Aperitivo and apericena
This page brings together 55 Rome caterers that cater aperitivo and apericena for parties and events, with details checked on their official websites.
Free, no obligation · data from official websites
Decide whether the aperitivo has to replace dinner
Give the time and duration in your request
Keep food and drinks separate in the quote
Plan high tables and places to put things down
Alphabetical order · data from official websites
Centro Storicosince 1972
Historic bakery on Via dei Chiavari, taken over by the Roscioli family in 1972, organising buffets, aperitivi and tailor-made dinners.
Flaminio
Bakery, café and pastry shop in Flaminio with self-service catering or catering with waiting staff.
Velletri
A bar and pastry shop in Velletri with party buffets, buffets and working lunches, including a waiter for service and set-up.
Ciampino
Family kitchen in Ciampino for rinfreschi, coffee breaks, lunch boxes and dishes delivered to your door.
Receptions, buffets and cake design in Rome, also delivery-only, with table and gazebo hire.
Roma
Polish-born chef in Rome: cooking on site, a kitchen inspection beforehand and buffets with themed stations for up to 100 guests.
Primavalle
Rinfreschi and buffets from Primavalle, with in-house pastries and breads and two options: delivery without service or banqueting with staff.
Romasince 2012
Team led by chef Lucia d'Aloisio Mayo, active since 2012: private chef, catering with buffet and staff, also in villas or on yachts.
Casilinosince 1994
Family caterer in Casilino since 1994, with buffets, coffee breaks, vegan menus and many extra services.
Pigneto
Caterer in Pigneto using organic, locally sourced and fair-trade produce, with menus that follow the seasons.
Prati
A pastry shop and deli in Prati with a range of savoury and sweet party buffets.
Salario
Rome producer of plant-based cheeses from fermented nuts, with a bistro in the Salario area and vegan catering throughout Italy.
Frascatisince 1936
Food business in the Castelli Romani since 1936, with venues in four towns and catering for dinners and pizza parties.
Monterotondo
A bakery, bar-pastry shop and eatery in Monterotondo with buffets, standard menus from 10 people and delivered company lunches.
Capenasince 1926
A long-established bakery in Capena, open since 1926, catering for 20 to 200 people, with a private room for companies.
Cecchignola
A caterer in Cecchignola with more than thirty years in contract catering, its own production kitchen and a dietetics service.
Trieste / Salario
The pastry shop of Marta Boccanera and Felice Venanzi, with sweet and savoury buffets and personalised cakes for parties and events.
Ostiense
Syrian and Middle Eastern food for events, from a restaurant in Ostiense with a bistro on the Aventine and a kiosk in Piazza della Repubblica.
Ladispoli
An artisan bakery and pastry shop in Ladispoli preparing catering and party buffets, with home delivery.
Genzano di Romasince 2010
A bakery and pizza shop in Genzano di Roma since 2010, with party buffets delivered to your home in the Castelli Romani.
Centocelle
Catering and banqueting from Centocelle, handling MICE events for companies and institutions, with event managers and set-ups in several styles.
Aurelio
A bar and pastry shop with two branches near St Peter's, catering for companies and families, with equipment, flowers and an open bar.
Monteverde
A seafood deli with a fishmonger's in Monteverde: fish catering, raw seafood and sushi, from platters to cooking in your home.
Roma
American-style barbecue with wood smoking and cooking in front of the guests, for parties and events at your location.
Rome
Sushi catering by chef Alessandro Petrosino, with fish bought on the morning of the event and prepared live at the venue.
Cassia / Olgiata
A pastry shop, bar and gelateria on the Via Cassia with fixed-price buffet packages for 20 to 50 people and home delivery.
Bufalotta
Contract catering cooperative in Bufalotta with halal and kosher lines, catering, banqueting and meeting rooms in a hotel.
Portuense
Roman banqueting company from coffee breaks to gala dinners, with mobile venues such as trams and boats.
Garbatellasince 2015
Bistro and cocktail bar in Garbatella, opened in 2015 in the former Bar della Nanetta, with catering for festivals and large events.
Prati
A French restaurant, boulangerie and pâtisserie in Prati, with French catering, oyster and cheese corners and a meeting room.
Casalotti / Selva Nera
A caterer in Casalotti led by chef Loris Madrisan, with a nutritionist on the team and in-house serving staff.
A restaurant with two terraces overlooking the Colosseum, inside a hotel on the Celio, that also takes its catering to villas, terraces and company offices.
San Lorenzosince 1965
The catering arm of Bar Leonardi in San Lorenzo, open since 1965, for coffee breaks, lunches, aperitivi and buffets.
Frascatisince 1991
A Frascati caterer working in Rome and the Castelli, with ethnic and fusion wedding menus, vegan options and hire of equipment and outdoor cover.
La Rusticasince 1999
A caterer founded in Rome in 1999, with a price list published online, takeaway, a cook in your home and supply to public bodies through MePA.
Vigna Stellutisince 2014
A Roman artisan bakery with buffets delivered and set up, birthday menus and a terrace for parties.
Catering for companies and parties in Rome and the province, with a published price list, lunch boxes delivered to the office and meals transported to regulatory standards.
An artisan bakery in Prati making bread, Apulian focaccia and pastries, with fixed per-guest packages for a minimum of 20 people.
Ladispoli
Catering and banqueting from Ladispoli with buffets at your home, aperitivo and apericena packages and per-person prices on its website.
Bufalotta
A caterer in Bufalotta for weddings and corporate events, with menus that state the ratio of staff to guests.
Pratisince 1973
Catering and banqueting in Prati named after its founder, with wedding cakes made in-house and full management of set-up and guest welcome.
Prenestino
Catering and banqueting company in Prenestino that also handles conferences and trade fairs, with styling, equipment hire and a vegan option.
Magliana
Catering and banqueting by Omnia Ricevimenti, based in Magliana and accredited at many villas and farmhouses in Lazio.
Prati / Trionfale
Sweet and savoury buffets and personalised cakes in Trionfale, Monte Mario and Primavalle.
Torrino
A pastry shop with branches in EUR-Torrino and Trastevere, preparing sweet and savoury buffets for meetings, openings and family occasions.
Fonte Nuova
An artisan pastry shop in Fonte Nuova run by Massimo Vitelli, with sweet and savoury party buffets and platters to order.
Talenti
Banqueting with a showroom in Talenti, working at the venue chosen by the client, with a free site visit and quote.
Sant'Angelo Romano
Catering and banqueting based in Sant'Angelo Romano, working across Rome and its province with no exclusivity ties.
Tor Sapienza
A party-buffet service with an online shop open around the clock and daily delivery in time slots across Rome and the province, with free collection in Tor Sapienza.
Prenestino / Tor Pignattara
Party buffets delivered to your home by the Cecchini family, between Prenestino and Tor Pignattara, with a gluten-free range and collection from the shop.
A caterer based in EUR delivering to companies and homes, with fixed-price menus and compostable containers.
San Lorenzo
Caterer in San Lorenzo run by chef Flavio Romano, with organic and locally sourced produce and an international offer.
Mentana
A caterer with a deli on the Via Nomentana: buffet, finger food or a mixed format with pasta and main courses served at the table.
Pomezia
A bakery with shops in Ardea, Pomezia and Torvaianica, with takeaway party menus and cakes for ceremonies.
Latina
A banqueting company led by Valentina Picca Bianchi, with a showroom in Latina by appointment and ISO 9001 and 14001 certification.
The first question is whether the aperitivo (Italian pre-dinner drinks with food) has to replace dinner. A classic aperitivo, before a dinner or after a presentation, lasts an hour and is about chatting with a glass in hand. The apericena, or hearty aperitivo, lasts longer and has to fill people up: you need hot dishes, a few single-portion pasta or rice dishes, and desserts.
Choose a caterer that knows how to work with standing guests: finger food you can eat with one hand, plenty of napkins, places to put glasses down and waiters circulating with trays. For corporate events or graduation parties the apericena is often the most suitable format; for ideas on individual pieces, see the finger food page.
The price per person depends on three things: how many pieces per person, how long the service lasts and what people drink. Drinks often weigh as much as the food: a welcome glass costs much less than an open bar with cocktails for three hours. Staff also count, because an apericena served from trays needs more waiters than a buffet. The guide how much catering costs in Rome explains how to read these items.
Put the time in your request: at 7pm guests are hungrier than at 5pm. Ask the caterer how many savoury and sweet pieces per person they plan for the duration you have in mind and whether there are hot dishes. For drinks, decide whether you want only wine and soft drinks, a spritz, or a bartender with cocktails; remember plenty of water and alcohol-free options. If it is hot, ice becomes a significant item.
If the apericena is outdoors in summer, ask for a menu that can stand the heat: no creams or delicate sauces left in the sun, more vegetables, raw dishes kept chilled and hot dishes served to order. In cold weather, you need a covered area and a few more hot dishes to keep guests there until the end.
Have quantities per person, duration, and the number of waiters and bartenders put in writing. Ask whether glasses, high tables and table linen are included, whether there is a charge for overtime and how they label allergens on the trays. Then request up to 3 quotes.
An *aperitivo* is a short moment before a meal; an *apericena* lasts longer and replaces dinner, with hot dishes, single-portion pasta or rice dishes and desserts.
It depends on the time and duration: an *apericena* at dinner time needs many more pieces than an afternoon *aperitivo*. Ask the caterer for quantities for your duration.
The price depends on pieces per person, duration and drinks; an open bar can weigh as much as the food. Compare quotes for the same duration.
Many caterers offer a cocktail bartender or an open bar service as a separate item. Ask what it includes and for how many hours.
Yes, it is one of the most used formats for presentations, openings and networking, because guests can move around and talk.
Parties
Birthdays, graduations, christenings, communions and house parties: how much food per person, finger food rules, delivery with or without staff.
8 min read
Costs
Indicative prices per person for buffets, finger food, apericena and seated dinners in Rome, what pushes the bill up and how to read a quote line by line.
9 min read
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