27/07/2026
Bologna’s nickname is La Grassa — The Fat One — and it takes roughly five minutes in the city to know why. This is a place where good food isn’t an attraction; it’s the atmosphere itself.
Emilia-Romagna is arguably Italy’s greatest larder — a region overflowing with extraordinary ingredients. Mortadella, Parmigiano Reggiano, balsamic vinegar, Parma ham... and that’s just scratching the surface. We spent a week in the city, and here are some of the dishes you can look forward to if you find yourself in this glorious corner of Italy.
Swipe through to see each dish — the caption below updates with every photo.
Buon viaggio — and buon appetito!
Stop 1: The salumi & cheese board — street-side, the Bolognese way
Grab a board of ham and cheese on Via Pescherie Vecchie and simply watch the world go by. We had a wonderful one at Vecchia Malga , though several spots along the street offer the same ritual. Ours came loaded with mortadella — the very symbol of Bologna, naturally — alongside Parma ham, Salame Rosa, Coppa di Testa, creamy Squacquerone cheese, silky lardo to spread on bread like the world’s most decadent butter, and gorgeous little onions pickled in red wine vinegar. Street seating, local products, and the theatre of the old market around you. This is Bologna distilled onto one wooden board.
Where: La Baita Vecchia Malga, Via Pescherie Vecchie
Stop 2: The signature dish Tortellini in brodo
If Bologna has a signature dish, this is it. Tiny tortellini — each one filled with a whisper of meat and cheese — served swimming in a clear, deeply flavored broth. It’s an almost absurdly simple dish, and that’s exactly the point: with a properly made brodo, it becomes something quietly magnificent. We had ours at Trattoria Collegio di Spagna , a small, family-run place with exactly the kind of warmth this dish deserves.
Where: Trattoria Collegio di Spagna
Stop 3: The one “everyone” gets wrong: Tagliatelle al Ragù
Let's clear this up once and for all: you will not find spaghetti bolognese on a menu in Bologna. What you will find everywhere is Tagliatelle al Ragù: ribbons of fresh egg pasta draped in a slow-cooked meat sauce. This is the original, and it needs no reinvention. We enjoyed a delicious one sitting outside at the wonderfully informal Osteria dell'Orsa. Fair warning: it's popular, and the queue is part of the experience. Worth every minute.
Where: Osteria dell'Orsa — arrive early or embrace the line
Stop 4: The local secret Balanzoni — Bologna's green-robed classic
A traditional pasta you'll rarely see outside the region: Balanzoni are vivid green parcels — the dough colored with spinach — stuffed with ricotta, mortadella and other good things. Rich, comforting, and unmistakably Bolognese. We had ours at Osteria Santa Caterina, which has a genuinely lovely garden for dining. One honest warning: the garden mosquitoes come out in force at night. Dress accordingly — or eat quickly.
Where: Osteria Santa Caterina — ask for the garden
Stop 5: Breads with different names
Torta fritta , gnocco fritto , crescentine is basically the same: fried bread with different names. Bologna takes its bread seriously — and often takes it straight to the fryer. These little puffed-up pillows of deep-fried dough go by different names and shapes depending on who you ask but the effect is the same: golden, airy, and utterly irresistible. At their best draped with freshly cut Parma ham or mortadella, so the warmth of the bread just starts to melt the fat. We had some lovely ones at Le Golosità di Nonna Aurora, a small, cosy neighbourhood restaurant filled mostly with locals — always a good sign.
Where: Le Golosità di Nonna Aurora — follow the locals
Stop 6: Dressing up the classics. Parlor combines tradition with elegance
One evening we treated ourselves to Parlor — a more refined spot where the plating is beautiful and the wine list is genuinely good. The standout was a parmigiana di melanzane served on a stick: gorgeously presented and every bit as delicious as it looked. The short version? You get the traditional dishes and the flavors you came to Bologna for — just dressed up for the evening. Proof that La Grassa can do elegant, too.
Where: Parlor Bologna — book ahead
Stop 7: The daily ritual: Gelato — or cremeria, as they say here
Bologna is packed with gelato spots — locally known as cremerie — and we made it our civic duty to visit as many as possible. Purely for research purposes, of course. After extensive fieldwork, our three favorites stood clear: Cremeria Cavour , Cremeria Santo Stefano and Cremeria Vecchia Stalla !
Pro tip: one gelato a day is a minimum, not a maximum.
Stop 8: Before you fly home: The edible souvenirs
Do not board that plane empty-handed. Make time for Tamburini, a Bologna institution overflowing with hams, cheeses, olive oil and every regional treasure you could hope for. Or step into Acetaia Giusti — a house that has been making balsamic vinegar since 1605. Yes, you read that right: over four hundred years of practice. Your suitcase will be heavier and your kitchen infinitely better for it.
Where: Tamburini for the full larder · Giusti for balsamico with four centuries of pedigree
That's a wrap on our week in La Grassa. Eight stops, countless plates, zero regrets. Have a wonderful trip to Bologna — and eat well. You're in the right city for it.
