Lacto
Italian
Buffet
Beer/Wine
Ristorante vegetariano. Stylish vegetarian restaurant. Offers multi-course menu. Vegan options are marked on the menu. Offers lunch buffet and Sunday brunch. Formerly Il Margutta RistorArte. Open Tue-Sun 12:30-23:30. Closed Mon.
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Last update on 03 Sep 2022 by Uncolored
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216 Reviews
First Review by juliotnunes
shapesh1ft
Points +138
Brunch - Edit
We popped in between 3-4 pm when they served late brunch. The brunch had enough vegan stuff, but they weren't up to what you would expect. The experience was a bit surreal, high brow customers in expensive dresses eating odd brunch menu in surroundings that remind me of 80s and 90s (leather couches etc). By the way, the brunch menu didn't include any breakfast stuff, so they could've called it buffet. The food wasn't all bad, but veggies were a bit overcooked, all was very mildly seasoned and for my taste it contained too much carbohydrates.
Read morePros: Many seats, Brunch partly ok
Cons: Brunch, Tacky furnishing
Guest
AdamEimadRabah
Points +24
very recommended - Edit
The food and the atmosphere are nice. The vegan meals are great. I was there twice, you must try the seitan stew and the staff are very kind .
Read moreGuest
FrankTLA
Points +24
Every Meal is a Roman Holiday - Edit
When you are in Rome, you must try this place. Try to make a reservation ahead of time, as it is fairly busy, but they took us as walk-in customers. On Wednesdays at 7pm, they have a happy hour with free snacks and music for only 10 euros. But really, you must sit down and have a meal here. The staff is excellent and the menu clear and simple, listing what is vegetarian and what is vegan. They also have price fixed meals that are well designed. Try what suits your tastes. It is all well-crafted food here. Yes, they have drinks and nice desserts. And, when done with your meal, stroll south on via Margutta to arrive at the address number 51. Look into the courtyard there. It is the setting from the film Roman Holiday where the main characters lived. It is now an institute that works with the blind, and if you wonder in on Saturday night, they will invite you to stay and enjoy a small social gathering and show you around. Great place. Great location in the center of Rome. Enjoy.
Read morePros: Excellent food, Friendly staff, Nice vibe
Guest
mroot
Points +36
Highly Recommend Il Margutta RistorArte - Edit
Amazing restaurant with many options for vegans and vegetarians. I applaud the owners for offering fine dining with vegetarian options only. The ambiance and service was outstanding, and the food was delightfully delicious. Our favorite is the Crispy” panzanella with date tomatoes, red onions, capers,black olives and celery, served with a basil ice-cream
Read moreUpdated from previous review on Friday October 10, 2014
Pros: fine dining-gourmet, ambiance, friendly and helpful staff
Guest
magdalenka91
Points +52
good but too expensive - Edit
I went there only once and eat vegan nice stuff, like quinoa and cocconut dessert. It's good, but wouldn't say anything amazing for this price and I know totally better and more natural places which costs less.
Read moreHowever I have to admit that localization is pretty good, cause Via Margutta is really beautiful street of art and ivy covered houses!
Pros: localization, outdoor seats, big restaurant
Cons: price definitelly!, not too many desserts, small amount
Guest
pmoreira
Points +78
Sucked - Edit
Went there for lunch and paid the flat rate for the buffet. Very few vegan options, and all VERY blend and normal... pasta with tomato sauce, green beans with olive oil, ... And then lots of pasta with cheese. I took an omnivore there, and was quite embarrassed! The food had no flavor. Perhaps at night where the service is à la carte it might be better? I hope so...
Read morePros: It's on a cute street
Cons: Tasteless, Dirty bathrooms
TreeDudeLove
I TOTALLY agree! I cannot understand how this place gets even average-to-good ratings! This place totally SUCKS!
Read moreGuest
martind76
Points +37
Nice Vegetarian/Vegan Restaurant - Edit
We ended up getting three vegan dishes because everything looked so good we couldn't decide! Vegan dishes on the menu are clearly marked as vegan so it takes the guesswork out. Nice, quiet & modern atmosphere. Check it out. You will enjoy!
Read morePros: vegan options, upscale atmosphere but not stuffy, tasty
Cons: charged 2 euros p/person for bread, bit pricey but worth it
Guest
dkinjer
Points +305
Superb gourmet cooking - Edit
I will update my previous review (most of it is below) following our latest two visits, in May 2014. We had the lunch buffet one day - same price, and very satisfying. We also splurged one evening for the gourmet vegan dinner - at 55 Euros a person it had better be good! Well, it was superb. This is very classy cooking (menu changes, but I won't describe the 6 or so courses). The one downside of this place is it is very noisy. There are very bad acoustics, and at dinner there was also some loud music (perhaps it was some event), and even the regular conversation makes so much noise. It is difficult to have a decent dinner conversation over all the noise.
Read morePrevious review (a bit deleted to keep to the limit):
We went to this restaurant two times. One time was the tail end of the lunch buffet, for 12 Euros, which is quite a good deal in Rome. I assume that because it was the tail end, many of the offered items were already depleted or somewhat messy, but what we found was still varied, tasty, with many vegan options. The soup was excellent (you could fill a very large bown), and there were hot and cold dishes, fresh fruit salad, juice. We were quite full, anyway. We went to dinner there on another day (evening) and had the vegan menu. This was expensive (36 Euros). It was superb. It started with a salad, which tasted like fennel and apples (the menu said artichokes, but it definitely wasn't that). We then had a second course of kamut pasta, cooked al dente, with a very tasty vegetable sauce. We then were served seitan cutlets in lemon sauce. This was very nice, and the seitan is very light and tasty. The chef was very accommodating. The seitan on the menu was to be with a white wine sauce, but I and my companion do not want wine in our food, so we asked if there is a way to make it without wine, and the chef suggested lemon. It was great. We were served a delicious chocolate cake with hot chocolate on top and tea (for me)/espresso (for my companion). Sparkling (or still, if you prefer) water and bread was included, with whole grain bread in the basket. Even though it is expensive, we highly recommend this restaurant. Most times we find the typical grains/beans/vegetable stew and maybe veggie burgers in vegan or veggie restaurants, the kind of stuff I can make myself. It was really a treat to eat in a place with tablecloths, nicely attired waiters, and feel like we were eating a fancy meal.
Updated from previous review on Tuesday January 31,2012
Pros: excellent food, nice physical atmosphere, many vegan options
Cons: very noisy, toilets could be cleaner and better kept
Guest
Robbiefree
Points +13
Il Margutta - Edit
I came here with my wife to celebrate 25 years of the vegetarian lifestyle. Been a lot of good meals in that time and happily this is without doubt one of the better experiences. The ambience and professional staff complement the delicately balanced menu perfectly but I feel the food can speak for itself. Having read such strong negative reviews on here before I went, I think I would sell a kidney to eat at what some reviewers consider an excellent restaurant if they geniunely find Il Margutta to be so poor.
Read moreThe menu is seasonal and incorporates modern and vegetarian perspectives on tradititional Roman dishes. The brunch buffets are exceptional value and the evening meals seem more than fair in price for a restaurant of an international calibre.
Established in 1977, I wish there were more people with such a passion for vegetarian food willing to open restaurants and share their passion with us.
Pros: Conscientiouslly balanced menu, Polite, professional and friendly staff, Pianist on Saturday evenings
Guest
MB305
Points +20
I must be insane - Edit
I keep reading the same reviews - "good vegan food at nice restaurants is expensive in Europe. 2 stars." (Luckily this seems to be the minority here...)
Read moreAgain, I read the reviews before I took my wife there for a nice dinner in Rome close to everything - before our walk to the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain to round our our beautiful, romantic night in Rome.
And then I got the check and started complaining to the waitress that back in the US food costs half as much and...oh wait, that part didn't happen.
What actually happened was that I read the reviews before I left and EXPECTED the good food at the nice vegan restaurant to cost more than Denny's. In fact, my wife and I also dressed for the occasion! So we took a stroll to an upscale vegan restaurant and had a great meal, and paid the check without complaining.
This is another "can't miss" restaurant. Food is good, it is priced right for what it is, we should all be so lucky to find restaurants like this in every city. And in fact, it was cheaper than eating at other places (Ops).
Pros: Good food, Nice atmosphere
Cons: Cheap Customers
Guest
sglcklch
Points +3547
Overpriced for quality, pretty setting though - Edit
My partner and I came here for dinner. We were first impressed by the hip and modern setting as we walked in. The wait staff was all professionally dressed and looked spiffy. If only the food had measured up...
Read moreWe only had the vegan dishes, so I can't speak for the quality of those with cheese, which seemed to be heavily used throughout the menu. Vegan options were clearly indicated, so ordering was a cinch. Instead of the €55 prix fixe vegan menu, we decided to go a la carte to keep our choices open.
Assuming this was one of those fancy restaurants that charge high prices for small quantity of food, we didn't think that our order of a pasta, a risotto, a three-soup combo dish, a seitan dish, and a salad would be too much. The pasta and risotto came first, and only when we saw the hearty portions did we realize we might have over ordered (actually we would've happily called it a night after those two plates). The rest of the food arrived in generous servings as well. Shame the food was nothing to write home about. Their homemade bread came in three varieties - carrot, rosemary, and plain white - but the colors were the only discernible difference. They were also too soft and fluffy for my liking. The mashed potato timbale in the seitan dish was cold and flavorless. The few rice grains on top were confusing as I couldn't figure out what, if anything, they added to the dish. Overall everything tasted rather one-note, lacking depth and nuance that I would expect from a posh restaurant like this. At times, I even felt the kitchen had been a bit sloppy - risotto was slightly undercooked, pasta overdressed, etc. Worst part was the warm chocolate cake we had for dessert, which disintegrated after (I suspect) being nuked in the microwave for too long. The accompanying ice cream was also melting into a puddle. I was actually taken aback when it got to our table by how unappetizing it looked - despite the alright taste - and that they would even brought it out in the first place.
I found the pricing very perplexing as well. For example, the pasta, rice, and other main courses were all around €12-€14. Yet, a lentil soup would cost €12; the simple tossed salad we ordered was like €11; all desserts were €10 and up. The chocolate cake was €12, which was disgustingly overpriced.
I reckon our mistake was getting way too much food while everything was just so average. If you do come here, order wisely and conservatively and you may fare better.
Pros: nice décor, big portions
Cons: mediocre food, weird pricing
Guest
Ajolote
Points +1753
Avoid brunch, it is not worth 25€ - Edit
We had Saturday brunch for 25€. So not worth it! The food was okay, but the vegan selection was very poor. The restaurant itself is very nice and big and full of art in a very touristy, easy to reach area, but the vegan options in the buffet were grilled veggies, salads, soups and perhaps rice. The only vegan dessert was a cake that was just sweet bread with marmalade. Very boring food!
Read morePros: Location, Decoration, Service
Cons: Food selection, Price
Guest
angdep
Points +1297
Good Food - Edit
My husband and I ate there twice while in Rome. We tried dinner and brunch, and both times the food was excellent. The quality and taste is fantastic, and their desserts are delicious. We had one of the most memorable meal there in Rome at their brunch buffet. There were also plenty of vegan options to choose from on the dinner menu and brunch. If you go to brunch, you can ask them to point out which dishes are vegan. Then for dessert, you have to tell your waiter to bring it out for you. We had a great dining experience there and really enjoyed the food. Highly recommend it.
Read morePros: Excellent food, Organic , Friendly staff
Cons: Nothing
Guest
Vegan Monkey
Points +38
It's great! - Edit
Excellent restaurant in very good location. Food is great, waiters are nice and soooo beautiful! (:D)
Read moreI love this place.
Pros: excellent food, friendly staff, good location
Guest
williamsmtw
Points +48
Very vegan friendly - Edit
We went there 2 times during the trip in Rome. I asked the waiter to recommend vegan cuisines and the food tasted good. Considering the location/atmosphere of the restaurant and food quality, the price is acceptable. It just takes 5-minute walk from metro station Spagna.
Read morePros: Delicious, Good atmosphere, Closed to metro station
Guest
unwesen
Points +123
Excellent Food - Edit
Great food, fine dining. As some reviews state, it's not cheap (by Italian standards), but in our opinion the food quality is worth the price.
Read morePros: Imaginative , Flavours , Atmosphere
Cons: Price
Guest
howremarkable
Points +30
Best Restaurant in Rome - Edit
I've had dinner there twice (and I'm going back tonight!). Il Margutta is moderately priced, but it's totally worth it (for example, a lentil soup is 8 euro, and a main pasta is 10 euro...the cheapest wine is 18 euro). There were many many vegan options. On the menu when it has a "V" next to it, don't just think they take off the cheese or something to make it vegan, they in fact revamp the whole dish to make it suitable. We had zucchini flowers filled with delicious tofu and then tempura battered and FRIED! We also got to try the new spring menu which had a lime-avocado mousse on top of lovely asparagus, and then the homemade pasta which had sundried tomato and PEAS! If a vegan dish sounds boring based on the description, please know it's just something lost in translation. Our other dinner item was "pasta with porcini and chili" but that doesn't begin to describe the depth of flavor and the mastery that went into that dish. The service was beyond helpful and friendly, and they were super attentive on top of it. We did not need a reservation.
Read morePros: Delicious, Central location, English Menu
Cons: pricey for some
Guest
MeaganPalmer
Points +53
Decent variety for vegans - Edit
We thankfully found this place after being in Rome for 2 days. We were tired of eating plain white pasta and having small,expensive meals that left us feeling starved a short few hours later (this being at the regular places in Rome,not the veg places). This place was a saving grace! For 25€ a head,you get all you can possibly eat,just so it's before 3:30pm. It's an open buffet,where even the drinks seem to be in the cost (we only got one coffee and a bottle of sparkling water) so you don't pay more than the 25€ a head,unless you get tea,from what I understand. The vegan meals are all clearly marked and the staff is helpful if you have any questions. The variety isn't huge for vegans,but at least I got very,very full after a few days of being constantly hungry. I can't remember what all we had,but it was all good,if not a tad bit oily for my taste,but I was on vacation,so I accepted it.
Read moreAlso, for other vegans,if you want dessert,just ask a waiter for a vegan dessert. If they have it,they will bring it out to you.
We went twice and they had the same food both times,so we're not sure how often they put out new things,if ever.
Pros: Open buffet, Clearly marked vegan food
Cons: Only serves from 12:30-3:00/3:30
Guest
avg7967
Points +17
Delicious, inventive, and not very expensive - Edit
Went here twice for dinner during our week-long stay. Fantastic food, nice ambience. Menu says certain items can be ordered as vegan - they are marked with a green V; everything else is vegetarian. It might seem expensive, but compared to other dinner bills, this was on the lower end, even when we ordered a bottle of wine with dinner. First night there was about $40 euros, second was a birthday dinner and we spent about 80 (we also ordered too much food that night). Would definitely go back!
Read moreGuest
nellie3
Points +31
stylish place - Edit
great buffet lunch. went just once for dinner because it is expensive, but if you are ok with that the food is really good and so is the atmosphere.
Read moreGuest
lagauchitude
Points +53
a good adress - Edit
a good place for vegetarian and vegan. Nice location in a beautiful area of Rome. Reasonable prices.
Read moreGuest
Malcy
Points +19
Brilliant Vegetarian Vegan - Edit
During a long weekend in Rome in September 2012, we went here for dinner on our first evening. It was so good we returned for our final meal of the weekend - Sunday lunch. Lunch during the week is an absolute bargain with dinner being a little more expensive. One problem, it is very, very popular and you do need to book. It is very modern inside and the staff are very helpful and speak good English.
Read morePros: Excellent food, Reasonable prices, Friendly staff
Cons: None
Guest
Herbiv4
Points +2021
full disclosure - Edit
In all fairness, I didn't actually end up eating here so I cannot rate the quality of the food. However, I was so excited to visit a ristorante with vegan options but was upset to see the 4 vegan options contained both cheese and honey. The ristorante itself is nestled in a very nice area and is quite trendy inside, with the art gallery and all, but I had more actual vegan options at Numbs in both Campi di Fiori and the one off of Corso Trieste. My travel companion also felt as if he may have been under-dressed for the venue, as well. Just a heads up to all my veg-head travelers.
Read morePros: no true vegan options
Cons: great area, trendy
Guest
KATIE H
Points +363
Interesting Veggie place - Edit
The Ristorarte is also a art gallery, very modern and bright, on a saturday evening they have a piano playing and advertise local yoga classes in a news section. the floor of the restaurant is very modern and not very relaxing so we choose to sit outside.
Read morewe had a lovely waitress who was rushed off her feet and so we waited 1 hr for our order to be taken. we were in no rush so it became funny watching, almost close to a faulty towers sketch.
We enjoyed our meals here, however they were very different to normal veggie places. There was a lot going on. Was hoping for more traditional italian but was happy and pleasantly surprised by the vegan fig and balsamic pasta dish. we also tried the carrot and wild rice puree soup nice but strange, would probably enjoyed a smaller serving of it. We also had Tempura Veg that was delicious but also too big a serve which ended up stopping us from being able to manage dessert.
it took some time to pay, but the waitress and waiter that night were very nice and kind and sorry for the delays in service. they gave us some top tips for rome and we exchanged some recipe ideas.
in the quest for a good vegan dessert whilst in rome we went back the following night just for drinks and the fig and almond tart. Again with the delight of another episode of italian faulty towers, the pudding was nice but was lacking something, it was a bit too basic. the sorbet made the the dessert. i would go back to this place for the service as even though it was possibly the slowest i have ever had it was polite and funny, it also helped i was on holiday i guess. they also have a different take on flavour which is always nice to explore.
Updated from previous review on Thursday August 30, 2012
Pros: nice balance of flavours, entertaining, nice service
Cons: expensive, not entirely what you expect
Guest
ira
Points +189
Buffet: Boring for vegans, and expensive - Edit
We went for Sunday lunch buffet. Considering that you have to pay 25 Euros there was nothing fancy for vegans. The vegetarian dishes included gratins, but for vegans it was mostly like eating side dishes: plain spinach, noodles with tomato sauce, lentil soup, some grilled veggies (those were actually the tastiest items) and some salads that were not spectacular. Regular food you could easily cook at home -- and if you're into it, much better. The fruit juices included in the buffet were very diluted and as for dessert, there was fruit for vegans while there were four cakes for vegetarians. When I asked I got soy milk for the coffee, but the waiter took it back again immediately. So my partner had to drink his coffee black. The place was very crowded at 2PM, and the staff was stressed. I've never seen so many people wearing fur in a vegetarian restaurant. Maybe the dinner menu a la carte is a better option for vegans, but like this we felt a little cheated, as we had asked before whether there would be vegan options. We had gotten the answer that 'they were actually vegan heaven'. Which is definitely NOT true.
Read morePros: location, open on Sundays, stylish
Cons: too expensive, bland food for vegans, overcrowded
Guest
veganmiss
Points +540
Fantastic - Edit
I ate at Il Margutta Ristorarte twice because it was just that good. It still is the best vegan restaurant I have ever been to. And classy! It is a high scale place as well as an art gallery. My mother was bitterly complaining about not having "real Italian" food while in Rome and she promised we would try at least one vegan/vegetarian restaurant while we were there. After much protest (and several nights of me eating cheeseless salads and pasta with marinara), I convinced her to try this place. She liked it so much she wanted to go again the next night! Figures.
Read moreThey have seasonal menu's. For the summer menu, I had the "vegan menu" sample. I also had the Chef's Salad & the warm bean and pasta potage with courgette flowers and
basil garnish. Seriously... Heaven in your mouth!
For a complete review, please see my blog here: http://veganmiss.blogspot.com/2009/03/veg-rome.html
Pros: vegan friendly, good food
Guest
PhilippeNicolitch
Points +87
Great food, great location, great service - Edit
This restaurant is ideally located near the Piazza di Spagna. The staff and management are very friendly and helpful to recommend vegan option. They even have a dedicated vegan menu and made some suggestions so we could share different dishes. The Seitan was absolutely delicious. The food presentation is lovely. This was definitely a fantastic experience, which we'd recommend to anyone visiting Rome. The restaurant also offers an extensive wine list and outdoor sitting in the back street, which on a warm september evening was really appreciated.
Read moreReservation is recommended, however after sending 2 emails to the restaurant which remained without an answer, I decided to call and got my confirmation immediately.
Don't forget that in Italy, bread and tap water are added to the final bill.
Pros: Food, Location, Outdoors sitting
Cons: Price, No follow up on email reservation
Guest
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