The Do.Ma guide

Where to eat in Bologna

57 addresses, none of them picked at random. They were chosen for us by Trattoria da Me, on Via San Felice, and they are the same ones we give the guests of the homes we manage.

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Bologna is a city you discover at the table as much as anywhere else, perhaps more. This is not meant to be a list of the city's most famous restaurants, but a very personal selection of places we genuinely like: some historic, some contemporary, some elegant and some very plain. These are the addresses we would give a friend.

Breakfast and brunch

8
  • Pasticceria Felicity

    In the San Felice area, perfect for an informal breakfast. Very good artisan pastries and a neighbourhood feel.

  • Pasticceria Gamberini

    One of the great Bolognese classics: careful pastry work and the atmosphere of a historic café.

  • Allegra

    Contemporary breakfast, very good pastries and filter coffee. Young, well made and a little hipster.

  • Pasticceria Santo Stefano

    Classic pastry shop on one of the most beautiful squares in Bologna.

  • Zoo

    Great for a relaxed brunch, children included: pancakes, eggs, cakes and savoury dishes.

  • Caridi

    Elegant without being stiff, with excellent pastry and outstanding petits fours.

  • Corner Bar

    Pleasant for brunch and for a slower breakfast.

  • Lampadina

    Contemporary, informal brunch, with both sweet and savoury options.

Bologna at the table

11
  • Trattoria da Me

    The home of the person who wrote this guide, and the place to start. A contemporary Bolognese trattoria where the great classics meet a personal, seasonal kitchen. Fresh pasta rolled by hand, ragù, stocks and sauces all made in house. Booking strongly recommended.

  • Trattoria da Me nella Torre

    The Da Me kitchen inside a medieval tower in the heart of the city: intimate, surprising and very Bolognese.

  • Enoteca da Lucia

    Bolognese cooking with contemporary touches and interesting fish dishes.

  • Diana

    A piece of Bolognese restaurant history, for the great classics and traditional service.

  • Darcy

    A contemporary osteria, young and informal, with a present-day reading of tradition.

  • Vicolo Colombina

    Small, cosy and very central: Bolognese cooking in an intimate room.

  • Osteria Bottega

    To get into the most authentic, traditional side of Bolognese cooking.

  • Da Bertino

    Simple, traditional and down to earth, with gentler prices.

  • Quanto Basta

    A small trattoria devoted to Roman cooking: cacio e pepe, gricia, carbonara, artichokes and the great classics done properly.

  • Vecchia Dogana

    In the San Felice area: an easy place to stop, eat something and have a glass without too much of a plan.

  • Sfoglia Rina

    A perfect stop for Bolognese fresh pasta: tortellini, tortelloni, tagliatelle and daily specials in an informal, convivial room.

Gelato

4
  • Maritozzi e Gelato · San Francesco

    A few steps from piazza San Francesco. Very good gelato, and the maritozzo filled to order is worth trying.

  • Cremeria Santo Stefano

    One of our favourites and, in our view, not to be missed.

  • Stefino Gelato Biologico

    We go here mostly for the granita. With cream on top, better still.

  • Cremeria Cavour

    Excellent gelato and one of the best loved addresses in the city.

Fish and more

9
  • I Carracci

    Elegant, exclusive and formal. Serious ingredients and great precision: for a special dinner.

  • The Man and The Sea

    Great attention to the produce. Try the raw fish, the spaghetti, the risotto and the shellfish catalana.

  • Pescheria Aldrovandi

    A fishmonger with a kitchen, lively and informal, with a menu that follows the day's catch.

  • Da Sacerno

    A more gastronomic take on seafood, with technique, research and carefully built dishes.

  • Benso

    Contemporary, with well built dishes and a few ideas off the beaten track.

  • Scampo · Pescheria Moderna

    Fish cooked simply and directly, handy for a quick lunch too.

  • Cinque Sapori

    Informal and perfect for lunch, with good ingredients and several vegan dishes.

  • Uno di questi giorni

    Almost everything here goes over the coals. Unusual dishes, bold flavours and excellent produce.

  • Nip Burger

    For when you simply want a good smash burger.

Meat and grill

1
  • Antica Trattoria del Reno

    Barbecue and live fire cooking in a rustic room, with serious cuts of meat and a well kept spirits list. Outside the centre, and worth the trip.

Pizza

6

Pizza by the slice and street food

3
  • Pistamentuccia · Pizza in teglia

    Roman pan pizza, crisp and perfect to grab on the move.

  • ’O Fiore Mio Pizze di Strada

    Carefully made pizza by the slice, very handily placed between San Francesco and the centre.

  • Bello Garno · Il Cassone Riminese

    Romagna cassoni and piadine: a simple, fast street food answer.

Wine and food shops

7
  • La Bottega di Montegrappa

    An excellent cellar, with top flight wines both Italian and foreign. A high level selection of cheese and cured meats.

  • Medulla Vini

    Wine barFind on Maps

    One of the first wine bars in Bologna to commit to natural wine, in the best sense of the term. High quality, and a specialism in Balkan wines.

  • Break Bar

    Wine barCrespellano

    Perhaps the best place outside Bologna to drink great Italian and great French bottles. A careful beer selection too.

  • Fermento

    Wine barBolognina

    A search for artisan wines. A smart, fun place where you drink well without spending much.

  • Stappo

    High level Italian and foreign bottles, where little known appellations are explained very well.

  • Caffè Bazar

    Wine shopFind on Maps

    The best stocked, most complete and most wide ranging wine shop in Bologna.

  • Fermata del Gusto

    An excellent selection of Italian and foreign wine. Deli products of recognised quality.

Drinking well · cocktails and pubs

7
  • Volare

    A well known, distinctive cocktail bar, perfect after dinner.

  • Camera a Sud

    Wine bar, bistrot and bar with a very Bolognese feel, ideal for drinking well without formality.

  • Ruggine

    Cocktails, food and a small, recognisable room.

  • Velluto Botanique Eclectique

    A theatrical, eclectic cocktail bar, for a slightly different evening.

  • Scuro

    A small cocktail bar, more intimate and more refined.

  • I Conoscenti

    Cocktails and food in an elegant room, good for starting the evening too.

  • O.D.D.

    A distinctive, contemporary cocktail bar, one more for the after dinner list.

Eating light

1
  • Libra · Cucina Evolution

    Healthy, light cooking, with real attention to gluten free needs. Balanced, careful and tasty dishes.

One last piece of advice
Do not try to see Bologna all at once. Walk under the porticoes, turn into the side streets, cross the markets, stop for a glass of wine and allow yourself the luxury of changing your plans. And when it is time to eat, pick somewhere from these pages that makes you curious.
Dal 1937 · Via San Felice 50/A, Bologna

Who wrote this guide

We did not write this selection. It was written by Trattoria da Me, at Via San Felice 50/A, a contemporary Bolognese trattoria that still rolls its pasta by hand and knows the city from the inside rather than from the rankings. All we did was put it in order and make it downloadable, because it was far too good to stay on a printed sheet on a kitchen table.

trattoriadame.it

An honest note

Addresses change: a place closes, another changes hands, opening hours move with the seasons. Call ahead before you set off, especially on Sundays and in mid August. And where it says booking recommended, take it literally.

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