Know before you go

• Dress code
• Minimum age
• What’s included
• Timings
• Booking & paying
• Getting home
• Roman customs

New Year’s Eve — Capodanno in Italian, the night is called la notte di San Silvestro — is one of the busiest nights of the year in Rome. Most venues sell a single package for the whole evening rather than a table or a drink, so it pays to know what you are buying before you choose.

Dress code

Romans dress up for New Year’s Eve. For a gala dinner in a palace, a hotel or a villa, think smart to elegant: a jacket for men (a tie is rarely compulsory), a dress or smart outfit for women. Clubs generally ask for smart-casual: no sportswear, and trainers can be refused at the door of the more exclusive venues. When a venue sets a specific dress code, we show it on its page under “Good to know”.

Bring a warm coat. Rome is mild for northern Europe, but nights at the end of December are cold, and many venues have terraces or gardens where the midnight toast happens outside.

Minimum age

Clubs and late-night parties often set a minimum age and may ask for ID at the door: carry a passport or national ID card. Dinners in restaurants, hotels and villas usually welcome children, and several venues offer a dedicated children’s menu at a different price. If you are travelling as a family, look at our family-friendly venues or ask us.

What a package includes

Each venue sells one or more packages, and the price on our pages is always per person for that package. The main types are:

• Gala dinner (cenone): a served dinner of several courses, usually with wine and water at the table, the midnight toast with sparkling wine and access to the party afterwards.
• Buffet dinner: the same evening with buffet stations instead of table service.
• Countdown party: entry before midnight, the countdown and the toast, without dinner.
• Party after midnight: entry from shortly after midnight, sometimes with a drink included. Ideal if you dine elsewhere.
• VIP table: a reserved table for your group, often with bottle service.

The exact list of what is included is shown under each package on the venue page. If something matters to you — a view of the fireworks, a vegetarian menu, a table for a group — tell us in your first message.

How the night runs

Dinners usually start between 20:00 and 21:30 and run until midnight, with entertainment between courses. At midnight comes the countdown and the toast; then the music starts and the party carries on into the early hours. Party-only tickets let you in from shortly after midnight. Each venue page shows its own programme.

Booking and paying

Choose a venue and a package, then message us on WhatsApp or by email with the number of guests. We check availability with the venue and reply with the booking steps, in English, before you pay anything. Places at the most popular venues go early, especially for groups: the sooner you ask, the more choice you have.

Online booking with instant confirmation is coming soon. Leave your email and we’ll let you know when it opens.

Getting home

This is the part most visitors underestimate. After midnight taxis are very hard to find and the streets around the big squares fill with people. Book a private transfer in advance, choose a venue within walking distance of your hotel, or pick a hotel venue and stay the night. Our guide to getting around Rome on New Year’s Eve has the details.

Roman customs

At midnight Italians eat lentils, a wish for money in the year ahead, often with cotechino or zampone sausage. Wearing something red is said to bring luck. And on 1 January Rome is quiet until late morning: a perfect time for a walk through the empty historic centre.