We stopped here a little after 9, after a long day walking about Rome. I had walked past it earlier on my way from my apartment, so it wasn't hard to find. We chose to sat inside; the air conditioning was competent, but not cold enough to require a sweater. Tables, close enough to be comfortable without feeling crowded, were already set and covered in white tablecloths. We did not have to wait long for our server to offer us menus and a bottle of water. He gave us ample time to make our decisions (lasagna, bucatini all'amatriciana, Greek salad). The food took roughly the amount of time you'd expect for a freshly made meal, and was surprisingly delicious. Prices ranged from reasonable to generous: we paid less for this meal than we did in some other, otherwise less expensive cities of Italy. That's not to say it's cheap! The three of us paid 48 euro, and arguably we didn't eat that much -- just one plate each, sharing a dessert (millefoglie / sbriciolata, phenomenal; highly recommend). Our server, whose name I never caught, had a wonderful smile, which he showed often -- not just to us, but to his fellow employees. Italian wait service in my experience is not great -- it's not bad, it's just not great; they don't generally smile or act as if they're glad to be employed. But our server acted as if he enjoyed his job! When leaving, a couple next to us strongly recommended that we take any advice he offered; we didn't solicit any, but it helps show what a good impression he made in general. read more

Friendly staff greeted us right in. Conveniently located close to the Vatican if you are in the area. Large space, well lit, and greeted by fresh fish upon entry. Seafood seems to be the emphasis here, if you want you can choose the fish from the display case and they cook it for you. I went with the frutti di mare and it was loaded with seafood goodies and the pasta was delicious. Grilled octopus was cooked and seasoned perfectly. Others at the table enjoyed gnocchi and lasagna. For dessert we shared an Italian cheesecake (not heavy like cheesecake factory, don't worry) and a fruit pie with kiwi. Negroni (my first non-wine beverage on the trip) was boozy and well made, and limoncello to finish the meal was refreshing. We really enjoyed this visit and definitely recommend it. read more

Beautiful spot with super delicious food. This place was recommended by our hotel hostess, and it was a hit. Waiter, Marco, was phenomenal, patient, gave us food advice and tips regarding the food and local history. My pasta was super fresh and delicious, sauce was just divine with mixed seafood, YUM.. It was so good that we took some food home with us as well. Whenever you are in Rome, Italy, Please make sure to come by and try this deliciousness at thiis spot, and try their beer as well read more

Papa Rex - One of the best spaghetti with seafood, absolutely delicious - Roman Near Me - Rome, RM

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Review dated 2025-09-25 I had dinner at this Italian restaurant and ordered a main course (oxtail) followed by tiramisu for dessert. After I finished my main course, the server cleared all the tableware, including the spoon that would normally be used for dessert. When the dessert was served, I politely asked the server for a spoon. Instead of simply bringing me one, he questioned me by asking, "Wasn't the spoon already on the table?" I explained that the previous server had taken it away. He then looked at me as if I had done something wrong, walked away, and never brought me a spoon. This left me feeling very uncomfortable and disappointed. A basic request like providing cutlery for dessert should not have been an issue, and the way the situation was handled was unprofessional. read more

Papa Rex - Table - Roman Near Me - Rome, RM

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The food was outstanding and Marco our waiter was friendly and professional. Highly recommend this place. We loved the cannolis made at our table. read more

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Great place for a pizza pick me up! Add a Coke and you'll be set to continue with your Roman Holiday! Ate outside and enjoyed the lively atmosphere. read more

Papa Rex - Cheese pizza - Roman Near Me - Rome, RM

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This place was recommended to us! It was great. The staff was friendly and fun. The waiter taught us proper Italian "Gracia"! The food was delicious. We tried several dishes as we were a party of 4. Great ambiance and great food. read more

Papa Rex - Roman Near Me - Rome, RM

Finishing our tour of Italy with a trip to the Vatican. Looking for nice place next to the hotel. Papa Rex was easily the best meal of the trip. Our waiter recommended the "special" which was Flounder and roasted potatoes. Served family style it consisted of a whole flounder split three way between me, my wife and my daughter. It was prepared perfectly, roasted in olive oils and lemon, then fileted and split onto our three plates table-side by our very friendly waiter. Drinks were Very reasonable and my whiskey pour was generous for 7€. This was easily our best meal of the trip, yet one of the more reasonable dinners of the week. We finished with a complimentary limoncello that was by far the best I have tasted, so smooth and delicious I asked if they sold it by the bottle. Unfortunately they don't. Would give six stars if possible. read more

Papa Rex - Roman Near Me - Rome, RM

I found this gem on Yelp! And decided to give it a try as it was within my Alli g distance from our hotel. As we entered, we saw another couple from our hotel dining. We pushed tables together and joined them. Not 5 minutes later, a third couple came along and we moved to a larger table. Apparently, the hotel's concierge desk recommends Papa Rex to its guests. And for good reason. Upscale without pretense. Superb service. Friendly waiters who clearly enjoy sharing Italian food. My wife and I ordered Frutti de mare, pasta in a light red sauce smothered with clams, muscles and baby shrimp. Delicioso! Another ordered a T-bone steak that was perfectly prepared. It disappeared from her plate. A salmon dinner was served, along with an order of filet medallions. The salmon was superb, but the medallions were a bit disappointing. Covered in a creamy mushroom sauce, the flavor of the beef was so overpowered. For desert I went with lemon gelato. Others opted for the traditional cannelloni. Then, we're served lemoncello on the house. If you're in Rome, anywhere near the St. Peter's Basilica, Papa Rex is the place to dine. read more

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Found this great place while walking around the west side of the Vatican. As soon as you enter we were welcomed with a display of fresh fish. We ordered the fish of the day which was sea bass . The presentation was awesome and the fish was even more and it did not disappoint. Were definitely coming back here. read more

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Great service, reservations recommended, but they are seating walk-ins. We shared the fettuccine mushroom bacon, the spaghettti bolongese, and pasta big clams squid rings and octopus. The sauces were rich, creamy & flavorful. A favorite among the tour groups because the basement is a huge dining hall just for large groups. The staff is friendly and courteous, upscale and attentive, but not hovering over you watching you eat. read more

Papa Rex - Pleasant atmos - Roman Near Me - Rome, RM

Food is incredibly. Fish is the house specialty. Everything is cooked and served fresh. Service by Marcos was exceptional. Marcos is truly an artist at his work. Makes you feel welcome. Ambiance is quite and calm. Great location in city center. Thank you, read more

Amazing food and service... It was so good that we went back to nights in a row. Highly recommend and the porcini mushroom appetizer was amazing!!! read more

When you make food yourself, you know how long it takes to cook a meal. But, most meals at restaurants have to wait for everyone else's order, so it usually takes a while. Not so at Papa Rex. Food is brought out as soon as it's done. The caprese salad was just tomatoes and thick chunks of mozzarella. Adding balsamic vinegar and olive oil made it a great side, but it was a bit plain by itself. The artichoke and ham pizza arrived in maybe 5 minutes. It had a nice char on the crust, and had balanced flavor. The ridiculously cheesy and creamy Quattro Formaggio (4 cheese) gnocchi arrived soon after. Wow, was that good. The filet was perfectly cooked and had a side of buttery potatoes. There was a lot of butter, but they were gone in minutes. By the time everyone else was done, my lamb arrived. It mostly bone and fat, but the meat that was there was amazingly flavorful, with just the right amount of rosemary. The same phenomenal potatoes accompanied the meal. The tiramisu was perfect, especially with a thick cup of dark roast Italian coffee. This is flat out the best tiramisu I've ever had. The service was phenomenal. The waiter - Stefano - was personable and attentive, and there was also an army of helping servers to deliver food, restock and he bread, and otherwise keep things humming. The meal ended with a complimentary limoncello, a strong lemon liquor. The only gripe was the toilets. The area was under construction, and none of the toilets has proper seats. This is still a phenomenal dining experience, despite the usual American expectations that all the food comes out at the same time. Definitely worth a visit. read more

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This restaurant obviously depends on your group business. We were on of two tour groups there. Once you get two there at the same time it gets cacophonous. You can't here anything. We had a four course dinner: salad with cheese and a few tomatoes then basic buttered pasta and then powered mash potatoes, canned peas and inedible meat "substance that was inedible. The wine flowed I assume because of the mark up. read more

Great service, fresh food at reasonable price. The walking distance to St Peter Basilica.

This place is so delicious! When we arrive in Rome 15 days ago. We stopped for lunch and it was amazing. Today is our last day in Rome before flying back to America. We had to stop here for lunch one last time. Papa Rex did not disappoint! It was amazing just like the first time. So glad we stop one last time. I'm in love The staff was very polite and helpful. read more

Papa Rex - Fettuccine with bacon and mushrooms - Roman Near Me - Rome, RM

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Food was excellent! Service was flawless! Ambiance was amazing! Highly recommended! The server was a pro, food was quick and wine was great! read more

Papa Rex - Carbonara - Roman Near Me - Rome, RM

Had dinner at this excellent restaurant. The food quality and service was extraordinary. Fresh seafood and great pasta. Nice wine list as well. This was a memorable meal during our trip to Rome. read more

Great Italian seafood restaurant outside the main tourist areas. I've eaten here multiple times and have always been satisfied with the food quality. Friendly staff (that speaks English) and great for groups. Prices are reasonable and chef specials almost every night. read more

Papa Rex - Table'o food - Roman Near Me - Rome, RM

Wonderful service. We were looking for a restaurant that would take 28 people. They were happy to accommodate our large group. We ordered several appetizers: mussels, ham with focaccia bread. They were large servings enough to have leftovers. Everyone in our group ordered many different dishes: Soup, roasted potatoes, salmon, pizza, steak, pasta dishes and much more. Our waiter was outstanding so personable with a wonderful personality. If ever back in Rome we will definitely be eating here again. read more

Papa Rex - Roman Near Me - Rome, RM

This is one the best restaurants I've tried in Rome!!! Amazing pizza and pasta and they gave us complimentary wine! read more

Papa Rex - Pesto fettuccini - Roman Near Me - Rome, RM

Amazing service, great food, convenient location near the Vatican! Priced well and will be coming back. We ordered bruschetta, margarita pizza, lasagna, cheese ravioli, wine and beer on tap. Table next to us ordered fresh fish and watched waiter debone the fish table side. Very impressive and attention to detail with all dishes. read more

My boyfriend and I ate here as a last resort because nothing else was open. We were looking for a good pizza spot and had high expectations for this restaurant especially given most of the reviews. Sadly as you can see from my rating, they did not live up to our expectations in the least. I'm surprised that the pizza was presented in such a manor and it lacked flavor. My boyfriend ordered a pizza which was identified as a specialty that contained ham, mushrooms, boiled eggs, asparagus, and olives. We told them no asparagus which they complied but the overall, the pizza was terrible and disappointing. Literally, there was one boiled egg cut in half and just thrown on the pizza. There were deli ham slices thrown on, mushrooms looked like they were thrown on, and 4 whole olives thrown onto the another quarter of the pizza. I also ordered the White pizza. I wasn't a fan. It lacked flavor and was dry. Overall, not my favorite place in Rome. Highly disappointed that they could mess up something as trivial as pizza. read more

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Both the food and service were PHENOMENAL!!!! For example, I ordered steak. It was the I've ever had, perhaps better than the Florentine steak I had a week prior. Moreover, our server Stephano did an AMAZING job. He was warm, friendly, funny, super knowledgable about food nuances, and made sure we had the best anniversary dinner to date. Thanks PAPA REX and Stephano for a wonderful 10 year anniversary evening. read more

Best Italian food in Rome!! service is also great and great prices for an upscale restaurant. You'll love it

Ordered the steak, it was delicious. Fabrizio was amazing. Took great care of us. Highly recommend when traveling

Papa Rex was within walking distance of our hotel. I contacted them via email because I needed to know if they could provide nut free food for my daughter. They responded to my message right away and they assured me they could provide safe meals. We went 3 times durning our stay. My daughter absolutely loved the steak. The other things we had (ravioli, pizza, spaghetti a la bolognese) were delicious. They have a decent wine list. Good service. It's worth a visit. read more

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My family loved this place we went three times during our short stay in Rome. The seafood pasta that came shaped as a duck was my mom's favorite. The lamb chops, Bolognese and roasted chicken were among other favors. The place was huge so easy to accommodate 7 of us without a reservation a must for famalies read more

Papa Rex - Spaghetti Bolognese - Roman Near Me - Rome, RM

The food was so fresh and so good!!!! Our antipasto was the mozzarella and ham and we both had the speck pizza! The wait staff was excellent and the wine was wonderful! The locals recommended this place and we're so glad we listened. read more

Papa Rex - Mozzarella and cured ham - Roman Near Me - Rome, RM

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This place is a gem! Beautifully built, fantastic staff and the food matches it all. They're known for fresh seafood, never frozen. The sea bass just melts in your mouth. The steaks are a bit tough but it's been like that all over Europe so far.. maybe that's just how people here like it? Everything else we ordered was up to our Italy expectation! I'll say this is a must try spot if you're around, very cute photo op too! read more

Favorite food in Rome! Wait staff was great. Stephan (or Steven?) was an energetic guy with lots of Pizzaz! The gentleman with the grey goatee (who's name I did not catch) is a real character. This place is slightly off the beaten path - so they actually have to cook good food to survive. The stuff on the main drag around the Vatican was terrible. This place was great! Decor was great too. Food we had: Roasted chicken and potatoes was wonderful - just like roasted chicken always is. The cheese ravioli was wonderful The pasta with fresh mushrooms was wonderful The Pasta Bolognese was superb. They also had a great selection of whole fresh fish for groups of 2 or three. I didn't have it, but a couple next to us did. Beautiful presentation and served up perfectly. They loved it. They also have gluten free pasta options for the straight type pastas (not lasagna or ravioli) The desserts were also crazy good. The gluten free fudge ice cream/brownie creation was incredible. The chocolate mousse was practically a religious experience. Our Air B&B was directly above (which wasn't awesome) so we hit this place 3 times. And...free Limoncello for everyone at the end. read more

I want to give this 10 stars. Best meal our family has ever had! We had a table for 5. Our waiter divided up our portions of our meal, filleted our red snapper for us and the food was absolutely incredible. We went a little over our budget and paid almost 200,00 euro for all of us (with 2 bottles of wine) and it was worth every euro. We still talk about the wonderful meal at Papa Rex! read more

The restaurant is large and the place was packed for lunch. The waiter spoke English and the menu had English translations under each item which are both so helpful. Ironically, this was our least favorite dining experience in Rome but we were so tired of pizza and pasta that we happily gobbled up every single bite. We ordered baked chicken with roasted potatoes and focaccia bread with roasted pork. Both dishes were very dry with minimal seasoning. Maybe this place is great? Maybe dry food is their specialty? Maybe they just had a bad day? Can't say for sure with only one experience here, but based on our 2 meals, I really can't recommend Papa Rex. read more

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We had a lovely dinner. Great service. Had the bistecca fiorentina. Much better than any steakhouse in nyc. We were staying close by, so we were a bit afraid of being led to a not good place. We were so pleased w the service & food. Will remember & will try to be back on our stay in Rome. Loved the mozzarella. Could only have a bite of dessert: profiterole, which was amazingly delicious on the house limoncello was such a treat!! read more

We had the bolognese pasta, fresh sea bass, the best limoncello I've ever had. Daniele provided impeccable service.

We have come here three times since being in Rome. Needles to say the food is great and the service is great. They carry a house wine that is to die for and i wish we had it in the states! Vale as our server and he was kind and patient with our extremely terrible attempt at speaking Italian. The god is quality and the prices are right. This place is a must eat if you are staying by the Vatican but want a little more privacy from all the tourists. Can't wait to come back read more

Great spot with very delicious food. Variety of choices and servers were very attentive and social. You may have to wait a ht for your food, but the freshness and taste speaks for itself! Had such an amazing experience I went twice during my stay in Rome! read more

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They treated wonderfully until we didn't order their recommendations and the waiter's attitude completely changed. The food was good but service is questionable. They keep taking the oil and vinegar out. We had to ask three times to bring them back. read more

A great place 20 meters away from the Vatican City wall, with exceptional staff and delicious food at a reasonable price! The seasonal vegetable soup, ministrone, is really good! My husband loved the seafood plate (daily specialty)! Our waiter - Claudio - was incredible! read more