File:Italy-0335 - Thermopolium (5153585519).jpg

This shop, a Thermopolium, in a prime position near the Forum, sold hot food and drink. In the centre is the bar counter, with shelves and basins for washing dishes. To the right there is a kitchen with large storage jar and a built-in stove. To the rear, there was a small courtyard with a fountain and benches where customers could sit outside in fine weather.

This is a really fantastic place and if you go to Rome it is a must to see. Many people say it is better than Pompeii as there are fewer restrictions.

Ostia Antica is a large archeological site that was once the harbour city of ancient Rome, which is approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) northeast of Rome. "Ostia" in Latin means "mouth" and is at the mouth of the River Tiber. Due to silting and a drop in sea level, the site now lies 3 kilometres (2 mi) from the sea.

Founded in the 4th century B.C., as a military colony to guard the river mouth against seaborne invasions. Later, during the centuries Ostia gained prominence as the domestic landing for cargo boats. By the 2nd century A.D., it had become a flourishing commercial center inhabited by upwards of 100,000 people, whose apartment buildings, taverns, and grocery shops are still intact.