Where To Eat In Bologna – Sharing All The Tasty Food We Ate

Bologna had been on my wishlist for years. I wanted to experience it for myself—and, of course, be able to share the best recommendations with you. While it may not be searched as often as Rome, Florence, or Venice, I had a feeling I’d love it, especially for its incredible food. So, did the city and its cuisine live up to my expectations?

You can read more about my overall experience here: Is Bologna Worth Visiting?

As for the food—I think Bologna is a fantastic city for food lovers, with much more to offer than I could taste in just one trip. That’s exactly why I plan to return again and again. But in the meantime, here’s where to eat in Bologna next time you visit.

P.S. Stick around until the end—I’ll also reveal a nearby city that surprised me even more with its delicious food.

Best Breakfast In Bologna: Start Your Mornings Here

If, like me, you wake up excited to see and taste all the scrumptious Italian breakfast pastries, make sure to try these delicious Bologna cafes.

PS: I am listing these in the order we visited them but I will share with you what I liked and not for each one.

Bottega Ai Portici

This one was not on my list, but we stumbled upon it while getting to the first cafe on that list. It’s more of a casual bistro than a cafe, and it’s self service. You order from a computer, you pay on it or take the receipt and pay at the counter, and then wait for your order to be prepared, which you then take to your chosen table. Consider it the fancy Bolognese McDonalds but with tasty food.

If it wasn’t for the interiors and the location, I probably wouldn’t have been intrigued by the concept. But wait till you see their upper floor, and terrace. I am pretty sure this must be the best spot in all of Bologna to get that view of the Two Towers.

What about the food?

We only tried the breakfast pastries, tea and latte. And everything was really tasty. The pastries are more like a hybrid between a Sicilian cornetto and a French croissant. Their aesthetic reminds me of the pastries from the trending Allegra Bakery, but without the long queue. I haven’t tried that one, and from the research I did, I don’t think I can recommend it. It might be popular on TikTok but has really low ratings on Google!

Let me recap what I loved about Bottega Ai Portici and why I think you should try it:

Fresh, flaky, delicious pastries made daily in an open kitchen you can see.
Fresh pasta, antipasti, and sandwich are available too.
The second best tea I have ever tasted (I like Earl Grey with oat milk and no sugar, in case you are wondering!)
Fast and good service, with the loveliest staff.
Gorgeous seating area, inside and even better outside. And there’s plenty of available tables, so you won’t have to worry about finding a spot.

As for the pastries, they have a selection of 12 to choose from. You can see them displayed in their window, with their names and ingredients.

What we ordered.

My husband chose the mascarpone and raspberries croissant, and I had the pistachio cream. We also shared the pain au chocolat, which is their most popular pastry. We enjoyed the croissants, but not so much the pain au chocolat. The pastry is richer and more buttery, similar to a French pain au chocolat, and don’t love it when you can taste so much butter.

Price: €15.20

Impero Bar Pasticceria

This was the first cafe we tried. We went back to have breakfast at Bottega Ai Portici on our second day.

It was Easter day, not the best day to try a new spot, especially if you like to have a peaceful meal like I do. The selection looked delicious, but I think our choices were not the best. We didn’t try any croissants, so I can’t report on that, but overall this spot didn’t live up to my expectations. The location had nothing special, and the food didn’t blow my socks off!

My husband chose the empty donut and the apricot butter cookie. I had half of the cookie, and it wasn’t bad but wasn’t amazing either. My budino di riso was the tastiest of them all, while the vanilla plumcake was blunt and dry.

Price: We paid under €14.

Our third breakfast was our favorite, but that one wasn’t in Bologna. So I am not sharing it here. You can find more about that one in my Modena & Reggio Emilia Day Trip Post.

Forno Brisa – Castiglione

This is a popular chain in Bologna, with five different locations. We chose the closest to our apartment, and it was also one with outdoor seating, which we love this time of the year (we visited in Spring).

I would describe Forno Brisa as the trendier Italian cafe that still incorporates Italian flavors and traditions, but caters to a younger demographic with fun international options like the cinnamon swirl and the healthy cakes.

I don’t like when pastries have crumbled nuts on top. It’s a strange pet peeve I have, so I couldn’t have a croissant. Instead, I opted for the Veneziana al pistacchio (I am Sicilian after all, so I need my daily fix of pistachios :).

My husband chose the healthy carrot cake, and we both had Earl Grey tea. We sat outside, and luckily we didn’t get attacked by the doves. They were too busy bothering someone else.

Everything was nice, but didn’t impress us. We did like the location, as you get to see the people passing by, going about their day, or stopping to chat, and it’s not on a main road.

Price: We paid under €10.

Paolo Atti & Sons Bakery

This is not a cafe, but it has the best breakfast pastries. So you can stock up the day before and enjoy one in your hotel room, in case you decide to sleep in.

It’s a very old, traditional, and popular spot for locals to get their sweet treats. And it’s equally popular with tourists who want to take delicious food back home. Not all the options will travel well, but you can always try.

Here’s what we tasted:
1. The apple and cream pastries. They were delicious, so much that we went for seconds.

2. The raviole with local mostarda Bolognese jam (a jam made from pear, apples, and citrus peel). These were incredible, and we took them home to gift as souvenirs.
3. The torta di riso, a local rice cake infused with citrus peel. This was nice but not my favorite.

You can find plenty more, and also many delicious savory options.

Café Pasticceria Gamberini

We chose this one because we wanted to sit with the locals. They have a small covered area outside, slightly fancy but still comfortable. It doesn’t compare to the upscale cafes we tried both in Florence and Milan, but it wasn’t bad either.

The tea was nice, and we both chose a small donut, as we wanted to have an early lunch, and it was already late in the morning.

The pastry selection was not too large, but everything looked good.

Would I recommend this one? You can try it, but it wasn’t my favorite experience.

Price: €9.40

Our 6th breakfast was in Parma, and while it was really quick and on the go, it was the second favorite croissant of the trip. Read more here – The Best Day In Parma.

Pappare

This was our final breakfast, as we were flying back later that day. We loved this spot. It was modern, but had delicious Italian pastries, and even larger brunch options that looked amazing. And they even serve matcha, something not so easy to find in Italy. I have been obsessed with matcha for years; plus, it’s a great option since I don’t drink coffee.

The matcha was nice, but not as nice as my favorite one back home. I went for an empty croissant and my husband also had a matcha latte and a apricot jam croissant.

Price: around €11

Cafes I want to try next:

Caffè Zanarini for its outdoor seating in a beautiful location
Starbucks in Via D’Azeglio – I’d like to compare it to the Milan Starbucks Roastery, which was the only Starbucks food I liked.

Bologna Street Food Worth Trying

So you’ve had breakfast, explored a bit of Bologna, and now you are hungry again. What should you eat? Street food is the perfect way to try different food on the go, so you can continue your sightseeing.

There are plenty of street food options in Bologna. Let me list my favorites.

1. Crescentina sandwich at Indegno

If you like fried food you’ll love this.

It’s a sandwich made of fried dough, stuffed with your favorite fillings. They have plenty of options, but we both chose the classic, with just mortadella inside.

Tip: I suggest you have it first thing in the morning, but not late at night. We had it again for dinner on a day when everything around us was closed, and it didn’t taste as good. I think it’s because the oil was not as fresh as in the morning.

2. Fried Tortellini with Parmesan Cream

You have two options – either meat tortellini or pumpkin tortelloni. We went for the second with extra parmesan cream on top, and loved it as a sort of savory dessert.

3. Gnocco Fritto Sandwich at Mercato di Mezzo

This might sound similar as option one but it’s different. The first has a unique dough and shape, almost as a pocket that holds your filling. This one is your usual gnocco fritto dough that’s then filled with mortadella, and any other ingredients of your choice. We didn’t have the time to try this, but I am recommending it because it looked delicious, and we will go back next time.

You can also have this at Bottega Ai Portici, the breakfast spot I shared earlier.

4. Local Sandwich at Mo Lab

Mortadella Lab is really popular for its rosetta sandwiches with mortadella and other gourmet ingredients. There was one in our street but we still didn’t manage to try it, as it closes early in the evenings.

It’s called rosetta or michetta, and it looks like because of its flower design stamped on top. This bread shape originated in Milan, but has always been known for being the best sandwich bread for mortadella and prosciutto.

At Mo Lab you can enjoy a really big version of this bread stuffed with the tastiest ingredients, with more traditional and modern options. If you enjoyed the experience at Antico Vinaio, you might want to try this one too.

5. Sfarina Piadina at Mercato delle Erbe

Want a different kind of sandwich? Try this instead of the rosetta sandwich, or gnocco fritto I mentioned above.

Piadina is a local delicacy, a flat bread that’s largely produced in the coastal areas of Emilia Romagna, and in cities like Ravenna, Forli, and Rimini.

This spot inside the market gives you a full menu to choose from, from classic options with just mortadella, to extra meaty and spicy ones.

Which one of these spots is making you hungrier? It’s lunch time as I am writing this, and I would really love a rosetta sandwich or piadina with mortadella and parmesan cream (yum)!

Aperitivo In Bologna

If food on the go is not your thing, I get you, as I always like to sit and have a plate or a napkin underneath when I eat, even street food.

Don’t worry, I have another lunch option. How about an aperitivo?

There’s really no wrong time for aperitivo in Italy, especially with so many bars and restaurants staying open all day, and since I am giving you local spots, you don’t have to worry about running into a tourist trap.

There’s a street in Bologna that’s famous for its aperitivo, and whenever you go, provided it’s after Noon, you’ll find all the bars and restaurants jam packed. But don’t worry, they always manage to squeeze you in!

That street is called Via Pescherie Vecchie, and it’s the back street of Mercato di Mezzo. Get here and you have plenty of aperitivo options for lunchtime or pre-dinner. Let me share the best ones.

Zerocinquantuno

There are two Zerocinquantuno spots in the same street. One is a more casual spot for aperitivo and antipasti. You will recognize it because of its high tables and stools. The other one is the trattoria. We tried the second one but the food quality is going to be the same, so I can recommend both.

Unfortunately, they don’t serve gnocco fritto here, but you should give tigelle a go. If you like wraps (I don’t), you will enjoy these, as they have a similar taste but a different consistency.

You can have them with parmesan cream, balsamic vinegar, spuma di lardo which is a aerated cream of lard (not for me), mortadella, more hams and cheeses, and a variety of dips and antipasti.

2. Prosciutteria Simoni

This one is located right next to Zero Cinquantuno, offers the same type of food, and it looks as good.

It is called prosciutteria and it’s more centred around their fresh hams and cheeses right from the counter. They also push wine more than the other one, although you can have your regular spritz too.

It’s equally as busy as the other one, so if you can, you should try both. You could logistically seat in the middle spot and order from both places, and enjoy them at the same table, but that would be awkward.

3. Antica Bottega inside Mercato di Mezzo

If you prefer having aperitivo inside the market, Antica Bottega offers you platters with mortadella, more hams, cheeses and a choice of tigelle and gnocco fritto, plus plenty of other options too.

If you recall, I listed this as a lunch spot because you can order your sandwich and take it to go, but you also sit down and enjoy lunch or pre-dinner without rushing.

4. Prosciutteria Bologna

This is the only one that’s not on the same street. But their location in Via Guglielmo Oberdan is just five minutes walk away from Mercato di Mezzo.

It is a lovely local spot I wish we had the time to try, so it’s on my list for next time. I love how it has a more relaxed vibe than the busy street the other spots are on.

Their platters look insane, and their ratings are among the highest I have seen for aperitivo in Bologna. You should check them out on Google.

Best Pasta In Bologna. Did we find it?

If you are going to Bologna, you likely want to eat a lot of pasta, as you should. We ate pasta nearly every day, and sometimes even twice, but we walked it all off, so all is well.

These are all the pasta dishes we tried in Bologna. I am going to list and describe them for you, and share my thoughts on each one.

Lasagna at Osteria Angolo degli Orefici. This was our first meal and we were impressed, although we were really hungry. However, after trying two other lasagnas in the region, this came in third place. The lasagna was creamy, almost as it had ricotta inside, and the pasta sheets used were the traditional green ones.

Pumpkin Tortelloni at Osteria Angolo degli Orefici. I really liked these ones, and would eat them again, but they don’t live up to the best ones I ate in Milan at an Emilian restaurant. They came in a traditional parmesan cream sauce, which was also very nice.

Tagliatelle al ragu at Zerocinquantello – refer to my description in the Best restaurants section below.

Gnocchi Burro e Oro at Zerocinquantello – refer to my description in the Best restaurants section below.

White Lasagna at Vicolo Colombina – refer to my description in the Best restaurants section below.

Pink Tortellini at Taverna del Postiglione – my husband chose these but I wouldn’t have picked them. In fact, they were too salty because of the cured ham mixed with meat tortellini and pine nuts.

Mortadella Tortelloni at Taverna del Postiglione – They were served with a parmesan cream and looked lovely. However, they were undercooked, and the mortadella didn’t taste as fresh, although it could be that cooking it makes it taste that way. I didn’t like them.

My favorite two pasta experiences of this trip were not in Bologna, but in two different nearby cities we visited. You can find those guides linked at the end of this post.

So the answer to the question is not. We still haven’t found the best pasta spot in Bologna, but I am pretty sure that it could have been Vicolo Colombina had we tried different pasta dishes!

Bologna Pizza Spots The Locals Love

We have this tradition that when we arrive in a new Italian city we have to have pizza takeaway that night.

My list included two options, and we opted for the closest one, which turned out to be a great choice. I am talking about Regina Sofia. They have a delivery only spot in a side street off Via Vitale, and another one near Piazza Maggiore, close to all the aperitivo spots I shared above.

This is real Neapolitan pizza, and you can see it in the way they make it. I loved watching them and filming it!

What we ordered.

We ordered two classic Montanerine as our starter. I love these. If you haven’t tried them, give them a go next time you dine or order from a Neapolitan pizzeria in Italy. They are fried pizza dough topped with tomato sauce, fresh basil and parmesan scales. What makes them unique is the fried dough, and the simplicity of the toppings really lets you taste the goodness of the few ingredients.

For pizza, I chose the Siciliana, which is what I always order, and my husband went for a very similar option but with more vegetables; he picked the Ortolana.

Everything was delicious, although the pizza dough was a little too chewy for my liking, but that’s personal preference.

That’s the only pizza spot we tried but I have a few more I can recommend because they have insane ratings. If you get on my food spots lists, you are usually pretty good, as I have a strict research and rating process.

Da Michele – another Neapolitan pizza spot located not far from the Two Towers
Mozzabella – a Bolognese pizza brand I am excited to try next time. They have great looking pizza, high ratings, and also serve other delicious food.They also offer pizza by the slice.

I have shared plenty of food spots in Bologna from breakfast to pasta. However, if you are short on time and want my top recommendations on where you should have your dinner, there are two spots I think you should choose from. These are going to give you the best experience, although they have completely different vibes.

1. Local Restaurant With A Casual Vibe

If you like the idea of a casual aperitivo followed by a nice pasta dish, and love being in the hustle and bustle of a city, you are going to love this place. I am referring to Osteria Zerocinquantello.

This is located on a narrow busy street full of bars and restaurants, so it gets really busy. If you hate eating with lots of people passing by you can sit inside, but the vibe outside is really lovely. The only thing I don’t like is being so close to other tables, but you can’t always have everything!

This is what we ordered and loved it:

A platter of mortadella to share
Four tigelle (local round bread) to share
Tagliatelle al ragu for my husband
Gnocchi burro e oro. This is not on the menu as is; I asked for a different pasta shape.

The mortadella was tasty but wasn’t the best we ate on this trip. The tigelle are not my favorite type of bread, but I did enjoy their homemade dark bread. My pasta sauce was made with tomato sauce and butter, and served with parmesan. I loved it and so did my husband. However, the pasta was undercooked.

My husband enjoyed the pasta but thought the portion was a little small for the price, and he said he prefers the same dish at Da Fortunata.

Having said that, there’s plenty more to try on the menu, and the quality of the food is really good, so you won’t be disappointed.

Price: around €45

2. Gourmet Restaurant With Local Cuisine In A Secluded Spot

If you love fancier restaurants that are not pretentious and offer you exceptional traditional local cuisine, this is the one for you. The menu is small, which is the only fault I can find, especially since I am picky with my food. But if I liked it, I am pretty sure you will too!

We had lunch here on our third full day in Bologna. We spent that day window shopping, walking, and having gelato, and we had a fancy meal for both lunch and dinner. We rarely do this, so it felt nice to spoil ourselves.

This is what we ordered:

My husband chose the Cotoletta alla Bolognese, and he requested roasted potatoes even though those were not on the menu. This is a local dish which is similar to la Cotoletta alla Milanese, the famous breaded veal meat but is topped with cured Italian ham and parmesan. He said it was one of the best meals of his trip.

I opted for the white lasagna. I must say I thought the lasagna sheets were white as in Bologna most restaurants serve lasagna with green spinach pasta sheets. Instead, the white lasagna was referring to the type of sauce. I liked it, as you could taste the ingredients were fresh and great quality, but I much prefer a red lasagna where the tomato sauce helps cutting the meaty flavor. Keep in mind that I only eat meat in lasagna, ragu, and in the form of hams. However, I am happy I tried it.

We didn’t order dessert since we knew we wanted to have gelato and a big dinner later.

Price: €50

We tried and enjoyed both, but I much prefer the experience in the fancier restaurant. It was quiet, beautiful, the service was great, the food was delicious, and the prices were low for the service and quality of the food. In fact, I think the first one was a little overpriced when compared to this one.

Best Gelato In Bologna

I usually wait till June to have gelato, but when you are in Bologna and there are plenty of 3 cones ice cream shops, you can’t skip gelato, can you?

In case you are now familiar with Gambero Rosso, the 3 cones is the highest rating for ice cream shops and makers. There are many 3 cones gelaterie in Bologna, but I always like to research each one and see which I like the best from the pictures and also compare the ratings. After that vetting, these two made it on my Bologna foodie list.

Cremeria Santo Stefano

Gelateria Delizie Bolognesi

We tried both, and they were both delicious. However, while I was expecting to love Cremeria Santo Stefano the most. I I liked Delizie Bolognesi better, and that one had no queue.

Having said that, neither of them lives up to my best gelato spot in Italy!

Where To Eat In Bologna – Sharing All The Tasty Food We Ate

Table of Contents