Locanda Pincelli: I'm officially in love

Locanda Pincelli is that restaurant everyone near Bologna keeps praising, the one you’re sure is exaggerated until you finally go.

And once you sit down in this quiet corner of Selva Malvezzi, you just want to tell everyone how unexpectedly good it is.

A lantern in the forest: Locanda Pincelli

You reach Selva Malvezzi (Malvezzi's forest), a small 15th-century village enclosed among its old stones, largely abandoned.
A few steps from where I grew up, in the middle of a plain full of potato fields about 30 minutes from Bologna.

You'd notice the Governor's Palace.
A complex that, besides serving as the residence of the County Governor, housed residential homes, shops, warehouses and even a hospital.

Locanda Pincelli used to be a bar and still looks like it.
A dusty jukebox at the entrance, a pebble floor, shelves full of amari, tables under the vaults and jazz concerts on summer nights.

In 2008 the big change.
From bar to a restaurant named after Pincelli, the old postman of the town.
And what a restaurant.

What to eat at Locanda Pincelli

I've grown up in the same fog of Locanda Pincelli, the same sound of the harvester passing in the street, the same feeling of nothing around you.

I even remember the chef, Marco Cavalli, singing in a ska band at high school parties.

The gentle waiter brings you the menu printed on recycled paper.

You go for the 6 courses fixed menu, or the 9 one if you have time and stomach.

Every dish you'll get has a deep connection with its land.
So you leave tuna swimming and come here to try rabbit, snails, guinea fowl, and onions.

No fancy amuse bouche for your Instagram page, but a boiled carrot to start. A delicious boiled carrot.

Then the symphony begins.

The spit of grilled rabbit liver is the dish I'd order for Anthony Bourdain if he could come again in Bologna.

I never order risotto at restaurants. Don't do that because you'd miss a delicate, perfectly cooked one with chamomile.

There's one way to eat the guinea fowl's wing, and that's with your hands dirty. No one will judge you, maybe the opposite.

One last promise.

You won’t get a better dessert at much more famous restaurants.
Goat’s milk and rosemary gelato with dulce de leche and liquorice meringue.
Unforgettable.

Why eat at Locanda Pincelli

Not convinced yet?

Ok, you rent a car and drive in the fog to eat at Locanda Pincelli because it has nothing to envy the Michelin stars restaurants in Bologna.

The quality/price ratio is one of the best I've ever found.
You'll get the perception that a 6-course menu for 45€ (9 courses for 55€) means stealing from them.

Why don't

Tortellini is on the menu, but it's the only excursion in classic Bolognese cuisine.
If you're looking for that, Osteria Bottega or Trattoria Da me would be a better option.

The best dishes I had at Locanda Pincelli were the ones with meat.
A veggie menu is available and with many options, but if you're vegetarian I'd look somewhere else.

Practical information, opening hours, and booking

Locanda Pincelli
Via Selva, 52, 40062 Molinella (BO)
Tel. +39 051 690 7003
locandapincelli.it

Locanda Pincelli is about a 30–40 minute drive from Bologna, in the countryside around Molinella. You can park for free around the small village of Selva Malvezzi.

Opening hours
The restaurant is usually open from Wednesday to Saturday for dinner and on Sunday for lunch and dinner. Always double-check the current opening hours and holidays on the official website or by phone before you go.

Booking
Reservation is highly recommended, especially on weekends and for the longer tasting menu.