Where To Find The World's Fanciest McDonald's For An Experience Of A Lifetime

When you think about fancy restaurants, McDonald's is probably not at the top of your list. In fact, it's probably not on your list at all! But while McDonald's is better known as an affordable, convenient fast food icon than a luxury brand, one of its international locations melds high-class culture with its humble cuisine. That premium McDonald's outpost, sometimes referred to as the fanciest, most beautiful, or most elaborate in the world, is located at the Piazza di Spagna in Rome, Italy.

While McDonald's has its fair share of interesting locations, this multi-story restaurant near the famous Spanish Steps in Rome has a particularly impressive design. Upon entering, guests are greeted by marble walls and staircases, frescoes, mosaics, and actual Ancient Roman sculptures. Not only are its design features unlike any other McDonald's, it also has a sleek, enormous interior full of automated ordering screens and plenty of seating. Food-wise, customers can order typical McDonald's fare like Big Macs along with items unique to the franchise's Italian menu, including hunks of straight-up Parmigiano Reggiano for snacking. The location also includes a separate gelato bar and McCafé serving coffee and Italian pastries, and in case you needed another reason to visit, this international McDonald's even serves beer.

These days, Italian locals and tourists alike visit the McDonald's in the Piazza di Spagna to check out its beautiful design and fulfill a craving for burgers and fries. But when the restaurant was first opened in 1986, it wasn't greeted with such a warm reception. This was the first McDonald's to open in Italy, and its arrival sparked nationwide protests against the American megacorporation. While the protesters may not have been able to stop the brand from planting roots in their country, their resistance did launch the global Slow Food movement, an initiative and organization that promotes local agriculture and traditional cooking methods over fast food.

According to the Slow Food website, the movement was born after "this symbolic arrival of homogenization in a place so rich in history and culture convinces [the founders] of the movement that it is time to act." Today, while the Slow Food movement continues to fight for access to healthy and sustainable food around the world, the Roman McDonald's features a bronze placard on the wall commemorating the restaurant's opening despite local resistance. If you're in Italy and interested in visiting a piece of McDonald's history for yourself after an afternoon at the Spanish Steps, it's certainly worth checking out. But with so many great restaurants to choose from in Italy, it's worth venturing outside of the McDonald's bubble, as well.