Where to eat in Rome before 8pm

15 addresses for when you are hungry before the sun goes down

Last summer on a mid-August evening after a brief and very welcome rain shower had cooled things down a bit, I took a walk. I walked down the via Fori Imperiali through Piazza Venezia to the via del Corso. I swung past the Fontana di Trevi and climbed up the Quirinale hill. Along the way, I passed a lot of people sitting outside at tables eating dinner. It wasn’t even close to sunset yet. None of it looked delicious.

There are a lot of rules in Italy. Many of the strictest concern mealtimes. There is that no cappuccino after 11 am rule, lunch is from 1:00-3:00 and the one that throws many Americans (and some northern Europeans) is dinner. Most restaurants do not open until 7:30 and really that means 8:00. In the summer 9:00 feels early. The further south you go, the later the dinner hour becomes. In Capri, I have only just sat down at 11:00. PM.

I remember a time, not all that long ago, when a visiting jet-lagged pal wanted a plate of pasta at 3:00 pm. That was an impossible ask. Things are changing in Rome and rules are made to be broken. Now there are places that serve good food all day long. I have created this guide for you to use when you are jet lagged and hungry or you are traveling with a small child who needs to eat. Or you can use it if you just want to break the rules.