British food in Rome: where to find a proper cuppa, a pub for the footie and a jar of Marmite

Rome is one of the best places on earth to eat, and almost none of it is British. That's fine most days. For the other days, there's an English tea room that opened in 1893, a cluster of Scottish and Irish pubs, and a few shops with an international shelf.

The short version

• Tea: Babingtons at the Spanish Steps has been serving tea and scones since 1893 [1].
• Pubs for the match: the Highlander, the Nag's Head, Scholars Lounge and Finnegans all show British football and rugby, mostly with English commentary [2][3][4][5].
• A full English or a Sunday roast: we couldn't find a Rome pub that currently advertises either on its own site. Brunch is the nearest thing.
• Marmite and PG Tips: try the Castroni food shops, which carry teas and foods from around the world, or stock up in the UK [7].
• Drinks are stronger: the FCDO warns that drinks in Italian bars are often stronger than in the UK [8].

Pound conversions use the Bank of England spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = EUR 1.2002).

A proper cuppa

Italians drink tea when they're ill. Order "un tè" in a bar and you'll usually get a cup of hot water and a bag of something mild on the side, sometimes with a slice of lemon. It's not the end of the world, but it's not a builder's brew either. Ask for "latte freddo a parte" (cold milk on the side) or you may get it hot, or not at all.

Babingtons

When you want tea done properly, go to Babingtons at the foot of the Spanish Steps, Piazza di Spagna 23. It was founded in 1893 by two young Englishwomen, Isabel Cargill and Anna Maria Babington, who put their savings of £100 into a tea and reading room for the English-speaking community [1]. It still serves its own blends, cream tea with warm scones, a Grand High Tea, sandwiches and homemade cakes [1]. It's a treat rather than an everyday spot, and the prices reflect the postcode. Its loose-leaf blends cost around EUR 15 a tin (about £12.50) in its online shop [1], which makes a nice present for the Italian in-laws.

Making your own

The simplest answer is to bring tea from home. Teabags weigh nothing, and a suitcase can hold a year's supply of PG Tips or Yorkshire. Most Brits in Rome also invest in a kettle in their first week; many Italian kitchens only have a moka pot.

Pubs for the football and rugby

Rome's pubs are mostly Irish or Scottish, sit in the historic centre, and come alive for the Six Nations, the Autumn Internationals and the big Premier League weekends. All the pubs below were checked in 2026.

The Highlander

A Scottish pub tucked behind the Pantheon, open every day of the year from 11am to 2am [3]. Its screens cover almost everything: the Premier League, the Champions League (up to six matches at once), rugby union and league, golf, F1 and tennis, and it says it'll put other matches on if you ask [3]. It's showing the Autumn Internationals in November 2026, and does a Saturday brunch alongside the sport [3].

The Nag's Head

Another Scottish pub, just off Piazza Venezia, open daily from noon until 4am [2]. It shows football and rugby, and its fixture list for this weekend, 7 and 8 November 2026, includes the Autumn Nations rugby [2]. The kitchen does stovies, the Scottish beef and potato dish, at EUR 12 (about £10), and smoked Scottish salmon at the same price [2]. Later on it turns into a late-night bar with DJs and live bands.

Scholars Lounge and Finnegans

Scholars Lounge, near Piazza Venezia, is Irish-owned and big, with more than 20 screens and English commentary [6]. As well as the sport, it runs live music, karaoke and a pub quiz [4]. Finnegans in Monti shows the English and Scottish Premiership, Ireland and England internationals and the Six Nations, and Wanted in Rome describes it as popular with English speakers from the UK and Ireland [5][6].

A full English and a Sunday roast

This is where Rome lets you down. We looked for a pub or café advertising a full English breakfast or a Sunday roast on its own website in 2026 and didn't find one we could vouch for. Plenty of hotels and brunch places do eggs, bacon and toast, and the Highlander's Saturday brunch is the nearest pub option we found [3].

The roast is easier at home. Italian butchers will happily do you a leg of lamb (abbacchio is a Roman speciality, especially at Easter) or a chicken, and potatoes, carrots and parsnips are in most markets. Gravy granules and Yorkshire pudding mix are the bits to bring back from Blighty.

Shopping for the taste of home

Castroni

Castroni is a Roman coffee roaster with food shops all over the city, the best known at Via Cola di Rienzo 196/198 in Prati [7]. Alongside its own coffee and Italian specialities, it stocks a wide range of world foods, teas and drinks from around the globe [7]. Expats have been using it for British and American treats for decades. The range changes, so if you're after something specific, such as Marmite, Bisto or HP Sauce, ring your nearest branch before trekking across town. Other branches include Via Ottaviano, Via Nazionale, Via Frattina and Viale Marconi [7].

Supermarkets

Big Italian supermarkets often carry a few international brands, such as cornflakes, porridge oats and the odd packet of digestives, but not much more. Look in the "etnico" or international aisle. Cheddar is easier to find than it used to be; a decent mature one is rarer.

Ordering from the UK

Since Brexit, parcels from the UK to Italy count as imports. You'll usually pay Italian VAT on the goods and may face customs duty and a handling charge on delivery, so a box of treats can cost far more than the shelf price. Several online British shops ship to the EU; check whether they charge the VAT up front, which saves a nasty surprise at the door.

Christmas pud and mince pies

The festive season is the hardest. Christmas puddings, mince pies and Christmas crackers are rare in Rome. Your options:

1. Bring them back after a trip home in November, or ask visiting family to pack some.
2. Check Castroni from early December for seasonal imports [7].
3. Make your own. Dried fruit and brandy are easy to find in Rome; bring the suet. Panettone is a fine back-up.
4. Ask around. Our community group for Brits in Italy is the quickest way to find out who's selling mince pies this year.

Going out the Roman way

A last word of warning: Italian measures are generous. The FCDO's travel advice says drinks served in Italian bars are often stronger than in the UK, and reminds you not to leave drinks unattended [8]. It also notes that some Italian towns fine people for eating and drinking next to main churches and monuments, or for sitting on monument steps [8]. Our nightlife guide has more on where to go after the final whistle.

Sources

1. Babingtons Tea Room, Rome (checked 7 November 2026)
2. The Nag's Head Rome (fixtures for 7–8 November 2026, checked 7 November 2026)
3. The Highlander Rome (checked 7 November 2026)
4. Scholars Lounge Rome (checked 7 November 2026)
5. Finnegans Rome (© 2026, checked 7 November 2026)
6. Wanted in Rome: Best pubs in Rome to watch the Six Nations (6 February 2026)
7. Castroni: shops in Rome (checked 7 November 2026)
8. GOV.UK (FCDO): Italy travel advice – safety and security (updated 3 November 2026)

Keep reading

• British life in Rome
• Nightlife in Rome
• Cost of living in Rome vs London and the UK average
• Moving pets and belongings from the UK