Rome is not a steak town by tradition. It does have grills, though, and the serious ones are recognisable in about thirty seconds: they name the breed, they name the ageing, and they give you the price by weight before you have to ask.
Book a table at ROSSO — Viale Aventino 32, by the Circus Maximus.
Beef is not a Roman tradition, and that helps you
The Roman canon is carbonara, cacio e pepe, coda alla vaccinara — dishes built to stretch cheap ingredients a long way. A proper steak arrived later, and it arrived from elsewhere. In Rome the useful question is never “is this Roman beef”, because it is not. It is “where is this beef from, and who aged it”.
That actually makes it easier for a visitor. You are not hunting for authenticity here. You are looking for a kitchen that treats meat seriously: a fire you can smell from the door, cuts listed by name instead of “mixed grill”, and a waiter who knows the answer to the ageing question.
Danish and Prussian: what the two names mean
Our beef is Danish or Prussian, and the difference is real. Danish is leaner and sweeter, close-grained. Prussian is the German-bred animal: fattier, with marbling that melts into the meat on the fire and leaves a longer, stronger flavour.
They cost exactly the same, which is deliberate. We would rather you order the one you actually want than the one that happens to be cheaper. If you are undecided, ask which is running better that week — the answer changes with the delivery, and the floor staff know it.
How to read a price “all’etto”
Italian menus price the big cuts all’etto, per hundred grams. A bone-in rib steak at €9.20 all’etto means €9.20 for every 100g, so a 900g steak lands around €83 — normally shared between two people, with a side each.
The individual cuts carry a fixed price instead. On our dinner menu the tagliata is €27 and the fillet €30. One warning that applies anywhere in the city: if a menu gives a per-weight price and no indication of the size in the fridge, ask before you order. A serious kitchen will tell you what it has.
- Bistecca alla fiorentina — bone in, thick, for two or more, priced by weight
- Rib eye steak — rib steak on the bone, €9.20 all’etto
- Tagliata — sliced, served off the bone, €27
- Fillet — the leanest cut, €30
Five things worth checking before you order
None of these require you to speak Italian, and all five are visible from the table.
- The fire. Charcoal or lava stone leaves a smell and a crust. A gas griddle does not. If you cannot smell anything, you are in the wrong place.
- The names. Cuts listed individually, with origin. “Mixed grill” with no detail usually means whatever arrived.
- The ageing. Anyone aging their beef properly will say so, and will tell you for how long.
- The question. A kitchen that cares asks how you want it cooked before it starts, not after.
- The sides. Vegetables and potatoes charged separately is a good sign: it means the plate is built around the meat.
Book a table or call +39 342 189 9629. Kitchen open until midnight.
What a steak dinner actually costs in Rome
Two people sharing a bone-in steak, one side each, half a litre of house red and water: expect €60 to €75 in a place that does it properly, service included — Italian restaurants do not add a service charge, but many add a small coperto per head. Ours is €2. If you want the whole mechanism explained, we wrote how dinner works in Rome.
Ordering individually costs less: a tagliata at €27 with a side is a full dinner. Fillet at €30 the same. There is more detail on the cuts in our guide to steak in Rome.
Where we are, and when to come
ROSSO is at Viale Aventino 32, two hundred metres from the Circus Maximus and four minutes from the Circo Massimo stop on metro line B. The grill runs at dinner, every evening, and the kitchen closes at midnight — later than most of the centre, which matters if you are coming from a concert or a late visit to the Terme di Caracalla.
The room also does pizza in the evening, on three different doughs, so a table split between steak and pizza is not a problem. It happens most nights.
Frequently asked questions
Is steak actually a Roman dish?
No. Rome’s meat tradition is offal and slow-cooked cuts — coda alla vaccinara, trippa, abbacchio. Grilled steak is a northern and Tuscan habit that Rome adopted. That is why the origin of the beef matters more here than the word “traditional” on a sign.
How much should a steak cost in Rome?
Between €8 and €11 per 100g for bone-in cuts, or €25–€35 for an individual cut like a tagliata or fillet. Much below that and something has been cut: the ageing, the origin, or the fire.
What does “all’etto” mean on a menu?
Per 100 grams. Multiply by the weight of the cut to get the price of the plate. Ask the waiter what weights they have in the fridge — a bone-in steak is usually 800g to 1.2kg and is meant for two.
Do I need to book for dinner?
At weekends and on concert nights near the Circus Maximus, yes. On a normal weekday evening you can usually walk in before 8pm. You can book online or call +39 342 189 9629.
Can I ask for it well done?
You can, and nobody will argue. Say “ben cotta”. For a thick bone-in cut we will suggest medium, because past that the fat has nothing left to give — but it is your dinner.
Is there anything for someone who does not eat meat?
Yes. There is pizza every evening on three doughs, pasta, and vegetable sides that are cooked rather than assembled. A mixed table works here.
Book your table — open every day from 8am, kitchen until midnight, bar until 1am.
More practical questions — hours, parking, dogs, accessibility — in our FAQ.
