Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
Certosino di Bologna is the city's Christmas spice cake: a dense honey-and-almond loaf studded with candied citron, pine nuts, pinoli and dark chocolate, glazed with honey and aged a fortnight before slicing.
Certosino, also called panone in dialect, takes its name from the Certosa di Bologna monastery, where the Carthusian monks baked it from the 14th century onward as a Christmas alms-loaf for the city's poor. The recipe codified in the 16th century: a dense flour-honey-spice base with candied citron, pinoli, almonds and dark chocolate, baked low and aged at least two weeks before cutting. The Confraternita del Certosino was founded in 1997 to defend the canonical recipe; Atti, Paolo Atti & Figli and Pasticceria Maccaferri all bake it from late November to Epiphany. The cake keeps two months wrapped; one slice with espresso closes a Bolognese Christmas lunch.
4 editor picks for Certosino di Bologna in Bologna, ranked by editorial score. All Bologna signature dishes · Certosino di Bologna across every city.
Atti in Bologna's Quadrilatero is the 1880-founded salumeria-and-pasticceria with two adjoining shops on Via Caprarie, slicing mortadella to order and baking.
TipThe bakery counter runs from 07:30; mortadella slicing takes 5 minutes per order and the queue thins after 11:00. Cash and card both fine.
Paolo Atti & Figli in Bologna's Quadrilatero is the 1880-founded sfoglina-and-pasticceria with hand-rolled tortellini sold by weight, plus the certosino di.
TipThe pasta counter runs from 07:00; tortellini sell out by 12:30 on Saturdays. The Christmas certosino orders open in November.
Tamburini in Bologna's Quadrilatero is the 1932-founded salumeria-and-self-service operating from Via Caprarie, with cured-meat counters, a daily-changing.
OrderThe mortadella tagliere, the daily pasta plate, a tigella with squacquerone.
TipThe self-service runs 11:00-22:00 daily; the salumi counter closes at 19:30 and the aperitivo crowd takes over after 18:00.
Pasticceria Impero on Via Indipendenza in Bologna is the 1920s-founded pasticceria-and-cafe, with the long marble counter, the morning sfogliatella ricciu.
TipThe counter runs from 07:00-21:00 daily; the lunch tramezzini sell out by 14:00 and the morning cornetto integrale by 10:00.
Certosino di Bologna makes more sense with someone from Bologna explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
Day trip · 10 hours
Do not miss this one-of-a-kind tour. In one day, you will visit the best production Italy can offer: a prosciutto factory, a Parmigiano Reggiano dairy producer, and a ...
Guided tour · 2 hours
Indulge in Italy’s food capital! Choose our deep-dive 3-hour feast for locals' favorites, or our punchy 2-hour express tour for iconic bites and wine. Savor pasta, age...
2 hours
Enjoy a fun pasta cooking class in a local home with a certified home cook. Learn local recipes and taste everything you make with some delicious wine.
