Eataly is an Italian shopping-mall and food court chain that only sells and serves organic food. The very first Eataly opened in 2007, in Turin, but in 2012 the first branch was opened in Rome, in an old building near the Ostiense railroad station. There are also branches outside Italy, including in New York.
Eataly Rome
Useful information
The address of Eataly is Piazzale XII Ottobre 1492 – Rome. The nearest metro stop is Piramide. Opening hours: From 09:00 till midnight.
History and description
The slow food supermarket, as you could call it, is housed in the Air Terminal Ostiense.
It comes across as a cross between an ordinary daily market and a collection of quality stores focused on typical Italian goods. There are also a number of eateries, from sandwich makers to expensive restaurants.
There’s also a lot to see. A large table where pasta is made, you can witness how mozzarella becomes mozzarella and the entire process from roasting coffee to consumption can be followed.
Although the establishment in Rome was not the first, it is the largest in the world. You can visit from 10 am to midnight and during the busiest months on weekends even until 1 am. The restaurants close their doors at 10:30 pm.
The Ostiense branch is the biggest one in the world. There is now also a second, but much smaller, branch in Rome, near the Piazza della Repubblica.
Air Terminal Ostiense
The Air Terminal Ostiense itself was built in 1990, on the occasion of the Football World Cup. However, after the World Cup it proved to be redundant, was closed and fell into disrepair. Since 2012, it has been used as a hub for the new (extremely) high-speed Italo train.