Food · Bologna · Italy
What to eat in Bologna
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Bologna, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Fabio Ciminelli, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Tagliatelle al ragù, Tortellini in brodo and Mortadella Bologna. From early evening, wine bars on Via Pescherie Vecchie and Via Clavature set up tables in the lanes; order a glass of Pignoletto and a tagliere of mortadella, prosciutto and Parmigiano. Lunch is usually served from about 12:30 to 2:30pm and dinner from about 7:30pm; aperitivo fills the gap.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Tagliatelle al ragù
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 4
- Tipping
- Tipping is not expected, and a coperto is often already charged.
- Food experiences
- 4
11 foods to try
Dish
1.Tagliatelle al ragù
Bologna's signature pasta: hand-rolled egg tagliatelle with a slow-cooked ragù of beef and pork, soffritto, a little tomato, wine and milk. The recipe was formally deposited by the Accademia Italiana della Cucina in 1982; spaghetti bolognese is not a local dish.
Where: Traditional trattorie and osterie across the centre; Sunday lunch is when locals eat it most.
Dish
2.Tortellini in brodo
Tiny ring-shaped pasta filled with pork loin, prosciutto, mortadella, Parmigiano and nutmeg, served in a clear capon or beef broth. Locals insist they belong in broth, not cream, and they are the traditional Christmas first course.
Where: Every trattoria; pasta shops in the Quadrilatero sell them fresh by weight to cook at home.
Snack
3.Mortadella Bologna
The city's emblematic cooked sausage: finely ground pork studded with cubes of fat and sometimes pistachios, protected as Mortadella Bologna IGP. It is sliced paper-thin or cut into cubes as an aperitivo snack.
Where: Salumerie in the Quadrilatero slice it to order; most wine bars serve it with crescentine or bread at aperitivo.
Dish
4.Lasagne verdi alla bolognese
Green lasagne made with spinach egg pasta, layered with ragù, béchamel and Parmigiano and baked until the edges crisp. It is the local version of the dish and a Sunday favourite.
Where: Trattorie in the centre and in residential districts such as Saragozza.
Dish · Vegetarian
5.Tortelloni di ricotta
Larger cousins of tortellini, filled with ricotta, parsley and Parmigiano and usually dressed with butter and sage. A good choice for vegetarians in a meat-heavy cuisine.
Where: Most trattoria menus; fresh pasta shops sell them to cook at home.
Bakery
6.Crescentine and tigelle
Crescentine are puffs of dough fried until hollow; tigelle are small round flatbreads baked in a hot mould. Both are split and filled with mortadella, prosciutto, soft cheese or a spread of lard, garlic and rosemary.
Where: Osterie and aperitivo bars, usually with a tagliere of cured meats and cheese.
Dish
7.Cotoletta alla bolognese
A breaded veal cutlet fried in butter, topped with prosciutto and Parmigiano and finished in broth until the cheese melts; shaved truffle is added in season.
Where: Classic trattorie, where it is sometimes called cotoletta alla petroniana after the city's patron saint.
Dish · Vegetarian
8.Friggione
A slow-cooked side dish of onions and tomatoes stewed for hours until soft and sweet, traditionally eaten with boiled meats or piled on bread.
Where: Traditional trattorie and the deli counters of the Quadrilatero.
Drink · Vegetarian
9.Pignoletto and Lambrusco
Pignoletto, a light, often sparkling white from the Colli Bolognesi hills, is the local aperitivo wine; dark, fizzy Lambrusco from around Modena cuts through rich cured meats and pasta.
Where: Wine bars in the Quadrilatero and the Ghetto Ebraico; ask for a glass of 'Pignoletto frizzante'.
Dessert · Vegetarian
10.Torta di riso
Also called torta degli addobbi, this dense cake of rice cooked in milk, flavoured with almonds and lemon, was traditionally made for parish festivals. It is cut into diamonds and served cold.
Where: Pastry shops and trattoria dessert menus.
Dessert
11.Zuppa inglese
Layers of sponge soaked in red alchermes liqueur alternating with vanilla and chocolate custard; despite the name ('English soup') it is a classic Emilian pudding.
Where: Trattoria dessert trolleys and pastry shops.
Food experiences
Aperitivo in the Quadrilatero
From early evening, wine bars on Via Pescherie Vecchie and Via Clavature set up tables in the lanes; order a glass of Pignoletto and a tagliere of mortadella, prosciutto and Parmigiano.
Osteria del Sole
This old osteria in Vicolo Ranocchi, dating back to the 15th century, sells only wine: regulars bring their own food bought from the Quadrilatero shops around it and eat at long wooden tables.
Pasta-making class
Cooking schools teach how Bologna's sfogline roll egg pasta with a long wooden pin and fold tortellini by hand; a half-day class usually ends with lunch.
Evening at Mercato delle Erbe
The covered market on Via Ugo Bassi becomes an informal food hall in the evening, with stalls and bars serving pasta, wine and small plates at shared tables.
Quick bites and street food
- Mortadella Bologna — Salumerie in the Quadrilatero slice it to order; most wine bars serve it with crescentine or bread at aperitivo.
- Crescentine and tigelle — Osterie and aperitivo bars, usually with a tagliere of cured meats and cheese.
Vegetarian options
Of the 11 foods in this guide, 4 are usually vegetarian: Tortelloni di ricotta, Friggione, Pignoletto and Lambrusco and Torta di riso. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Lunch is usually served from about 12:30 to 2:30pm and dinner from about 7:30pm; aperitivo fills the gap.
- Most trattorie add a small coperto (cover charge) per person for bread and service; it is listed on the menu.
- Book trattorie for Friday and Saturday dinner and Sunday lunch, when Bolognese families eat out.
- Many restaurants close for part of August around Ferragosto (15 August).
- Ask for 'tagliatelle al ragù' rather than spaghetti bolognese, which local menus do not serve.
Tipping
Tipping is not expected, and a coperto is often already charged. Rounding up or leaving a few euros for good service is appreciated but optional.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Buongiorno | Good morning / hello |
| Grazie | Thank you |
| Il conto, per favore | The bill, please |
| Un calice di Pignoletto | A glass of Pignoletto |
| Permesso | Excuse me (to get past) |
| Quanto costa? | How much is it? |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Bologna famous for?
Tagliatelle al ragù, Tortellini in brodo, Mortadella Bologna and Lasagne verdi alla bolognese. Bologna's signature pasta: hand-rolled egg tagliatelle with a slow-cooked ragù of beef and pork, soffritto, a little tomato, wine and milk.
+Is Bologna good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Tortelloni di ricotta, Friggione and Pignoletto and Lambrusco.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Bologna?
Tipping is not expected, and a coperto is often already charged. Rounding up or leaving a few euros for good service is appreciated but optional.