ExploFood · Europe
What to eat in Vatican City
Three dishes to try in Vatican City, the most typical first. One is vegetarian.
Three dishes to try in Vatican City
Carbonara
Pasta with egg yolk, pecorino, guanciale and black pepper.
How to have it: A Roman dish; the Vatican has no cuisine of its own, so eat it in nearby Prati or Borgo trattorias.
Cacio e pepe
Pasta tossed with pecorino romano and black pepper.
How to have it: Roman, not Vatican; usually made with tonnarelli at trattorias just outside the walls.
Supplì
Fried rice ball with tomato sauce and a molten mozzarella centre.
How to have it: A Roman street snack; grab one from a pizza-by-the-slice shop near St Peter's.
What to eat next door
Plan the trip
Questions
What food is Vatican City famous for?
Carbonara (pasta with egg yolk, pecorino, guanciale and black pepper) comes first on our list, followed by Cacio e pepe and Supplì.
What is the national dish of Vatican City?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Vatican City is Carbonara: pasta with egg yolk, pecorino, guanciale and black pepper. A Roman dish; the Vatican has no cuisine of its own, so eat it in nearby Prati or Borgo trattorias.
Which dishes in Vatican City are vegetarian?
One of the three on this page is vegetarian as usually made: Cacio e pepe. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.
How reliable is this list?
The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.
Keep exploring
Practical · 3 min readEat your way through a country: how to find the national dishesFood is the fastest way into a place. How to find a country's signature dishes, order them well, eat safely and keep a record of what you have tried.
Planning · 4 min readHow to choose the best time to visit anywhereWeather is only one part of it. Learn how to weigh seasons, crowds, prices and events, with real examples of the best months for popular destinations.
Planning · 4 min readHow to build a travel bucket list you'll actually useTurn a long wish list into a short plan: sort places by ease, season and effort, pick your next three, and keep the list alive after every trip.- Country guidesCountry guidesBest months, weather, holidays and plugs for every country.
- Free toolWhere can I go?Every country your passport opens, sorted by how easy it is.
Tick off every dish you try in Vatican City
Explo is a free app: light up the countries you have visited, keep the dishes you have tried, and check visa rules, weather and holidays before you go.
Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.