# Ancient Roman restaurants **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Tags:** wine\ **Created:** [August 14, 2025, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-roman-restaurants/1022017 "2025-08-14T00:48:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-roman-restaurants/1022017/1 "2025-08-14T00:48:45Z")
The romans had several types of eateries, including what was then “Fast food” (likely a lot healthier than todays, altho maybe the germ count….), And we have found some in Pompeii . But did any of them have anything like a menu? Of course not a printed one, one on the wall I guess, mostly with prices with wine, etc. I thought there was one in Pompeii that did have pictures of what was available? ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-roman-restaurants/1022017/2 "2025-08-14T00:52:20Z")
The thermopolium: > **[Thermopolium](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermopolium)** > > In the ancient Greco-Roman world, a thermopolium (pl.: thermopolia), from Greek θερμοπώλειον (thermopōlion), i.e. cook-shop, literally "a place where something hot is sold", was a commercial establishment where it was possible to purchase ready-to-eat food. In Latin literature, they are also called popinae, cauponae, hospitia or stabula, but archaeologists refer to them all as thermopolia. They were mainly used by those who did not have their own kitchens, often inhabitants of insulae, and A typ... Though as they were aimed at the urban poor (who didn’t have kitchens) their customers were not assumed to be literate, I assume? ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-roman-restaurants/1022017/3 "2025-08-14T00:55:11Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > The romans had several types of eateries, including what was then “Fast food” (likely a lot healthier than todays, altho maybe the germ count….), Except for not being deep fried, probably not much healthier even not accounting for the practice of sweetening wine with powdered lead. > [@DrDeth](#): > > But did any of them have anything like a menu? Of course not a printed one, one on the wall I guess, mostly with prices with wine, etc. The ‘menu’ as such would likely have been depicted in wall art but probably varied depending on what was available. Fish and seafood was a common ‘fast food’ source and so would depend upon the catch. > **[What Archeology Reveals About Fast Food in the Roman Empire - Roman Empire](https://roman-empire.net/society/what-archeology-reveals-about-fast-food-in-the-roman-empire)** > > Explore ancient Rome's bustling fast food scene, from thermopolia to vibrant markets, and discover how dining out shaped daily life and social culture in the Eternal City Stranger ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-roman-restaurants/1022017/4 "2025-08-14T01:01:43Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > Though as they were aimed at the urban poor (who didn’t have kitchens) their customers were not assumed to be literate, I assume? Most of whom could read a little, at least shown by all the graffitti- much of which is obviously done by the lower classes. But yeah, pictures would be better. > [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > The ‘menu’ as such would likely have been depicted in wall art but probably varied depending on what was available. Nice cite, and it does say- _In Ostia Antica, frescoes served as [ancient menus](https://roman-empire.net/discoveries/flatbread-resembling-pizza-in-ancient-fresco-unraveling-roman-dietary-habits). Visitors could see paintings showing the food available, like olives, eggs, and cheese._ That led me- indirectly to Atlas Obscura, and this- > **[Reconstructing the Menu of a Pub in Ancient Pompeii](https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/recreate-the-menu-of-pompeii-ancient-pub)** > > Eat like a first-century Roman, using recent archaeological discoveries as your guide. which looks both tasty and healful. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-roman-restaurants/1022017/5 "2025-08-14T01:05:50Z")
Did they have something like chalk boards? Signs that used sand? ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-roman-restaurants/1022017/6 "2025-08-14T01:20:24Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Except for not being deep fried, probably not much healthier I mean they wouldn’t have as much fat, sugar or salt (all of which would be too expensive for the urban poor, at least remotely near the quantities in modern fast food) Though of course the Roman urban poor would have been lacking in calories, so arguably not having loads of excess calories in the food would be unhealthy ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-roman-restaurants/1022017/7 "2025-08-14T01:48:18Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > I mean they wouldn’t have as much fat, sugar or salt (all of which would be too expensive for the urban poor, at least remotely near the quantities in modern fast food) Romans wouldn’t have refined sugar from cane or beets, of course, and salt was a precious (but not rare) commodity, but the Roman diet had both plenty of fats of various kinds as well as sugars and starches in the form of honey and emmer (wheat). Most meats were in the form of sausage, offal, and bony parts of the pig (feet, hocks); for the more wealthy, pork belly, loins, sweetbreads, maybe brains, as well as fish and seafood. A lot of cheese and fermented dairy products, various fruits and nuts, et cetera; no whole grains or most of the modern whole grains, nightshades, and vegetables we associate with Italian and Mediterranean cuisines. So, not as processed and refined as the modern ‘fast food’ diet, but also not the ‘Mediterranean Diet’ of mostly vegetables and fruit with lean proteins. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![UDS1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47774/32.png) [@UDS1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS1)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-roman-restaurants/1022017/8 "2025-08-14T02:58:14Z")
Worth pointing out that these weren’t, strictly speaking, “eateries”, as mentioned in the OP. You bought cooked food and took it home to eat; you didn’t eat there. This would have affected what they sold. For example, they probably didn’t sell wine or beer — you would have those at home, and there would be no particular advantage to buying the wine or beer for each meal along with the cooked food, and carrying them home together. The thread title mentions “restaurants”. So far as I know, the restaurant as we know it — a place that serves cooked food for you to eat on the premises, for the pleasure of eating — is an entirely modern phenomenon. What the Romans would have had, in addition to cookhouses, would be - Wineshops, where you went to drink, and some food might be incidentally available - Inns, catering to travellers, that provided accommodation and food. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-roman-restaurants/1022017/9 "2025-08-14T02:59:26Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Did they have something like chalk boards? Signs that used sand? Wax tablets. > [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > no whole grains or most of the modern whole grains, The poor ate bread that was whole grain and often barley or emmer. Only the rich are a sort of white bread. > [@UDS1](#): > > So far as I know, the restaurant as we know it — a place that serves cooked food for you to eat on the premises, for the pleasure of eating — is an entirely modern phenomenon. Some of the roman ones did have seating. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-roman-restaurants/1022017/10 "2025-08-14T06:58:29Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > likely a lot healthier than todays Do you know how _garum_ was made back then? Or what _sapa_ is? “Healthy” is not quite how I’d put it. > [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Except for not being deep fried, Not so sure about that - several recipes in Roman cookbooks indicate frying [like these parsnips](https://passtheflamingo.com/2017/10/11/ancient-recipe-parsnip-fries-with-wine-sauce-roman-5th-century-ce/) (I have made them, they are delicious). ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-roman-restaurants/1022017/11 "2025-08-14T07:28:42Z")
> [@UDS1](#): > > You bought cooked food and took it home to eat; you didn’t eat there. > > This would have affected what they sold. Presumably the customers would in some cases have to bring their own vessels for some of the food - mass-produced disposable containers _can_ be made from natural materials (or edible materials like flatbreads), but if you’re buying something that’s a stew, you’re going to need a jug or bowl. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-roman-restaurants/1022017/12 "2025-08-14T07:36:30Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Nice cite, and it does say- > > _In Ostia Antica, frescoes served as [ancient menus](https://roman-empire.net/discoveries/flatbread-resembling-pizza-in-ancient-fresco-unraveling-roman-dietary-habits). Visitors could see paintings showing the food available, like olives, eggs, and cheese._ I was in Rome this past spring, and visited the ruins at Ostia Antica. It’s a fascinating site because it’s one of the rare Roman cities that was essentially abandoned (due to a change in geography) rather than being destroyed or built over, so much of the original city is viewable in its ancient (if weather-beaten) state. One of the buildings in the old city center is, indeed, a restaurant, in the sense the Romans would have understood it. This doesn’t mean fancy sit-down table service, it means a small selection of dishes prepared in large quantities for quick and convenient consumption. The better word in English is probably “tavern.” There is a collection of images here, showing the interior, and the “menu” frescoes. > **[Ostia antica bar hi-res stock photography and images - Alamy](https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/ostia-antica-bar.html?sortBy=relevant)** > > Find the perfect ostia antica bar stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. Available for both RF and RM licensing. As you stand in the middle of that room, it’s impossible to resist the pull of the historical connection. There’s a back patio where they had covered seating, like any restaurant with an outdoor terrace. The service counter is up front, so passers-by would have seen and smelled what was on offer. You stand in the room and you look around, and the distance of two thousand years fades away. You can _feel_ the everyday functionality of the space. A remarkable experience. (Edit to add: Within a couple of minutes of our entry, my younger daughter enthusiastically set herself up behind the front counter and wanted to “play restaurant,” taking orders and serving food. That’s how powerfully immediate the space feels. It’s irresistible.) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-roman-restaurants/1022017/13 "2025-08-14T08:31:47Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > if you’re buying something that’s a stew, you’re going to need a jug or bowl. Disposable or nearly-disposable mass-produced unglazed clay bowls were totally a thing in Rome as they were in other parts of the Med.([They still are a thing in India](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kulhar)). It was probably a mix of bring-your-own and store-supplied (possibly even with a nominal deposit, like a German Christmas market glühwein pfand?) as we have written evidence of vendors selling things in clay cups and large deposits of broken pottery at vending sites. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-roman-restaurants/1022017/14 "2025-08-14T11:55:43Z")
We have an ancient Roman cookbook, _de Re Culinaria_ (“On the Subject of Cooking”) by Caelius Apicius. I have a copy placed among the cookbooks in my kitchen. It’s surprisingly long and detailed, but most of the items in it are bout as appetizing to me as _garum_ is. I used Apicius, along with description of the dishes given in the _Satyricon_ of Petronius Arbiter (which were admittedly showy, expensive productions not typical of Roman everyday cookery) as my guide when I wrote my mystery _Murder with Trimalchio_, in which I assume that Trimalchio, the gourmand from the _Satyricon,_ is a Roman-era Nero Wolfe, who loves exotic cooking and solves mysteries. > **[Murder With Trimalchio –](https://mystericale.com/article/murder-with-trimalchio/)** > **[LacusCurtius • Apicius — De Re Coquinaria](https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Apicius/home.html)** > > English entry page to an English translation of the work, in turn part of a large site containing many Greek and Latin texts and translations. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-roman-restaurants/1022017/15 "2025-08-14T12:02:28Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/u08Dbm4pATw/maxresdefault.jpg "The Roman Colosseum: What It Was Like to Attend the Games") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u08Dbm4pATw) ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-roman-restaurants/1022017/16 "2025-08-14T12:03:08Z")
Sorry for double post, can never remember how to enter a video link and text. Max Miller makes some Roman fast food. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-roman-restaurants/1022017/17 "2025-08-14T12:40:34Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > And we have found some in Pompeii Speaking of Pompeii, this series is currently running on PBS: > **[Pompeii: The New Dig](https://www.pbs.org/show/pompeii-the-new-dig/)** > > A landmark series following the biggest archaeological dig at Pompeii for a generation. It’s mostly about the excavation of wealthy houses. To link it to this thread, they do briefly cover some of the hot food shops that were setup along the city streets. The series is really fascinating for anyone interested in Pompeii or Roman History. Worth checking out. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-roman-restaurants/1022017/18 "2025-08-14T13:16:59Z")
IIRC, there were a few “restaurants” in Pompeii you could look around. The pattern seemed to be a row of 3 or 4 holes in the counter where cook-pots were inserted over a fire to keep contents cooked. I would imagine a lack of variety (particularly in the days before refrigeration was common) and the food being front and center meant it was unnnecessary to have a long printed menu - more like “today’s specials are…” as a simple explanation for anyone who can’t see and smell the choices for themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-roman-restaurants/1022017/19 "2025-08-14T13:25:17Z")
> [@md-2000](#): > > the food being front and center meant it was unnnecessary to have a long printed menu You get this in very traditional and small family-run restaurants in Greece (and other places), even now. If you go into a village taverna, it’s entirely possible the “menu” will be “come up here so we can show you what’s in our half-dozen stew pots today, and then tell us what you want.” ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2025, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-roman-restaurants/1022017/20 "2025-08-14T13:37:06Z")
Yes, I can confirm this, I had that experience several times when I was travelling in Northern Greece in 1997. It was always great food, too, in these little places. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-roman-restaurants/1022017.md?page=2)