Nicknamed La Grassa (“the fat one”) because of its delicious cuisine. It’s the largest city in the Emilia-Romagna region and a great place to spend a few days eating and drinking.
📝 The food you want to try here is tortellini, tortelloni (the larger version), tagliatelle al ragù (Bolognese sauce), and mortadella.
📝 Drinking: Ruggine or Casa Minghetti for cocktails, Enoteca Historical Faccioli for wine, Saràvino for wine near Mercato delle Erbe, Baladin Bologna or Il Punto for craft beer.
📝 Modena is a short train ride away and well worth a visit too.
📝 The weather can completely change the way Bologna looks. If it is dark and wet, the buildings go a dark brown, as opposed to more of a bright orange when the sun is shining.
📝 Modena is also nicknamed La Dotta (“the learned one”) as it’s home to the oldest university in Europe.
1. Osteria dell’Orsa
A city favourite for for pasta since 1979. This restaurant is right in the heart of the University District and has great prices so expect to be surrounded by students. Come as close to opening time as possible or expect to queue, however they do have a lot of seating so the line shouldn’t move too slow.
2. Salumeria Simoni
Located in the heart of the market area, Salumeria Simoni has been slinging ham since 1960. As well as mortadella they also specialise in ciccioli, culatello, Parma ham and a selection of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Grab a board of meet & cheese and enjoy a couple of glasses of wine.
3. A.F. Tamburini
Tamburini, with its recognisable green and white signage, and beautiful marble floors, have been selling cold meats, cheese and pasta in Bologna since 1932. The building is split into two halves; part delicatessen/part restaurant. I’ve gone here on both my visits to Bologna and had a great meal both times.
4. Trattoria Meloncello
Meloncello is a nearly 100-year-old restaurant serving all the Bolognan classics. The tortelloni stuffed with ricotta and covered in a rich bolognese ragu was great but tortellini in brodo might be the best I’ve had, with so much flavour in the broth and pasta. This spot is a little bit of a walk from the centre of town but worth a visit.
5. Mo Mortadella Lab
Go for an epic mortadella sandwich with different additional toppings like stracciatella and pesto.
6. Trattoria Anna Maria
A family run restaurant since 1985 serving all the Bolognan classics. If you want a quieter meal without a queue this is only a few minutes from dell’Orsa. I think I prefer the thicker version of tagliatelle they do at dell’Orsa though. The tortelloni is great. Pasta dishes here are around around the €14 mark.
7. Caffe Terzi
A great spot to start your day with a good coffee and pastry. Open 08:00-18:00 daily.
8. Pigro dal 2013 Mortadelleria
Go for a ‘panino con la mortazza’ (mortadella sandwich) and glass of wine.
9. Noi – Quelli di Cantina Bentivoglio
A great pasta restaurant in the buzzing Mercato delle Erbe. There is some outdoor seating if you’d like to eat in the sun during the day.
10. Cremeria Santo Stefano
The best gelato in town. The queue speaks for itself. Pistachio is always my go-to and this is some of the best.
Day trip to Modena
If you were thinking about visiting Modena this is your sign. For a small town it’s pretty crazy that it’s the home of Ferrari, Panini football stickers, balsamic vinegar, Pavarotti and one of the best chefs in the world. Here’s what we packed into a day traveling 30 minutes from Bologna;
James Dimitri 