900; lazy, async. An original photo of Bar Sota’s smash burger is still needed))

2. Open Baladin Roma: Fassona beef on Bonci bread near Campo de’ Fiori

Open Baladin Roma serves Piedmontese Fassona beef burgers on sourdough from Gabriele Bonci, Rome’s star baker, delivered every day. It has stood at Via degli Specchi 6, 00186 Roma, in Regola near Campo de’ Fiori, since 23 September 2009 (pubs.baladin.it).

Gambero Rosso calls it the pioneer of the quality burger in Rome, and the dates bear that out: it was putting Fassona on Bonci bread more than a decade before the city’s smash wave. The pub belongs to Teo Musso’s Baladin brewery in Piozzo, Piedmont, and pours more than 100 Italian craft beers (Wanted in Rome).

Order ‘Singing in the Rain’, the burger Romeing singles out. Phone: +39 06 6838989.

The market on Campo de’ Fiori in Rome, with the statue of Giordano Bruno behind it. Open Baladin Roma, which serves Fassona beef burgers on Bonci sourdough, is a few minutes away on Via degli Specchi. Photo of the square, not of the pub (August 2009). (Photo: Myrabella, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Campo\_dei\_Fiori.jpg (3587×2513; lazy, async))

3. CULT Burger: Rome’s first sous-vide burgeria near the Vatican

CULT Burger cooks its patties sous vide at low temperature and bills itself as Rome’s first sous-vide burgeria. It sits at Via Ostia 29, 00192 Roma, in Prati, a few minutes from the Vatican Museums (cultburger.it).

The signature is the Cheesebacon: a 200 g patty, double cheddar, bacon and house BBQ sauce. Secret Roma says it won Eataly’s 2024 award for the best cheese bacon burger; I found no primary source for that award. For a home take on a loaded cheeseburger, try our Jack in the Box Ultimate Cheeseburger recipe.

The creative burgers are where CULT gets interesting. The ‘Sirius Black’ brings Testanera pecorino and habanero. The ‘Roma–Tokyo’ stacks a Wagyu patty, guanciale from Sicilian black pigs, Tropea onion and a BBQ sauce made with 23-year-old Zacapa rum (Romeing).

CULT opens evenings Monday to Thursday, 6pm to 11pm, and serves brunch on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4pm. Phone: +39 06 4874461.

Ginkgo trees on Via Terenzio, with the Judas trees of Via Cola di Rienzo behind, in Prati near the Vatican. Four of the best burger restaurants in Rome are in this district: CULT Burger, Birretta, Smashtag and Flower Burger. Photo of the neighbourhood, not of a restaurant (December 2015). (Photo: Lalupa, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:V\_Terenzio\_-\_ginko\_in\_prati\_P1100429.JPG (4608×3456; lazy, async. Original photo of CULT Burger’s sous-vide Cheesebacon still needed))

4. Smashtag: smash burgers in Prati and Piazza Bologna

Smashtag is a Roman smash burger chain founded in 2020 by Riccardo Di Salvo and Giorgio Rajani. Its most-ordered burger is the Smash Brown, dressed with ‘samstag’, the smoked house sauce (smashtag.it).

Rome has three branches: Via Michele di Lando 22-24, 00162 Roma (Piazza Bologna), Via Vittoria Colonna 19, 00193 Roma (Prati), and Via Flaminia 485 (Ponte Milvio). Only Secret Roma lists the Ponte Milvio branch, so confirm it before you make the trip.

If you are visiting St Peter’s, go to the Prati branch. The chain has since left Rome: it opened on Piazza San Pasquale in Chiaia on 29 November 2025, as I covered in my guide to the best burgers in Naples.

5. Birretta Wine & Food: the Fantozzi burger in Prati

Birretta’s signature is the Fantozzi: 200 g of beef, potato omelette, provolone and jalapeño mayonnaise. It is named after Fantozzi, the hapless clerk of Italian cult cinema (Romeing).

The meat comes from the Feroci butcher, the bread from the Prelibato bakery, and you can ask for a black squid-ink bun. Address: Via Simone de Saint Bon 69-73, 00195 Roma (Prati/Mazzini). Phone: +39 06 3752 7062.

6. Rinomato: Roscioli bread and Landini beef in San Giovanni

Rinomato builds its burgers on two names Romans trust: bread from the Roscioli bakery and beef from the Landini butcher. Owner Valerio Maiali runs it at Via Soana 30, Roma, in San Giovanni (The Foodzilla).

Order the classic ‘Il Celebre’, or the house pulled pork. Rinomato sits well outside the tourist centre, and that is its charm: a neighbourhood place, not a stop on a walking tour. Instagram: @rinomatosangiovanni.

7. Cheebo: the east Rome smash burger that topped The Foodzilla

Cheebo came first in The Foodzilla’s top 10 burgers in Rome on 26 November 2025, ahead of The Brave Bun, Bar Sota and California Cookhouse. It opened in April 2025 at Via Aretusa 6, Roma, in La Rustica, east Rome (Romeing).

Three friends, Flavia, Matteo and Jacopo, quit office jobs to open it. They bake their own potato buns and buy meat from the Colasanti butcher. Only the fries come frozen. The Oklahoma is a 90 g patty with onions smashed into it on the griddle. The pulled pork cooks for 22 hours.

Hours: Tuesday to Thursday 12:30–2:30pm and 7:30–10:30pm; Friday 12:30–2:30pm and 7:30pm–midnight; Saturday 7:30pm–midnight; Sunday 7:30–10:30pm. Phone: +39 351 759 8556, Instagram @cheebo_roma.

Fifteen years of Rome’s burger scene: Open Baladin Roma opened in 2009, Fonzie in the Ghetto in 2012, Smashtag in 2020, Bar Sota in December 2023 and Cheebo in April 2025. (Chart: Burger Breton, CC BY 4.0, data from pubs.baladin.it, Romeing, smashtag.it and Gambero Rosso, rendered with QuickChart (800×450, lazy))

8. Fonzie: the kosher burger in Rome’s Jewish Ghetto

For a kosher burger in Rome, go to Fonzie. Chef brothers David and Daniel Gai founded it in the Jewish Ghetto in 2012, under the supervision of Rome’s Beth Din (Romeing).

The menu runs to about 20 burgers. Kosher rules forbid mixing meat and dairy, so the cheese is a soy-based plant cheese (GoKosher).

Romeing lists five addresses: Via di Santa Maria del Pianto 13 (Ghetto), Via Catanzaro 33 (Piazza Bologna), Via della Vite 53 (Centro), Via Flaminia 585 (Fleming) and Viale dei Colli Portuensi 157 (Gianicolense). Only Romeing lists the Fleming branch. Check Instagram @fonzieburgers before you go: the old website domain has expired and no longer belongs to the restaurant.

Via del Portico d’Ottavia in Rome’s Jewish Ghetto, looking towards the Portico of Octavia. The original Fonzie kosher burger restaurant is nearby, at Via di Santa Maria del Pianto 13. Photo of the street, not of the restaurant (November 2005). (Photo: Wikibob, public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roman\_Ghetto\_looking\_towards\_Portico\_di\_Ottavia.jpg (960×1280; lazy, async))

9. Don’s Meats & Spirits: dry-aged burgers and cocktails near Piazza Navona

Don’s Meats & Spirits pairs its ‘Don’s Burger’ and ‘Dry Aged’ burger with cocktails. It hides at Vicolo delle Vacche 9, 00186 Roma, in the Centro Storico near Piazza del Fico and Piazza Navona (italia.it).

Of all ten, this pick has the least to go on. I found no official website or Instagram, and its hours appear only on aggregator sites. Romeing still listed it in November 2025. If it has closed, my replacement is Franz Burger at Via La Spezia 127/A in San Giovanni, which Il Corriere della Città ranked second in Rome.

10. Flower Burger: vegan burgers in Prati and Salario

Flower Burger is Rome’s best-known vegan burger, served on buns in seven colours. The 100% vegan chain was born in Milan in 2015 and has two Rome shops: Via dei Gracchi 87 (Prati) and Via Alessandria 19 (Salario) (Turismo Roma).

Order the Cherry Bomb, its signature burger, at the counter: there is no table service. To see where the chain started, read my guide to the best burgers in Milan.

Best burgers in Rome by neighbourhood

Prati, next to the Vatican, and the Centro Storico tie for the most picks in this guide, with four each. Here is where every branch sits.

• Prati and the Vatican: CULT Burger, Birretta Wine & Food, Smashtag (Via Vittoria Colonna), Flower Burger (Via dei Gracchi).
• Centro Storico: Bar Sota (Piazza del Popolo), Open Baladin (Campo de’ Fiori), Don’s Meats & Spirits (Piazza Navona), Fonzie (Ghetto and Via della Vite).
• Piazza Bologna: Smashtag (Via Michele di Lando), Fonzie (Via Catanzaro).
• Further out: Rinomato (San Giovanni), Cheebo (La Rustica), Flower Burger (Salario), Smashtag (Ponte Milvio), Fonzie (Fleming and Gianicolense).

Map of the best burger restaurants in Rome, Italy, by neighbourhood. Prati has CULT Burger, Birretta, Smashtag and Flower Burger. The Centro Storico has Bar Sota, Open Baladin, Don’s Meats & Spirits and Fonzie. Piazza Bologna has Smashtag and Fonzie. Further out are Rinomato in San Giovanni, Cheebo in La Rustica and Flower Burger in Salario. Pins to add from the addresses in the article. (Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0, https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright (iframe 800×600, lazy))

Smash burger in Rome: where to go

For a smash burger in Rome, go to Bar Sota, Smashtag or Cheebo. Bar Sota smashes its patties for kefir buns baked daily. Smashtag serves the Smash Brown in three districts. Cheebo presses onions into a 90 g patty for its Oklahoma, and it is the one worth the bus ride east.

Compare them with Junk’s smash burgers in Paris and Beyondburg in Bangalore. To make one at home, follow our Shackburger recipe or our McDouble copycat recipe.

Burgers with Italian ingredients

Rome’s best burgers lean on named Roman bakers and butchers and on Italian produce. Open Baladin uses Bonci sourdough. Rinomato uses Roscioli bread and Landini beef, Birretta uses Feroci meat, and Cheebo uses Colasanti meat. At CULT, the Sirius Black carries Testanera pecorino and the Roma–Tokyo Sicilian black-pig guanciale and Tropea onion.

For more Italian burgers, see my guides to Naples and Milan, or Five Guys in Florence if you want a familiar American chain.

FAQ: best burgers in Rome

Where can I eat the best burger in Rome?

Go to Bar Sota, at Via della Frezza 55 near Piazza del Popolo, for smash burgers on kefir buns baked daily. My other top picks are Open Baladin near Campo de’ Fiori (Fassona beef, Bonci bread) and CULT Burger in Prati (sous-vide patties).

What is the best smash burger in Rome?

Bar Sota is my pick for the best smash burger in Rome. Cheebo in La Rustica topped The Foodzilla’s November 2025 ranking, and Smashtag’s most-ordered burger is the Smash Brown.

Where can I get a good burger near the Vatican or St Peter’s?

Prati, the district next to the Vatican, has four of my picks: CULT Burger (Via Ostia 29), Birretta (Via Simone de Saint Bon 69-73), Smashtag (Via Vittoria Colonna 19) and Flower Burger (Via dei Gracchi 87).

Where can I find a kosher burger in Rome?

Fonzie, founded in the Jewish Ghetto in 2012, serves kosher burgers supervised by Rome’s Beth Din. The original branch is at Via di Santa Maria del Pianto 13. The cheese is soy-based, so meat and dairy never mix.

Where can I eat a vegan burger in Rome?

Flower Burger serves 100% vegan burgers on coloured buns at Via dei Gracchi 87 (Prati) and Via Alessandria 19 (Salario). Order the Cherry Bomb at the counter.

How much does a burger cost in Rome?

I could not verify a dated 2026 price at any of these 10 restaurants, so I don’t publish one. Check the current menu on each restaurant’s site or Instagram before you go.

Do I need to book at Rome’s burger restaurants?

Most picks don’t say whether booking is needed. Bar Sota’s secret dinners are booked through its social media, and Flower Burger has no table service at all. Romans rarely dine before 8pm, so arrive earlier if you’d rather not wait.

Which burger places in Rome are open late?

Cheebo serves until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and CULT Burger until 11pm Monday to Thursday. For the other picks, check Google or Instagram, because their hours appear only on aggregator sites.