Best Restaurants In Bologna, Italy – Find Them Here! juni 6, 2022 – Posted in: Italy, Travel – Tags: Bologna, Food, Holiday, Italy, Restaurants, Reviews, Vacation

Find the Best Restaurants in Bologna

There are plenty of fantastic restaurants in Bologna – and here you’ll find a small guide to some of the best! The location in the Emilia-Romagna region, Italy’s pantry, guarantees great culinary experiences. The region is known for producing world-famous delicacies such as Parmesan, balsamic vinegar, mortadella, Parma ham, and the finest wines. Bologna is also famous for its sfogline, pasta makers who have turned the art of hand-making various pasta types into a craft. The biggest challenge will be finding enough room in your stomach!

Where to Eat in Bologna?

Bologna offers a multitude of excellent dining spots, and in fact, it’s hard to find a restaurant that doesn’t serve a good meal. While in other tourist cities, especially in Rome, you have to be careful to avoid tourist traps, in Bologna you can simply walk into any random restaurant. If it smells good, you can confidently take a seat.

Considering the size of the city, there are disproportionately many good eateries, and it can be difficult to pick out specific restaurants that you absolutely must visit. Nevertheless, here are a few tips for unique, gastronomic experiences in Bologna that you shouldn’t miss. And REMEMBER to make a reservation, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings – and do it well in advance from home.

A Little About the Recommendations for Good Restaurants in Bologna

Before we take you to the best restaurants in Bologna, it’s worth mentioning what kind of dining experiences we usually go for – so you can decide if you want to follow our recommendations.

We love to eat well, and dining out is usually a big part of our vacations. We don’t necessarily eat expensively, but always locally and with regional ingredients. We are also always on the lookout for great culinary experiences and prefer to eat something we’ve never tried before. Before visiting a new city, we spend a lot of time researching and finding the best restaurants in the city – but not necessarily the most expensive ones. Enjoy!

The Best Restaurants in Bologna – A Small Selection

Oltre – Gourmet Restaurant

Let’s start with the very best first. Behind the door with many stickers, you won’t find a techno club, as one might expect. Instead, just a 10-minute walk west of Piazza Maggiore, you’ll find one of Bologna’s best restaurants.

On our first visit to the city in January 2020, we were politely turned away at the door when we revealed that we hadn’t made a reservation in advance. Oltre is so hyper-popular that for our next trip there, we booked a table at the same time as the plane tickets!

And it was definitely worth the three-year wait. We had pre-ordered the fixed Menù Heritage (€65), where you get to taste many of Bologna’s famous specialties. We were served vol-au-vent with friggione, a local tomato sauce, rabbit, tortellini, and both ragù and Coteletta Bolognese. For dessert, a lovely Fiordilatte, a local pudding with caramel sauce.

It was so delicious and exquisite, and both the food and the service were everything you expect from a gourmet restaurant. Oltre is a place where you go to celebrate a birthday or hold business meetings – and it’s a completely perfect spot for a romantic dinner that’s a little out of the ordinary.

Read more here: Oltre Bologna

La Baita Vecchia Malga – Ham and Cheese

All over the city, you can order a tagliere di salumi, a platter with slices of sausages, hams, and salami, served with tigelle, the small, round breads baked in a flat iron. If you choose a tagliere formaggio, you will surely be served Parmesan on your cheese platter!

If you want to taste some of the best specialties the region has to offer, stop by La Vecchia Malga in one of the charming side streets near Piazza Maggiore. The delicatessen has been around since 1969 and, with its large selection of cheeses, hams, and sausages, it tempts both locals and tourists. There are seats outside in the cozy street or upstairs.

Read more here: La Baita Vecchia Malga

Margheri Bologna – Really Good Pizza

On our second trip, we arrived at our hotel in the northern part of the city in the evening. In our search for something to eat, we quickly found the cozy little pizza restaurant Margheri. We were the only tourists here among the neighborhood’s local pizza lovers, and the atmosphere was lively, even for a Tuesday evening.

We each ordered a pizza, the Carmelo, a red pizza with burrata, and the Calabresella, a white pizza with spicy sausage and kale. Although we shared generously across the table, we never agreed on which pizza was the best!

With a glass of red wine each and water, the bill came to a total of 38 €. There are many good pizza places in Bologna, but if you need a quick recommendation for good pizza in Bologna, you can safely come here. They also offer takeaway, and there are good parking options in the area.

Trattoria Caffè del Rosso – Lovely Lunch

The small, informal family restaurant is a 10-minute walk north of Piazza Maggiore. Here you can get an excellent lunch that is also affordable. The menu consists of classic dishes from the area, and be sure to try a Lasagna alla Bolognese with the green lasagna sheets or some Tortellini in Brodo. The latter is tortellini served in a clear broth.

If you haven’t reserved a table for lunch, come before 1 PM, when the restaurant quickly fills up with local diners.

Read more here: Trattoria Caffè del Rosso

Drogheria della Rosa – A Really Good Meal

One of the restaurants in Bologna that you simply must visit is Drogheria della Rosa. Here, you’ll find simple and extremely delicious local dishes served in a relaxed and family-like atmosphere. The menu is presented by the owner himself, Emanuele Addone, who comes to your table to tell you about the day’s temptations. There is no menu and no prices, and when the friendly waiters keep offering appetizers, a small glass of wine, bread, and freshly picked mandarins, you might be tempted to think you’ve stumbled into a typical tourist trap.

But just go with the flow and say yes to everything! The many small extra servings are just a reflection of the kindness you’ll encounter all over Bologna. For 50 euros, you get, for example, two pasta dishes, two desserts, two glasses of good wine – and all the extras. If you order dessert, the bottle of Limoncello is placed on the table, and you can help yourself.

Be sure to try Tagliatelle ragù, spaghetti with meat sauce. Do not ask for Spaghetti Bolognese when you’re in Bologna, because that’s not what it’s called here. Also, feel free to order one of the large steaks as a secondi, the main course. If you still have room, finish off with mascarpone al cioccolato, a sinful dessert where you get a whole plate of mascarpone cream topped with chocolate sprinkles. Here, the big bottle of Limoncello makes perfect sense!

Read more here: Drogheria della Rosa

Osteria al 15 – Local and Traditional

Just above Porta San Mamolo lies the small restaurant Osteria al 15. It’s easy to walk past the door because the restaurant doesn’t make a big fuss about itself from the outside. But it doesn’t need to. When you open the door, you’ll find a restaurant filled with chatty locals, all of whom come here for both the food and the cozy atmosphere.

Osteria al 15 is definitely worth the walk from the city center, as you’ll get extremely tasty, homemade food here. The portions are large, the prices are low, and there are many specialties to choose from. Try a Squacquerone di Romagna as a starter or a Pesto Modenese. The first is a delicious fresh cheese, while the pesto has nothing to do with basil! The main ingredient in Pesto Modenese is Lardo, seasoned and aged pork fat, served with the small tigelle breads.

Continue with one of the delicious pasta dishes, such as Tortelloni Burro e Salvia, cheese-filled tortelloni with butter and sage, or a Polpetta, large meatballs served with fried potatoes. Finish with a Tiramisu or the house’s famous Chocolate Salame, which is similar to our biscuit cake but shaped like a sausage!

Read more here: Osteria al 15

La Trattoria del Tempo Buono – In the Heart of the Restaurant Area

La Trattoria del Tempo Buono is located at the small square Piazza San Martino, where one good restaurant after another can be found. We looked around at the menus, and no matter where we had gone in, it most likely would have been good.

However, La Trattoria del Tempo Buono was the most crowded, and that tipped the scales for our choice. And it was a good one! For the starter, we shared a Carpaccio Gessetto, veal with parmesan sauce. The main courses were tortellini and tagliatelle, which also tasted absolutely amazing. Along with a glass of wine each, water, and a cover charge, we paid 50€.

The atmosphere is cozy and informal, and this is exactly the kind of restaurant that most tourists are looking for when they visit Bologna! Here you can taste a bit of all the good things the city has to offer, and there’s room for both romantic couples and friends who are starting their night out.

Read more here: La Trattoria del Tempo Buono

San Silvestro in Cantina – For a Friday Night

On a Friday night in Bologna, you might find yourself walking around for a while if you haven’t already booked a table at a restaurant. That’s because all the locals are also going out to eat, and tables fill up quickly.

We didn’t have a reservation, so we started this Friday evening by heading out early to find the perfect restaurant. It’s all about checking out a few menus, seeing if locals are sitting at the tables, and most importantly, following your nose. Does it smell like good food?

It certainly did outside of San Silvestro in Cantina. Even though it was October, we could still sit outside in the warm evening. We were among the first to arrive, and soon after, the tables with starched white tablecloths quickly filled up – with guests who were there for a high-quality dining experience.

The menu is also full of local specialties, and we tasted truffles, an eggplant steak with a mozzarella core, pasta dishes, and Pinza Bolognese. The latter is a sponge cake-like roll filled with jam. It was – also – delicious!

Read more here: San Silvestro in Cantina

A Cheap Meal – and an Expensive Coffee

As you approach the university area, you’ll encounter many small eateries where you can grab a quick and inexpensive snack. Especially on the streets Largo Respighi and Via Zamboni, as well as at Piazza Giuseppe Verdi, you’ll find plenty of options for a good slice of pizza al taglio, square pizza slices sold by weight, or a sandwich with mortadella.

On the other hand, it’s quite expensive to settle down at one of the cafés around the central square, Piazza Maggiore. If you choose to walk a little further down one of the side streets, the price for a cup of coffee will be halved. We highly recommend the small bakery Il Forno di Un Chicco on Via de’ Falegnami 16 just north of Piazza Maggiore. Wow, those were definitely the best croissants we had in Bologna! The small courtyard and all the outdoor tables were packed with both locals and tourists who had found the place from the delicious aroma.

Good Bars in Bologna

Locals tend to go out to eat late, often after 9 PM. The time before heading to one of Bologna’s wonderful restaurants is spent at one of the city’s numerous bars, enjoying an Aperitivo, a pre-dinner drink, often a Negroni or the sweeter and sparkling Negroni Sbagliato. After dinner, people drink Aperol Spritz or Campari Spritz – or just whatever they feel like!

Especially Via Zamboni is filled with bars, and here the city’s young crowd hangs out at student bars. If you’d rather enjoy a full cocktail menu with the creative crowd, visit the cozy Gran Bar right in the center. On Via Pescherie Vecchie, there are always plenty of charming restaurants and bars where you can get a good glass of wine.

More Tips for your holiday in Bologna

Where to Stay in Bologna?

There are many wonderful hotels in Bologna, the city of bon vivants! So where should you stay? On Booking.com you can see the wide selection of hotels in Bologna, and here are a few good tips to book a hotel that suits your vacation:

As long as you choose a hotel within the old city walls, marked by the ring road, you’ll be within walking distance of all the best restaurants and attractions. In the small streets in the center of the old town, there’s a cozy street noise around the clock. Goods are delivered early in the morning, and both tourists and locals head home late at night after a joyful evening in the city.

If you’re very sensitive to noise, choose a hotel closer to the city wall rather than Piazza Maggiore. The old town is just where all the fun happens, and where the most charming hotels are located. Bring some earplugs and join the party! If you’re really into festivities, find a hotel outside the city wall.

See all hotels in Bologna on Booking.com by doing your own search here:

Booking.com

Luxury Hotel: Hotel Al Cappello Rosso

On our first visit to Bologna, we stayed at the iconic Hotel Al Cappello Rosso, which has been welcoming guests since 1375 at the charming hotel, just a few steps from the city’s central Piazza Maggiore. The small luxury hotel with its cozy atmosphere has over 600 years of experience in offering an exclusive hotel experience beyond the ordinary.

The hotel has 33 lovely rooms and 10 apartments, designed with the house’s history in mind and all modern conveniences. Many of the rooms are decorated by local artists, and for example, we stayed in BilBolBul 2014, which was decorated by artist Liza Passaniti in connection with the comic festival of the same year.

Hotel Al Cappello Rosso is a charming luxury hotel with plenty of history, and we loved that we stayed right next to the city’s central square with all the vibrant city life that comes with it.

Great Value for Money: Elizabeth Lifestyle Hotel

On our second visit to Bologna, we knew in advance that we would spend much of the vacation on hiking trips outside the city. So, we booked the lovely Elizabeth Lifestyle Hotel, which is located outside the city wall and within walking distance of the train station. Right in front of the hotel, bus no. 25 also runs to the station and further into the city center.

This is good to know if you’re driving to Bologna. The hotel has a large parking lot, and it’s not a good idea to drive around Bologna itself – there are simply too many cars! So leave the car at the hotel and take the bus into the city.

The hotel itself is stylish and newly decorated. We stayed in one of the suites on the 7th floor – with a four-meter-wide bed! From the large balcony, there was a lovely view over the park and towards the mountains. The park is frequently used by dog walkers, and the hotel is also pet-friendly if you’re considering bringing your dog along.

Breakfast follows the concept of “less is more.” The selection isn’t lavish, but you really don’t need it in a city like Bologna, where much of the vacation is spent trying to eat your way through some of the city’s many restaurants! The staff is friendly and speaks good English, and the hotel is nice, clean, and, most importantly, quiet. When we walked home in the evening, it was nice to leave the noise of the city center behind and retreat to our own peaceful neighborhood.

Elizabeth Lifestyle Hotel is perfect for you if you’re touring Northern Italy and want to combine a road trip with a city break. Bologna is an expensive city to stay in, so by booking here, you can often save up to 50% by staying outside the old city wall.

See more hotels in Bologna here on Booking.com!

How do you get to Bologna

Most larger airline companies fly out to Bologna. The airport of Bologna, Aeroporto G. Marconi Bologna (BLQ), is located north-west of the city, a 20-minute drive from the city center. You can board the airport bus headed for the train station in Bologna, and tickets can be purchased at the station or at Aerobus. It costs €6 per. person, while a taxi to the center costs between €15-20.