Palazzo Manfredi is a boutique hotel that has been occupying its position on Via Labicana since the 15th century. The Colosseum is 800 metres away — close enough that you can study its arches without a telescope from the terrace of Aroma, which sits atop the building's roofline. At night, when the Colosseum is illuminated and the sky behind it turns from blue to black, there is no dining room on earth quite like this one.
Chef Giuseppe Di Iorio took the helm in 2014 and earned the Michelin star that defines this address. His approach is anchored in Roman tradition — the great regional dishes of Lazio, the flavours of Campania that bleed north through the Italian kitchen — but rendered with the precision and restraint that a Michelin-starred table demands. The tasting menus (four options, including a vegetarian menu) present classic ingredients in compositions that feel neither fusty nor gratuitously modern. This is Italian cooking in confident possession of itself.
Signature dishes drift between Roman verities and seasonal flights of inspiration: a cacio e pepe reimagined with carbonara foam; a suckling pig whose crackling shatters over a cream of local legumes; a sea bass with fennel and pistachio cream that makes the simplicity look effortless. The wine list is strong in Lazio and southern Italian bottles, with a thoughtful international selection that reaches back twenty years.
The covered terrace is available year-round. In summer, book as far in advance as possible; the outdoor tables facing the Colosseum are among the most sought-after in Rome. A casual elegant dress code is enforced and respected. Reservations require at least two weeks' notice for any weekend date.