The thermopolium (from the Greek "thermos", hot, and "poleo", to sell: the "place that sells hot things", the Roman street food counter whose specific format, a stone counter with circular holes for the ceramic amphorae containing hot prepared foods, is the ancient equivalent of the modern fast-food counter) was the primary eating establishment of the Roman urban working class: in ancient Rome (a city of 1-1.5 million inhabitants in the imperial period, with the specific housing conditions of the majority of the population, the insulae, the multi-story apartment blocks without kitchens, whose residents had no capacity to cook at home) the thermopolium was the daily eating solution for the majority of the population. The city of Pompeii (whose destruction by the Vesuvius eruption of 79 AD preserved the urban fabric at a specific moment, making it the most complete surviving Roman city) had approximately 80 thermopolia, a density of roughly one per every 100 residents, suggesting that the majority of the Pompeian population ate at least one daily meal at a thermopolium.
The most important thermopolium discovery of recent years: the Thermopolium of Regio V, excavated by the Pompeii Archaeological Park between 2019 and 2020 in the previously unexcavated Regio V sector of the site. The specific importance of the Regio V thermopolium: the counter was buried with the food still in the serving containers, the specific food residues (identified by archaeo-zoological and archaeo-botanical analysis of the ceramic contents) documented the actual menu of the specific thermopolium on the day of the eruption: duck bones (the duck meat that was apparently a thermopolium standard), pork crackling (the pig skin snack), goat bones (a stew component), fish (identified from bone fragments), sea urchin (the sea urchin shell fragments confirming its presence as a thermopolium ingredient), and the wine mixed with fava beans (a documented Roman wine additive that the bean residues in the wine amphorae confirmed).
How do you want to see it?
Lazio, ItalyCompare the same experience on GetYourGuide and Viator, save what you like to My Trip, share it, and book when you’re sure. Nearest to this page first.
Official tickets in Rome — mobile tickets by Tiqets. We may earn a commission
Thermopolium: Roman Fast Food and the Pompeii Discovery
The Regio V Thermopolium at Pompeii
The Regio V thermopolium (accessible within the Pompeii Archaeological Park in the Regio V sector, the previously unexcavated northern section of the site that the Pompeii Great Project has been systematically opening since 2016. Check pompeiisites.org for current accessibility of the Regio V sector, as the new excavation area has variable public access depending on the ongoing archaeological work) is the most complete surviving thermopolium in the world: the counter (the L-shaped stone counter with the four circular dolia holes, the dolia are the large ceramic containers embedded in the counter that held the prepared hot food ready for sale), the painted decoration on the counter front (the specific fresco showing the food items available at the thermopolium, a rooster, a duck, a dog, and other animals in the decorative program that functioned simultaneously as wall decoration and as menu illustration), and the actual food residues (visible in the conservation facility) constitute the most complete ancient Roman food service archaeology currently known.
Rome: food tours & cooking classes
Compare food tours, market visits and pasta-making classes with local chefs in Rome.
See availability & prices →Compare tours on Viator →We may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.The Roman Thermopolium Menu
What did the Roman thermopolium sell? The Regio V evidence and the broader Pompeii thermopolium record suggest: a range of prepared hot foods (stews, roasted meats, porridge-type preparations, the specific Roman "puls," the porridge of emmer wheat that was the ancient Roman dietary staple), wine (both hot spiced wine in winter and room-temperature or cooled wine in summer, the Roman practice of adding water to wine meant that the thermopolium wine service was effectively a ratio negotiation between customer and vendor), and small snacks (the bread, the olives, the dried fruit that supplemented the hot food). The specific Pompeii thermopolium prices (documented in the wax tablet accounts that some Pompeii thermopolia kept) show that a full thermopolium meal cost approximately 1-2 asses, the smallest Roman monetary denomination, making the thermopolium genuinely accessible to the working Roman population.
Q&A: Thermopolium and Pompeii
Can I see the actual Thermopolium of Regio V at Pompeii?
The Regio V sector of Pompeii (the northern excavation zone where the thermopolium was found) has had variable public access since the excavation, parts are accessible on the standard visit circuit, others remain restricted to allow ongoing conservation work. Check pompeiisites.org before visiting for the current Regio V access status. The most recent public access information (2025-2026) indicates that the thermopolium counter itself is visible on the Regio V circuit, but the food residues in the dolia are represented by replicas rather than the originals (which are in conservation). Book the Pompeii guided tour specifically focused on the new excavations (available through the site's official tour booking) for the most complete access to the Regio V discoveries.
Internal Links
- Pompei: Come Visitare il Sito nel 2026
- Cucina Romana Antica: Dal Thermopolium al Moderno
- Street Food Italiano: La Tradizione dal Thermopolium
- Pompei Fuori Stagione: Gli Scavi Senza Folla
- Fotografare Pompei: Il Thermopolium e i Colori
- Magna Graecia: Il Contesto del Thermopolium
- Pompei: Biglietti, Orari e Prenotazioni 2026
