10 Iconic Bologna foods you must eat in 2025

In Bologna, the food speaks.

It murmurs through the Quadrilatero, rises from kitchen windows, and lingers under the porticoes.
These dishes aren’t just meals — they’re stories, traditions, and edible memories.

Hungry?
Let’s dive in.

What to eat in Bologna: 10 Must-Try dishes

Here’s your edible road map.
Jump to the dish that makes your mouth water:

Friggione is a slow-cooked mix of onions and tomatoes, dating back to 18th-century peasant kitchens.
Once a humble side dish, today it’s a rich, velvety spread that captures the soul of Emilia-Romagna.

Onions melt into lard, balanced by a hint of tomato acidity.

It's pure depth and nostalgia in one spoonful — often enjoyed on warm bread or alongside aged cheeses.

Where to eat it: Trattoria Da Me

Chef Elisa Rusconi brings her grandmother’s recipes to life in this award-winning spot.
Her friggione is soulful and silky, served in a cozy dining room that feels like a modern tribute to Bologna’s past.

📍 Via S. Felice, 50/A - trattoriadame.it

This is the dish tourists try to find, and locals defend fiercely.
Tagliatelle al ragù (not "spaghetti bolognese") is eggy handmade pasta paired with a slow-cooked meat sauce that simmers for hours.

Officially regulated by the Bologna Chamber of Commerce, the tagliatelle must be 8mm wide.

The ragù?
A delicate balance of soffritto (carrot, celery, onion), ground beef, tomato paste, and slow-cooking — no garlic, no herbs, and absolutely no spaghetti.

Where to eat it: Osteria Bottega

Owner Daniele Minarelli doesn’t compromise.
His tagliatelle al ragù is so rich and flavorful, you'll wonder what you've been eating all these years.

📍 Via Santa Caterina, 51

Tortellini are small, hand-folded pasta parcels filled with pork loin, mortadella, and Parmigiano Reggiano.

According to Bolognese legend, their shape was inspired by the navel of the goddess Venus — a fitting origin for something so delicate and divine.

Served in a rich meat broth (in brodo), they’re traditionally eaten on Sundays and holidays, but any day is the right day for tortellini in Bologna.

Every spoonful is warm, nostalgic, and deeply satisfying — a comforting ritual more than just a meal.

Want to go beyond tasting them?
In our Bologna Cooking Class, you can learn how to make tortellini from scratch with a local chef.

You’ll knead the dough, prepare the filling, fold each little ring with your hands, and then sit down to enjoy the fruits of your labor, like a true Bolognese.

Where to eat it: Caminetto d’Oro

Elegant, refined, and traditional, this spot near the station serves tortellini in brodo the way they’re meant to be: tiny, tender, and floating in liquid gold.

📍 Via de' Falegnami, 4 - caminettodoro.it

Named after Bologna’s carnival jester, balanzoni are large green tortelloni made with spinach dough and filled with ricotta, mortadella, and Parmigiano. Festive and colorful, they're a playful twist on tradition.

Their vibrant green hue hides a deeply satisfying richness that sets them apart.

Where to eat it: Oltre

This sleek, modern restaurant is reimagining Bolognese classics. Their balanzoni are precise, flavorful, and often paired with some of the city's best cocktails. Innovation meets comfort — and it works.
📍 Via Augusto Majani, 1/b – oltrebologna.it

Cotoletta alla bolognese, also known as la petroniana, is a veal cutlet fried in butter, topped with prosciutto and Parmigiano, then splashed with meat broth to melt everything together.

It’s rich, loud, and delicious.

A dish that reflects the city itself — bold, generous, unforgettable.

Where to eat it: Ristorante Al Cambio

Located just outside the city center, Al Cambio is worth the trip.
Their cotoletta is iconic, but don’t skip the lasagne verdi, either. Classic dishes executed with quiet confidence.

📍 Via Stalingrado, 150 – ristorantealcambio.it

What is Bologna most famous for?
Easy: mortadella.

This ancient sausage, once reserved for nobility, is now a local staple — but the best versions are still artisanal, slow-cooked, and incredibly fragrant.

Forget the pink deli meat you're used to.

Real mortadella is made with selected pork cuts, cubes of fat (called lardelli), and gentle spices, then slow-cooked in large ovens for up to 24 hours.

Where to eat it: Artigianquality

The only mortadella producer left in Bologna’s city center, Artigianquality handcrafts their sausage with passion and precision. A slice here is like a bite of living history.

📍 Via delle Lame, 55 – artigianquality.com

Softer and subtler than mortadella, salame rosa is made with selected pork cuts, spiced gently, and cooked slowly. Once widespread, now it’s a rare specialty found only in a few places.

Mild, moist, and delicately aromatic — it’s Bologna’s charcuterie secret.

Where to eat it: Salumeria Simoni

Located in the vibrant Quadrilatero, one of the best Bologna food markets, you can't just pass through it and miss it.

Their salame rosa is perfectly sliced, best enjoyed with local wine while people-watching under the porticoes.

📍 Via Pescherie Vecchie, 3/b – salumeriasimoni.it

Squacquerone is a soft cheese from Romagna, slightly tangy and almost liquid at room temperature.

Spread it on piadina (a soft flatbread typical of Romagna), top with herbs or cured meat — and you’ve got one of the simplest pleasures in Emilia-Romagna.

Its name means “melty”, and that’s exactly what it does.

Where to eat it: Mercato delle Erbe

Head to Alberto, the former basketball player turned cheese master.
At his stall, squacquerone becomes poetry.
The setting is informal, the flavors unforgettable.

📍 Via Ugo Bassi, 25

Torta di riso, also called torta degli addobbi, is a dense, milky rice cake flavored with almonds and lemon.

Traditionally baked for religious feasts, today it's found in bakeries and kitchens across Bologna.

Its simplicity hides generations of memory.

Where to eat it: Le Sfogline

Sisters Monica and Daniela run this tiny lab where pasta is poetry. But their torta di riso is a must-try: moist, citrusy, and heartbreakingly nostalgic.

📍 Via Belvedere, 7 – lesfogline.it

Despite its name, zuppa inglese is pure Italy.

Layers of sponge soaked in Alchermes liqueur (a bright red, aromatic liqueur used in many Italian desserts) meet chocolate and vanilla custards in this theatrical dessert that ends many Sunday lunches.

It’s bold, boozy, and entirely addictive.

Where to eat it: Trattoria Collegio di Spagna

An authentic Slow Food osteria where everything is made with care.
Their zuppa inglese is the real deal — intense, nostalgic, and made to be savored slowly.

📍 Via Collegio di Spagna, 15

Final bite

What to eat in Bologna? Everything.

Too many people waste precious hours wandering in search of "authentic" food — and end up with average meals.

That’s why we created our Bologna Food Tour: a curated experience that brings you straight to the city’s best bites, hidden gems, and culinary secrets — no guesswork, just flavor.

Because in Bologna, the best memories are made around the table.