15 July 2026 · CineFood Italia Editorial Team
La Dolce Vita and Via Veneto: the Café de Paris and Fellini's Rome
The Via Veneto of Fellini's La Dolce Vita and the famous Café de Paris: the story of the symbol of 1960s Rome, among paparazzi and the jet set. What to see today along the film's street.
No film has portrayed high-society Rome like Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita (1960). The heart of that world of paparazzi, film stars and jet set was Via Veneto, and one of its symbols was the Café de Paris.
The Café de Paris and the film’s Via Veneto
Opened in 1948, the Café de Paris became the emblem of the dolce vita: outdoor tables, stars and lurking photographers. Fellini immortalised this atmosphere in the film, turning Via Veneto into the stage of glamorous 1960s Rome.
Note: the Café de Paris closed in 2008. It remains a piece of Italian cultural history, and Via Veneto still preserves the charm of that era.
What to see today along Via Veneto
Strolling along Via Vittorio Veneto means walking through the film’s set: the grand historic hotels, the cafés, the steep climb up to Porta Pinciana and the gardens of Villa Borghese. A perfect itinerary for lovers of auteur cinema.
You will find the venue page Café de Paris and the film’s stops on La Dolce Vita, along with all the venues of Rome.
In short
La Dolce Vita is Via Veneto, and Via Veneto is still there: even though the Café de Paris has closed, walking along Fellini’s street remains a small tribute to the most glamorous Rome in film history.
