Gay Street (Via di San Giovanni in Laterano) Heritage in Rome – GayOut Guide
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Via di San Giovanni in Laterano, 00184 Rome

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About this place Gay Street (Via di San Giovanni in Laterano)

Rome's gay street begins, improbably and perfectly, at the Colosseum. Via di San Giovanni in Laterano — running from the amphitheatre toward the papal basilica of St John Lateran — has been the city's openly gay strip since the bar Coming Out planted its flag at No. 8 in 2001. In 2007 the city made it official: an opening ceremony led by Arcigay, attended by national and municipal politicians, recognised the block as Gay Street. In Berlusconi-era Italy, with the Vatican's basilica a few hundred metres away, the gesture carried weight that a rainbow flag in Amsterdam never had to. What you see today: flags flying year-round, Coming Out's terrace facing the Colosseum, and a compact evening scene that swells on weekends — the visible heart of gay Rome, in the most historically loaded location any gay street occupies anywhere.

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4.0
★★★★★
3,084 reviews

Based on 3,084 Google reviews.

Lorenzo Devivo
Lorenzo Devivo Aug 2026
★★★★★

Great experience with Dominic our server. Solid gay guy, played the part very well. Would highly recommend. Fair prices too for being right next to Colosseum.

Pedro Henrique
Pedro Henrique Aug 2026
★★★★★

The only positive point is that you can drink while looking at the Colosseum in the background; there aren't many gay options in the city, and if you sit on the street you can drink with a view of the Colosseum. What disappointed me was the service. There were two terrible situations. On the first day, my friends and I stayed until the bar closed, but the service was always terrible, especially from one waiter in particular. At the end of the night, when he came to clear our table and tell us he needed to close, he was extremely rude. We picked up our glass and some bottles of water that were on the table, and I politely asked if there was any trash to throw away. He took mine, threw it on the floor, and replied something like "don't have" in an ironic tone. The next day we went back to the same bar since there weren't many options. There were a few occupied tables and about three free ones. We went towards one table and the same waiter was standing next to us. We asked if we could sit at that table, and he replied again in an ironic tone that it was reserved. We asked about the other tables and he replied that yes, AND THEY WERE NOT RESERVED. There was a group of Brazilians next to us who were super friendly and said they were leaving and asked if we could sit at their table, but we preferred to stay at the bar next door where the service was much better!

Francois Vermaak
Francois Vermaak Aug 2026
★★★★★

Pity we cannot trust our own tribe. You have to pay after every drink. They don't care about your bank charges. The vibe is good, service unfortunately very poor and trust zero.

Ivan Duvnjak
Ivan Duvnjak Aug 2026
★★★★★

I love you. A kiss.

davicube
davicube Aug 2026
★★★★★
Tanemara Galea
Tanemara Galea Aug 2026
★★★★★
Nilay Karaatlı
Nilay Karaatlı Aug 2026
★★★★★

We ordered pizza, lasagna, gnocchi, and tiramisu, and they were all delicious. The waiters were very friendly. Thank you so much for everything.

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Last updated on 26 September 2026

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