Ristorante Zivieri – Torre degli Alberici
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Europe · Italy
Where to eat in Bologna
Bologna is Italy's capital of rich, hand-rolled pasta, cured pork and slow ragù, set under miles of porticoes. Its serious fine dining is modest in the city itself, but some of Italy's most famous tables sit a short train ride away in Emilia.
Bologna at a glance
- What to eat
- Tagliatelle al ragu; Tortellini in brodo; Lasagne verdi; Mortadella (panino con mortadella); Tagliere with crescentine or tigelle.
- When to go
- Best: April–June and September–October. Hardest: August.
- Top tables
- Osteria Francescana, Michelin 3★ (2026); San Domenico, Michelin 2★ (2026). This guide lists 5 award-winning restaurants in all.
- Where locals eat
- Local favorites off the prestige lists include Gianni Vini, La Sorbetteria Castiglione and Cremeria Santo Stefano.
- Markets
- Mercato delle Erbe.
Bologna's featured chef
Veronica Menarini, davVero
Featured chefCooking teacherMarket guide
Vero teaches Bologna's pasta the way Bolognese grandmothers made it: rolled by hand with a long wooden pin, in her kitchen facing the Basilica of San Domenico.
Her 7 classes →A market morningHer recipes
Photo: davVero
The dish to eat here
Tagliatelle al ragù
Fresh egg pasta ribbons with a slow meat sauce of beef and pork, a little tomato, milk and wine.
The best three: Vicolo Colombina, Trattoria Da Me, Grassilli.
78places in Bologna, ready to save to your trip
5Dishes to tryWhere to eat each one, and how to cook it at home10Romantic dinnersTen tables for date night
What is in the 78
9 award-winning3 local favorites2 hot right now1 markets10 romantic dinners5 breakfast spots10 new openings9 dish spots38 more in our database
What to eat in Bologna, and where
Each dish comes with the places that do it best. Tap Add to my trip on the ones you want, or find them on the map above.
Tagliatelle al ragù
the real Bolognese, with egg pasta
The 4 best places to eat it in Bologna
- 1Trattoria Via Serra
Order: Tagliatelle al ragù
Small Michelin-listed trattoria where the ragù is a top pick; book ahead.
Seen in thetravelfolk.com · worth confirming hours before you go - 2All'Osteria Bottega
Order: Tagliatelle al ragù
Michelin Guide osteria treating the classic as a first-course must.
Seen in thetravelfolk.com · worth confirming hours before you go - 3Oltre
Order: Tagliatelle al ragù
Fine-dining room where the ragù and tortellini are the must-orders.
Seen in thetravelfolk.com · worth confirming hours before you go - 4Pasta Fresca Naldi
Order: Takeaway tagliatelle al ragù
Fresh-pasta shop with a few tables, a favorite for ragù.
Seen in thetravelfolk.com · worth confirming hours before you go
Tortellini in brodo
small stuffed pasta in capon broth
The 2 best places to eat it in Bologna
- 1Trattoria Via Serra
Order: Tortellini in brodo
Listed as a top pick for the broth-and-tortellini classic.
Seen in thetravelfolk.com · worth confirming hours before you go - 2Trattoria da Me
Order: Tortellini in brodo
Reviewer calls its tortellini in broth fantastic.
Seen in thetravelfolk.com · worth confirming hours before you go
Lasagne verdi
green spinach pasta baked with ragù and béchamel
The 3 best places to eat it in Bologna
- 1Le Golosità di Nonna Aurora
Order: Lasagna
Lasagna is the draw here and it is always booked; confirm the spinach-pasta version.
Seen in thetravelfolk.com · worth confirming hours before you go - 2Trattoria da Me
Order: Homemade lasagna (Sundays)
Homemade lasagna served on Sundays; verdi not confirmed.
Seen in thetravelfolk.com · worth confirming hours before you go - 3Pasta Fresca Naldi
Order: Takeaway lasagna
Lasagna is among its favorites; verdi not confirmed.
Seen in thetravelfolk.com · worth confirming hours before you go
Mortadella
the city's signature cold cut
The best place to eat it in Bologna
- 1Pigro Mortadelleria
Order: Mortadella sandwich
Dedicated mortadella sandwich shop by San Petronio; check hours.
Seen in tastebologna.net · worth confirming hours before you go
Crescentine / tigelle
warm breads for filling with cured meats
The 2 best places to eat it in Bologna
- 1Il Tigellino
Order: Tigelle with Cunza pesto
Quick, tasty tigelle stop near Piazza Maggiore.
Seen in tastebologna.net · worth confirming hours before you go - 2Indegno
Order: Crescentine with gourmet fillings
Newer spot pairing traditional crescentine with modern ingredients.
Seen in tastebologna.net · worth confirming hours before you go
The most celebrated tables
The top 5 restaurants in Bologna, per Michelin Italia 2026. All 9 award winners we track are in the full list below.
Three Michelin stars
Osteria Francescana
Michelin 3★ (2026)Gambero Rosso 97/100, joint top-scoring (2026)
Bottura's world-famous Modena restaurant, a former World's Best and the region's marquee destination.
Two Michelin stars
San Domenico
Michelin 2★ (2026)
Intimate, long-standing Imola restaurant opened in 1970 with around 20 tables.
More award winners
I Portici
Michelin 1★ (2026)
The only starred restaurant in Bologna's historic centre, in a late-19th-century palazzo.
Casa Mazzucchelli
Michelin 1★ (2026)
Home flavours with contemporary touches, 25 minutes from Bologna.
Trattoria Amerigo 1934
Michelin 1★ (2026)
Country inn serving classic Emilian cooking, with game and local truffle in season.
When to go and what is in season
Bologna food calendar: month by month → What is in season, what to eat and the food festivals each month.
JFMAMJJASOND
Peak Apr–Jun, Sep–OctShoulder —Hard Aug
Why these months
Taste Bologna (2022): spring (Apr-Jun) and early autumn (Sep-Oct) are mild and best; July hottest (avg highs up to 25.5 C), January coldest, October wettest; avoid the central weeks of August if you care about food because most markets and food shops are closed and food tours pause. Winter is the off-season with cheaper hotels, though some places close for the holidays.
In season
- Asparago Verde di Altedo IGP Apr
- Vignola cherries (ciliegia di Vignola IGP) May–Jun
- White truffle (Savigno / Tartofla) Oct–Nov Festival 24 Oct-15 Nov 2026, in Savigno about 40 km from Bologna (not in the city)
- Tortellini in brodo Jan–Feb, Dec
- Certosino di Bologna Dec Christmas cake of honey, candied fruit, almonds, pine nuts, chocolate
Food events
- SANA Food (BolognaFiere) Feb 21-23 Feb 2027; trade fair with a public Sunday; ticketed
- Sagra del Tortellino Tradizionale (Castelfranco Emilia) Sep 3-12 Sep 2027 (2026: 4-13 Sep); free; stands open from 19:30
- Mortadella, Please (Zola Predosa) Oct 9-11 Oct 2026, free; next listed 8-10 Oct 2027
- C'e Piu Gusto (Palazzo Re Enzo) Oct 17-18 Oct 2026; free entry, ticketed masterclasses
- Tartofla white truffle festival (Savigno) Oct 24 Oct-15 Nov 2026, 43rd edition, free
Closures to plan around
- Central weeks of August: most markets and food shops closed, food tours pause (Taste Bologna)
- 2 June (public holiday) shops, markets and restaurants mostly closed
- 4 October (Saint Day, San Petronio): almost everything except churches and museums closed
Meal costs and tipping (EUR)
- Casual: sit-down pizza 7-16 (Italy-wide range)
- Mid-range: trattoria 22-35 per person; mid-range ristorante 40-65 (Italy-wide ranges; source gives no Bologna-specific figures)
- Tasting menus from: one Michelin star tasting 80-150 (Italy-wide)
- Tipping: Italy-wide: tipping voluntary, not expected; coperto typically 1-3 per person (up to ~5 at nicer places); servizio 10-15% if applied, then skip the tip
From published guides and tourism boards. Months are our mapping of how guides describe the seasons; 2027 event dates are expected, not confirmed. Prices come from single sources of varying age, so treat them as a rough guide. Compare cities by month
Secret discoveries
Locally loved places that are not on the big prestige lists.
bar
Gianni Vini
Order: Spritz Emiliano, made with local Lambrusco
An aperitivo bar near the Santo Stefano churches that swaps the usual Aperol for Emilian Lambrusco, a local twist on the evening ritual.
Seen in timeout.com · worth confirming hours before you go
café
La Sorbetteria Castiglione
Order: Gelato, ask for the day's seasonal flavors
A gelateria Time Out singles out among Bologna's local ice cream spots.
Seen in timeout.com · worth confirming hours before you go
café
Cremeria Santo Stefano
Order: Gelato to eat while strolling the Santo Stefano piazza
Neighborhood gelateria on the Santo Stefano side of town, listed by Time Out.
Seen in timeout.com · worth confirming hours before you go
Food markets in Bologna
Go with a local: Veronica Menarini walks the Quadrilatero with you before her class. Not a listed class on her site: ask for it when you write to book.
Chefs and guides in Bologna
Cooking classes, chef hosts and food-guide businesses.
- davVero with Veronica Menarini Featured chef · cooking teacher · market guide
Vero teaches Bologna's pasta the way Bolognese grandmothers made it: rolled by hand with a long wooden pin, in her kitchen facing the Basilica of San Domenico. Not a listed class on her site: ask for it when you write to book. - Cook Italy Chef / cooking host
Bologna market-to-table cooking - Taste Bologna Food / market guide
Bolognese pasta, cured meats and market tastings
Cook your way through the region
Parma with Erin O’BrienA seven-day, six-night food week in Parma (March 7-13, 2027) led by cookbook author Erin O'Brien with local guide Alice Rossi. Each day goes to a…Parma with Marissa MullenA six-night food week in Parma (April 18-24, 2027) hosted by author and food stylist Marissa Mullen, with local guide Alice Rossi. It focuses on…Culinary Treasures of Bologna, Venice, Michelin Stars & Exotic CarsA week based in central Bologna mixing cooking classes with visits to Parmigiano, balsamic and prosciutto producers, a day in Venice and a Motor…
Plan a food trip to Bologna
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Awards come from the guides named on each listing (Michelin Italia 2026). Researched October 25, 2026. Restaurants change; confirm hours, reservations and current stars before you go. Some addresses, phone numbers and websites come from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), so call ahead to confirm. Local favorites are editorial picks, not rankings.
Chef Amazing’s lists for Bologna: where locals eat, new openings, romantic dinners, ice cream, cooking classes and more, each place with what to order. Cooking classes in Bologna: who teaches, what you cook, how long and how to book.
Every place in this guide, A to Z (30)
- All'Osteria Bottega
- Aroma Caffè Via Porta Nova
- Caffè Pasticceria Gamberini Via Ugo Bassi
- Caffè Terzi Via Oberdan
- Casa Mazzucchelli Sasso Marconi
- Cook Italy
- Cremeria Santo Stefano Santo Stefano
- davVero
- Dispensa Emilia – Porta Maggiore
- Forno Brisa City center; confirm branch
- Forno Brisa – Stadio Dall’Ara
- Gianni Vini Santo Stefano
- Gino Fabbri Pasticcere Outer Bologna, Via Cadriano
- I Portici Via Indipendenza, centro storico
- Il Tigellino Near Piazza Maggiore
- Indegno Pratello
- La Sorbetteria Castiglione Centro Storico
- Le Golosità di Nonna Aurora Bolognina
- Mercato delle Erbe
- Mo Mortadella Lab Centro storico
- Oltre
- Osteria Francescana Modena (about 45 min from Bologna)
- Pasta Fresca Naldi Pratello
- Pigro Mortadelleria Near San Petronio
- San Domenico Imola (about 40 min from Bologna)
- Tamburini Historic centre
- Taste Bologna
- Trattoria Amerigo 1934 Savigno
- Trattoria da Me San Felice
- Trattoria Via Serra Via Serra
Chef Amazing · Will Travel for Food · Food cities · 250 food markets · The Best 100