How much did I love Bologna? So much that as soon as I got home from 48 hours in the Northern Italian city, I immediately booked flights to go back eight weeks later - the €24 Ryanair flights greased the wheels, but an obsession had begun.
This is Disneyland for grown ups who think of little else but what they eat and drink. Every corner you turn sees another handmade pasta shop, charcuterie specialist, natural wine bar, Parmesan shop, award-winning gelateria - prepare to walk around with your eyes on stalks.
As an aside to all of the monumentally memorable food experiences, there's also the 40km long Porticoes (deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Two Towers (Le Due Torri), the oldest university in the world, towering Basilicas and sprawling piazzas to make your way through. Emilia Romagna's capital is compact, walkable, and the centre is nine minutes by tram from the airport. Could you ask for anything else from a city break? Are you checking flights right now? Yes is the right answer...
A reader told us that the Bolognesi argue about food the way other people argue about politics or religion, and it's impossible not to feel how seriously they take every meal, snack and drink while walking the streets. Despite this we're told you can very easily go wrong here if you don't do your research, with some of the formerly best restaurants taking the dumbed down tourist route. Lucky for you we do all the research, and had one smash hit after another. Here's how to follow in our very well-fed footsteps...
Breakfast and coffee
Caffè Terzi
There is no better start to a morning in Bologna than a visit to Caffè Terzi, a narrow coffee bar with suave, suited waiters and what might be the largest coffee selection in existence (we didn't count but there were pages upon pages of coffee creations we couldn't have dreamt up).
Join the queue, place your order (and don't skip all the local treats with cherries, chestnuts and chocolate to go with it), then grab a perch opposite the bar while they rustle it up. The only problem after going here is that you'll want to start every day the same, but that would not be a bad decision.
Aroma
The other don't miss coffee spot is Aroma, a speciality coffee shop that most likely also has a queue. It opened as a traditional Italian coffee bar in 1994 before moving to specialty coffee in 2001, and owner Alessandro has won multiple barista awards, as well as being a local coffee legend.
Forno Brisa
Born in Bologna in 2015, Forna Brisa now has five locations, each turning out some of the city's best pastries day after day. The bread is also in high demand, and the coffee is top level stuff, selected and roasted by the company in the city.
Street food
MO Mortadella Lab
Is it too dramatic to suggest getting on an airplane for a sandwich? Try this one then come back to us. Have you ever eaten anything that you immediately know was one of the food highlights of your life? That you'll be trying to relive and recreate until the end of days? That's MO Mortadella Lab's freshly baked, warm crispy roll packed tight with paper thin mortadella, straciatella cheese and chunky pistachio cream. We're talking last meal on earth kinda stuff. Don't let the queue put you off. It moves fast and there's a good system in place where your number flashes up when it's ready.
Indegno La Crescentina
You can't come to Bologna without eating the best cresentine, and you'll find it at Indegno (three locations). The fried in lard dough pockets are said to date back to the Middle Ages, when Northern Italy had abundant pig farms and a need to use up excess pig fat. There are loads of regional variations (like gnocco fritto in Modena and torta fritta in Parma), and they're usually served alongside cold cuts and cheeses, but Indegno stuff theirs with all kinds of fillings, from classics like Mortadella and Parmesan cream, to specials like porchetta, Provolone, potato croquette and caramelised onions. Food guide Gambera Rosso named it the best street food in Emilia Romana for 2024, so it needs to be on your Bologna bingo card.
Pisamentuccia
Sometimes in Bologna you're on your way to your next meal when you pass a window with a sign saying "50 Best Pizzas In Italy" and you find yourself stopping for an accidental pre-meal snack. Pisamentuccia is a little takeaway serving crispy Roman-style slices heated to order, with a multitude of meat, veggie and cheesy toppings to choose from. At around €3 for one of the best slices of your life, it's an offer you shouldn't pass up.
Ramaciotto
We never made it to Ramaciotto due to time constraints, but this little shop is famous for serving handmade pasta to eat in, take on the go, or cook at home. Ideal if you're staying in a apartment and want to cook in, or just need another pasta stop.
Lunch and dinner
Sfoglia Rine
Don't let the queue deter you - if you only had time for one meal in Bologna we'd send you to Sfoglia Rine. This handmade pasta shop and restaurant has been here since 1963, named after the matriarch who makes the pasta (the Sfoglia) and the current owner's Grandmother (Rine). It's stupidly good value, with generous plates of pasta priced from €13 - €14.50, and they all come with pickled veg and bread for "scarpetta". Order the tortellini with butter and sage, the local gramigna pasta with sausage, and all the specials, and let the Lambrusco flow. (No reservations)
Trattoria da Me
Trattoria da Me is on every Bologna food guide for good reason. It's a buzzing trattoria relaunched by chef and owner Elisa Rusconi in 2015 - her grandfather originally opened it in 1937.
She's famous for her cheese ice-cream antipasti, Bologna's iconic dish 'tortellini en brodo', and the Sunday lasagne, and this is another excellent place to feast on cresentine and cold cuts while you wait. The staff are warm, the wines are local, and when they ask if you want a bowl of ragu for the table, say "si, grazie".
Ristorante Grassilli
There's a collection of restaurants in Bologna that feel like they're from another time. At Ristorante Grassilli, opened in 1944 by a former opera singer, it feels like nothing has changed in 80 years, nor would we ever want it to. The walls inside the small space are covered with pictures of famous people who've eaten there over the years, and there are few dining rooms we've eaten in that ooze this much old-school charm.
Calm, suited waiters bring simple, perfect plates of antipasti, handmade pasta, and cotoletta (breaded veal cutlet) from a short, well priced menu to eager tables, and the wine list is surprisingly modern and natural leaning - we had some of our best wines in Bologna here. Don't miss the plate of grilled vegetables - we saw this tip online and will forever be grateful to the writer. Never change Grassilli...
Risorante Rodrigo
Another Bologna institution that harks back to simpler (possibly aristocratic) times is Ristorante Rodrigo. It feels like a special occasion restaurant (with prices to match), and food comes out on trolleys before being given a snowfall of Parmesan, or served tableside. Weekends are full of families luxuriating in top quality ingredients over long leisurely lunches.
The fried calamari and zucchini is the light, crisp version from your Italian food dreams, the tagliata steak with rocket and Parmesan will wipe the floor with any other you've tried, and the pastas have the power to bring a silence over any table, apart from the odd groaning noise. If you're in Bologna over winter the famous dessert is the "Mont Blanc" - chestnut purée topped with cream. We can't say we get the fuss. If you want some more theatre at the end, order an Amaro which comes in a bottle half the size of your waiter.
Noi, Mercato delle Erbe
If you're looking for a more casual setting, need to scale back your spending, or have noisy kids in tow, head for buzzy food market Mercato delle Erbe, whose collection of restaurants cater for groups of all sizes on all budgets. We found Noi on a few guides and loved it so much we went on both visits to the city - with antipasti starting at €4 and pastas starting at €10 it's too easy to go back again and again.
Noi is all about fuss free Bologna specialities, with dishes like polenta chips and local squacarone cheese, lasagne verde, and more of those cresentine with cold cuts (we needed them at least once daily). Don't miss the pickled veg to start and the meatballs in tomato sauce (will any other meatballs ever do), and the lovely staff will happily recommend a glass of local wine to go with your order.
Some others we didn't get to but were high on our list:
Ragù - takeaway pasta shop with a few stools inside. Expect a queue but it moves fast - ragubologna.it
Berberè Pizzeria - Sourdough pizza recommended by Roberto Mungo who owns Grano. Nuff said -berberepizza.it
Di Via Serra - Trattoria a little out of town but an easy stop en route from the airport. We desperately wanted to visit after reading reviews online but couldn't make a reservation as they didn't respond to emails or answer the phone. You could wing it - trattoriadiviaserra.it
La Prosciutteria - Now with 12 sites across Northern Italy, this is the place to pull up a stool and gorge yourself on cured meats and red wines. It gets packed with groups of friends and family catching up and chilling out - laprosciutteria.com
Gelato
If you're not having several gelatos a day in Bologna, you're not doing it right. The standard here is incredibly high, the gelato incredibly luscious, but Cremeria La Vecchia Stalla is one of the best - just don't try to take pictures inside, they do not like. We also loved the flavours at chocolate shop Venchi.
The don't miss ice-cream stop is Cremeria Santo Stefano, which has been likened to Michelin-starred restaurants but for ice-cream. Sadly we did miss it, as it wasn't open either time we tried to get there, but you might have better luck. Flavours change regularly and there's always some more unusual ones.
Wine and cocktails
Enoteca Storica
If you're looking for somewhere to cosy up with all the natural wine, head for Enoteco Storica. The narrow, dimly-lit room is overflowing with some of the best organic, biodynamic and natural bottles from across Europe, and there's lots by the glass - they're even known to open bottles on request. You can buy wine to take home too, and there's a food menu if you want something simple to nibble on.
Ruggine
We escaped into Ruggine out of the pouring rain, and it felt like a warm oasis, the type of place where the bar staff know everyone's name and favourite drinks. They're known for their excellent cocktails, with nearly every addition made in house, and from a Bloody Mary with tomato and basil chutney, to their version of a Milano-Torino washed in hazelnut yoghurt, it's worth diverting for if you love a good cocktail.
Bar Volare & Bar Senza Nome
Another two bars that should be on your radar, Bar Volare is an old-fashioned homage to the Italian tradition of apertivo. It's another step back in time, with classic drinks served amongst all the style.
Bar Senza Nome has been called Bologna's most unique bar. Owned and run by deaf people, they'll lip read your order, or you can try your hand at sign language with the help of pictures on the walls. There's a full selection of apertivo, beer and wine, and a simple food menu.
Food shopping
Did you check in a bag to bring home cheese? You're our kinda person. For an awe-inspiring Parmesan experience, make your way to Al Regno della Forma, where the walls are covered in wheels of the region's best. We recommend getting large chunks of the two year, three year and five year cheeses to bring home and compare (the most expensive is €3.20 per 100g - fill your boots).
For a more wide-ranging selection stop don't miss a stop at Formaggeria Barbieri in Mercato delle Erbe, where charming owner Alberto (who took over from his father) will talk you through all types of Italian cheeses, from hard to soft, cow to sheep, flavoured and unflavoured. We didn't even plan to buy cheese here yet left with five.
For charcuterie, Salumeria Simoni is a treasure trove of mortadella, salami, guanciale, coppa and everything else you can think of. In fact the whole street of Via Pescherie Vecchi is an epicurean dream, with every window selling handmade pasta, broth, brighly coloured vegetables and local cheeses.
Likewise Tambourini a few streets over has all of this plus cheeses, fresh pasta, antipasti and wine - be aware though that prices in the centre are higher than what the Italian Mamas pay a bit further out. The Parmesan here costs substantially more than in Al Regno della Forma, which is a seven minute walk from the central strip.
One of the oldest shops in Bologna, Paolo Atti e Figli has stood in the same spot since 1886! They make bread, pasta, pastries, biscuits, and the most beautiful torta di risos (Italian rice cakes) in a variety of sizes. Take a single serve home for breakfast the next morning with a coffee - we guarantee it will be one of the most memorable bites of your stay.
Stop at Fabbri on the main Via Rizzoli to stock up on their famous Amarena cherries in syrup, as well as candied strawberries and stem ginger. The sour cherries grow wild before being picked and candied, and every gelato shop in town has an option for vanilla topped with a spoonful of these. There's also cherry liqueur, syrups and spreads, and you can try a lot of it before you buy. Be warned though, those jars are heavy and will eat into your baggage allowance.
For a lesson in balsamic vinegar without a trip to Modena, head for Giuseppe Giusti back on Via Pescherie Vecchie, who've been making the stuff since 1605. It's a vinegar lover's paradise, with different ages, flavours and uses for each type they make. Staff will let you try them all by spoon, and a drizzle over chunks of Parmesan once you get home will take you straight back to Bologna. We still regret not buying the one with truffle which they suggested drizzling over scrambled eggs, but we already had three in the bag.
If this incredible city inspires you to start making your own pasta, be sure to stop at Anticipate Aguzzeria del Cavollo to stock up on tools that can be impossible to find elsewhere. From pasta cutters, rollers and stamps, to knives designed for getting paper-thin slices of parma ham, your kitchen will be all the richer (even if your bank account won't be).
