A foodie oasis with a contemporary bite
Garbatella quickly becomes a favourite of any that visit it. Boasting otherworldly architecture, authentic local cuisine and lively and diverse nightlife, it’s a Roman neighbourhood that attracts the locals. The impressive bridge Settimia Spizzichino is now opening up a contemporary artery into the historic neighbourhood linking it to the studenty Via Ostiense and inspiring a new wave of hip venues.
The area was a development plan for working class families in the 1920’s copying the British ‘Garden City’ by Ebenezer Howard, a utopian ideal where residents live in harmony with nature.
The architectural style is a mix of Baroque-like ‘Barochetto’ with naturalistic botanical and animal motifs along with Medieval and Renaissance flourishes. It has been left to quietly age, the rain creating a romantic Titian-like rust on the facades. Small detached apartment blocks (called in Italian “Lotti“) huddle around inner common courtyards with green cultivable spaces.
Legend has it the name came from a kind innkeeper known as Carlotta who fed construction workers, which led to the shortening of Garbata Ostella meaning ‘well-liked hostel’ to Garbatella.
The plan also included Via delle Sette Chiese, an ancient trail for pilgrims to the seven major basilicas in Rome. From eclectic buildings to yummy food, prepare to get a taste of one of the coolest neighbourhoods of Rome.
Discover the coolest places in Garbatella: best restaurants and bars
Garbatella isn’t just known for its unique buildings and fun nightlife: it’s also got some great restaurants where you can try the kind of food locals love.
Discover the best bars and clubs in Rome’s Garbatella where to have a drink or an aperitif in this Rome’s typical district.
Best Things to do and see in Garbatella
Explore Ostiense’s street art on a Vespa
Witness incredible forgotten buildings and hidden walls flourish in color and drawings on this 3-hour street art tour of Rome on the back of a Vespa. See millenary buildings and ancient ruins smoothly blend with this new disrupting form of art. And get your camera ready for the most unconventional Rome you would ever imagine! From Tormarancia, to Porto Fluviale and Garbatella, get ready to discover a whole new side of the Eternal City.
Eataly
Piazzale XII Ottobre 1492
Open daily 9am-12am
romeing.it/eataly
Down the street from Garbatella’s historic center and behind Piramide metro station is Eataly on Piazzale XII Ottobre 1492, a multi-level complex of glittering glass that is instantly recognisable. It encompasses a gourmet food market, retail zones, chic open plan food stations and top floor restaurant and workshop area for tastings, events and cooking classes.
Public Elementary School Cesare Battisti
Piazza Damiano Sauli, 1
The striking Public Elementary School Cesare Battisti, built in 1930 under fascist rule on Piazza Damiano Sauli displays a skeletal-like dome and imposing grandiose eagles presiding over the tall entranceway.
Palladium Theatre
Piazza Bartolomeo Romano, 8
teatropalladium.it
At Piazza Bartolomeo Romano is the famous Palladium Theatre with a curious convex and concave opposing lines, run by the Romaeuropa Foundation in collaboration with Roma Tre University hosting progressive film festivals, concerts, theatre and more.
Albergo Rosso
Via Giovanni Battista Magnaghi
With the dawn of fascism a set of urban-hotels with less green spaces were set up as makeshift dwellings for displaced workers with common dining and washroom areas such as Albergo Rosso, a strange looming terracotta building with clock tower designated for bachelors.
Farmer’s market
Via Francesco Passino, 22
And for fresh local produce, head to Garbatella’s indoor weekend Farmers Market on Via Francesco Passino, boasting over 30 stalls offering fresh seasonal produce from the local Lazio area. From 8am to 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays!
Piazza Benedetto Brin
This piazza is one of the most important areas of the neighbourhood and one of the first developments in the area back when works first started in 1920. The piazza, the stairs and the benches surrounding the stone fountain at the center of the piazza create more of a countryside atmosphere rather than that of a big city. Every summer, the piazza organizes open-air movie nights.
The Lotti di Garbatella (Garbatella’s Property Units)
The characteristic property units of Garbatella are the neighborhood’s working-class houses, buildings that surround courtyards and gardens, with different architectural styles. If you enter one of the property units you will certainly find clothes hanging on the windows, children playing and elderly women playing cards. It will feel like travelling back in time.
