I’m looking for recommendations for where to eat on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Rome. Also, besides faxing the Vatican, do you have any other suggestions on getting a ticket to the Christmas Eve mass with the Pope?
Kate
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Forest Grove, OR
11831 posts
You might check with your home Diocese for tickets. Be aware that success means you will still have to line up for hours, go through security, race for seats, and devote your entire Xmas Eve to the event. Lines start forming about 6 pm in my experience.
Many restaurants are open and a reservation is highly recommended because not only tourists but locals will eat out, especially at lunch on Xmas Day. Closer to the holiday, Katie Parla starts posting openings on her blog. Here is last year’s list. I don’t always agree with her taste but it is a starting point. We have had Xmas lunch a couple of times at Il Giardino Romano and we were happy with quality and price. (Many places do special, very expensive meals, so watch for that). They take reservations online, which is helpful. They are in the ghetto, which is fun to walk through in Christmas because it is business as usual and quite lively while the rest of the city is quiet. There are many restaurants that will be open in the ghetto so have a look at others there as well.