Food alone is a very good reason to make visiting Bologna a priority. We love spending time in Italy, and we had our best food whilst in Bologna. We did lots of research to get the best out of our few days there and spoke to locals when we arrived to make sure we were heading to the right places.
Visit Cremeria Cavour for Gelato
I’m starting backwards and going straight in for dessert because it would be a TRAVESTY to leave Bologna and not have tried this place! It was the best Gelato I have ever had and I would fly back just for another taste.
It’s served in tin pots which is apparently the thing to look for in authentic gelaterias, and also only comes in naturally occurring flavours instead of bright synthetic colours. It’s located nearby the main square so perfect for several trips between sights.
It’s open until 11:30pm but closed Mondays (to avoid disappointment..we hadn’t paid attention to this and planned our last one before flying home only to be crushed).
Visit Trattoria del Rosso for Tagliatelle al Ragu
Bologna is famous for Tagliatelle al Ragu (the OG spaghetti bolognese but do NOT call it this in Bologna – trust me!). The locals say Spaghetti Bolognese simply doesn’t exist and is a tourist dish – and as a long-term fan of spag bol, this knocked me sideways!
However, whilst in Bologna we learnt that they would never pair this meaty goodness with spaghetti and instead use tagliatelle to soak up the juices, and have tried this once, it is simply the only way now.
Trattoria del Rosso comes highly recommended and it looks like it’s become a bit of a classic. Our free walking tour guide recommended it and it didn’t disappoint. We finished off with some Grappa (an alcoholic drink that is meant to aid digestion) – which is also worth a try when in Bologna.
Had Ragu elsewhere? You could try Tortellini in Brodo (Tortellini in broth) which is another popular local dish. This restaurant also serves a delicious lasagna with sheets made with spinach.
The restaurant closes from 3pm until 7pm each day between lunch hours (12-3) and dinner hours (7-10). On Sunday it is only open for lunch (12-3)
Visit Mercato di Mezzo – The Market
There is a reason food is so good in Bologna; a lot of it is produced right within the region of Emilia Romagna, meaning it is fresh, and high quality.
The market is a great place to sample many of the items pictured above. There are fresh stalls as you’d expect in a market, but there are also small restaurants with high seating where you can sample many things – a sharing platter is a great idea!
We perched in a little laneway, people-watching, eating a board with recommended meats & cheeses, washed down with a glass of red wine – it was a blissful way to spend a couple of hours at Simoni restaurant.
Simoni’s opening hours differ depending on the day but it’s closed on Sunday
The market is a good way to look in on local life and take in all the colours and the smells of the food. There are also some pastry shops there too if you’re peckish on your way back to the gelato shop (Cremaria Cavour of course), or want to try something different.
Visit Impero for pastries
We stopped by here for a pastry stop for breakfast. We loved that you could eat outside looking at the signature porticoes of the streets in Bologna. If you were on the go, you could swerve the ‘corperto’ charge and get it to go. In Italy, most places charge you a ‘coperto’ charge for sitting down. You’ll often see locals standing up, or taking their coffee’s away, and saving a euro or two a pop.
Visit Scalinatella Ristorante Pizzeria for Pizza
Since I can’t really tell you to go to Naples in a blog about Bologna, the next best thing would be to tell you to visit Scalinatella Ristorante Pizzeria in Bologna. I remember ranking this as one of my favourite pizzas (before making a visit to Naples). It also helps that it’s set in a lovely tucked-away laneway, where we could enjoy slowing down for a couple of hours.
Mon-Fri open for lunch 12:30-2:30 then again 7:30 – 11
Sat-Sun open for lunch 12-3 then again 7-11
Visit Bologna Barbecue for a kebab (!?)
Whilst I run the risk of completely nullifying all of my above suggestions, I do believe Bologna even does the late-night kebab well. We were in town to see My Chemical Romance at Sonic Park and after a few beers, stopped by here on our way back thanks to the large crowd of locals, and the baffling fresh smell coming from..a kebab shop. Don’t judge us until you’ve tried it – it was the freshest kebab I’ve ever had!
Many locals told us in Bologna, you pretty much can’t go wrong for food. Whilst the likes of Venice need some serious looking into to get non-touristy dishes, in Bologna, everywhere is a pretty safe bet.
It’s not hugely touristic at the moment, and most places cater to locals, and with the freshest ingredients available on its doorstep, it’s hard to have a bad meal in Bologna.
If you do somehow manage to have a bad meal there, let us know in the comments so others can avoid. Likewise, if you have an amazing meal elsewhere, we want to hear about it – we WILL be going back (and yes, it’s for that gelato)!