And you,Ronaldo?
In what was once the heart of the Roman Empire sits an American achievement: Italy’s first McDonald’s.
However, the location in Rome, just a few steps from the Spanish Steps in Piazza di Spagna, It’s surprisingly different from any Golden Arches outpost in the United States.
Guests are initially greeted with a wide array of traditional sculptures, marble walls, mosaics, Roman writing, and a plaque honoring its opening on March 20, 1986. Lately, the site became a hit on social media.
This Roman McDonald’s – which wasn’t built in a day – has its own McCafé breakfast area, along with a nod to ancient history. That’s where delicious non-American menu items like tiramisu, donuts, and macaroons are available, along with croissants and other delicious pastries that put McD’s baked apple pie to shame.
For those looking for something more savory, the vast main dining area offers plenty of American classics – burgers, McNuggets, shakes, fries and the like – as well as some exclusive boot-shaped delicacies from the country.
These include chicken wingsFrench fries with cheese, stuffed and fried olives (which may not excite everyone), Panzerotti stuffed with mozzarella, special McFlurry flavors and even some beer options.
Of course, we can’t forget the blocks of Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese, also known as “pocket cheese”.
Its dining room features further glimpses of Roman history with a succession of Doric columns and circular arches.
The base of the columns contains notes on food ingredients that evoke a similarity to Leonardo Da Vinci’s handwritten diaries.
“It never crossed my mind to eat at a McDonald’s while visiting Italy – it seems wrong,” travel blogger Margie In Italy once wrote about a visit.
“Still, a lot of tourists do this and I just scratch my head. Not for the food, but for its architectural design, it’s worth visiting a McDonald’s in Italy, because it’s the most elaborate McDonald’s in the world.”
Elsewhere in Italy, an ancient Roman road was found under a McDonald’s in Marino.
It is now open for customers to stop by.
