27 mid-range rooms in Bologna, editor-picked. the comfortable everyday-good rooms in Bologna — no surprise on the bill, real cooking. All Bologna food.
All'Osteria Bottega ★ 4.7
saragozza · Via Santa Caterina 51, 40123 Bologna BO
All'Osteria Bottega in Bologna's Saragozza is the Daniele Minarelli and Valeria Tonelli room, a tiny dining hall running the canonical Emilian carte with precision.
Tip: Book three weeks ahead by phone; the room seats 28 and the lunch service has the easiest tables.
Trattoria di Via Serra ★ 4.7
bolognina · Via Luigi Serra 9/B, 40129 Bologna BO
Trattoria di Via Serra in Bologna's Bolognina is the Flavio Fabbri and Tommaso Trifoni room, a 28-seat osteria with the city's most-cited tagliatelle al ragu.
Tip: Book three weeks ahead online; the lunch service is the easier seating and the kitchen runs the same carte at both meals.
Trattoria Anna Maria ★ 4.6
universita · Via delle Belle Arti 17/A, 40126 Bologna BO
Trattoria Anna Maria in Bologna near Via Zamboni is the city's most-photographed sfoglia trattoria, run by Anna Maria Monari since 1985 with hand-rolled tortellini.
Tip: Book a week ahead for dinner. Lunch is calmer and the sfogline still hand-roll pasta in the window between services.
Sfoglia Rina ★ 4.5
centro-storico · Via Castiglione 5/B, 40124 Bologna BO
Sfoglia Rina in Bologna's Centro Storico is the 1963-founded sfoglina counter run by the Faccioli family, with hand-rolled pasta sold by weight and a dine-in carte.
Tip: The dine-in room takes walk-ins until 14:00; for take-away pasta, the queue thins after 11:30.
Salumeria Simoni ★ 4.5
quadrilatero · Via Drapperie 5/2, 40124 Bologna BO
Salumeria Simoni on Via Drapperie in Bologna's Quadrilatero is the 1960s-founded family salumeria with a dine-in tasting room behind the counter, slicing mortadella and prosciutto to order.
Tip: The dine-in tasting room behind the counter takes walk-ins for the tagliere; the salumi counter is busiest at 11:00.
Da Cesari ★ 4.4
centro-storico · Via de' Carbonesi 8, 40123 Bologna BO
Da Cesari in Bologna's Centro Storico is the four-generation Carati family trattoria, operating since 1955, a steady room for the canonical Bolognese carte.
Tip: Book a fortnight ahead by phone; the family carte does not change and the wine cellar is run by Massimiliano Carati personally.
Tamburini ★ 4.4
quadrilatero · Via Caprarie 1, 40124 Bologna BO
Tamburini in Bologna's Quadrilatero is the 1932-founded salumeria-and-self-service operating from Via Caprarie, with cured-meat counters, a daily-changing carte and aperitivo from 18:00.
Tip: The self-service runs 11:00 to 22:00 daily; the salumi counter closes at 19:30 and the aperitivo crowd takes over after 18:00.
Trattoria Meloncello ★ 4.3
saragozza · Via Saragozza 240/A, 40135 Bologna BO
Trattoria Meloncello in Bologna sits at the foot of the 666-arch portico up to San Luca, a family room running the classic Bolognese Sunday-lunch carte.
Tip: Book a week ahead for Sunday lunch; the portico walk from Porta Saragozza takes 25 minutes and is the traditional pre-lunch passeggiata.
Vicolo Colombina ★ 4.3
quadrilatero · Vicolo Colombina 5, 40125 Bologna BO
Vicolo Colombina in Bologna's Quadrilatero is the small-room trattoria one alley off Via Drapperie, with the Bolognese pasta canon and a strong local cellar.
Tip: Book three days ahead online; the dining room is intimate and the Quadrilatero passeggiata is loud after 19:30.
Trattoria da Me ★ 4.3
centro-storico · Via San Felice 50/A, 40122 Bologna BO
Trattoria da Me in Bologna's San Felice is the Elisa Rusconi family room running the Bolognese pasta canon on a 35-seat porticoed dining hall, with Sunday bollito.
Tip: Book a week ahead by phone; the lunch service is the easier seating and the Sunday bollito sells out by 13:00.
Antica Trattoria della Gigina ★ 4.3
centro-storico · Via Stendhal 1/B, 40128 Bologna BO
Antica Trattoria della Gigina in Bologna's Bolognina is the long-running family room with the canonical Sunday-lunch carte and the carrello dei bolliti at lunch on Wednesday and Sunday.
Tip: Book a fortnight ahead for Sunday lunch; the carrello dei bolliti is the order to make and sells out by 13:30.
Vicolo Colombina ★ 4.3
quadrilatero · Vicolo Colombina 5, 40125 Bologna BO
Vicolo Colombina in Bologna's Quadrilatero is the small-room trattoria one alley off Via Drapperie, with the Bolognese pasta canon, a strong local cellar and a 30-seat dining room.
Tip: Book three days ahead online; the dining room is intimate and the Quadrilatero passeggiata is loud after 19:30.
Trattoria Bertozzi ★ 4.2
saragozza · Via Andrea Costa 84/2, 40134 Bologna BO
Trattoria Bertozzi in Bologna's Saragozza is the neighbourhood family trattoria on Via Andrea Costa running the canonical Bolognese carte for the weekday-lunch trade.
Tip: Book by phone two days ahead; the dining room has 40 seats and the kitchen runs the same carte at lunch and dinner.
Osteria Broccaindosso ★ 4.2
mazzini · Via Broccaindosso 7, 40125 Bologna BO
Osteria Broccaindosso in Bologna's Mazzini is the long-running neighbourhood osteria with a fixed-price set carte and pasta still hand-rolled daily on site.
Tip: Book by phone two days ahead; the 25-euro set carte runs at lunch only and is the value play.
Osteria Bartolini ★ 4.2
piazza-maggiore · Piazza Malpighi 16, 40123 Bologna BO
Osteria Bartolini on Piazza Malpighi in Bologna is the Romagna group's seafood branch with a courtyard garden, daily fritto and a Romagnola seafood carte.
Tip: Book three days ahead online; the garden seating is the spot to ask for in summer and the Friday-night carte is busiest.
Osteria Barberini ★ 4.2
santo-stefano · Vicolo della Neve 2/A, 40125 Bologna BO
Osteria Barberini in Bologna's Santo Stefano is the modern Bolognese osteria on a quiet vicolo, running a hand-rolled-pasta carte and a daily fish service from the Adriatic.
Tip: Book a week ahead online; the dining room runs only dinner Tuesday to Saturday and the cellar is run by the chef personally.
Ristorante Da Vito ★ 4.2
centro-storico · Via Musolesi 9, 40138 Bologna BO
Ristorante Da Vito in Bologna's San Donato is the long-running family room blending the Bolognese pasta tradition with Adriatic-fish service, with a 40-seat dining room and family carte.
Tip: Book a fortnight ahead; the Friday-night seafood carte is the most-booked seating and the cellar is heavy on Trebbiano di Romagna.
Trattoria Fantoni ★ 4.1
centro-storico · Via del Pratello 11/A, 40122 Bologna BO
Trattoria Fantoni on Via del Pratello in Bologna is the long-running neighbourhood trattoria with the porticoed pavement seating and the canonical Bolognese carte for the lunchtime trade.
Tip: Book a fortnight ahead by phone; the Pratello passeggiata is loud after 19:30 and the lunch service is the easier seating.
Trattoria Leonida ★ 4.1
centro-storico · Vicolo Alemagna 2, 40125 Bologna BO
Trattoria Leonida in Bologna's Centro Storico is the long-running family trattoria one street back from Piazza Re Enzo, running the canonical Bolognese carte for the lunchtime trade.
Tip: Book three days ahead by phone; the dining room runs only the canonical Bolognese carte and the lunch service is the most-booked.
Trattoria Belfiore ★ 4.1
saragozza · Via Marsala 11/A, 40126 Bologna BO
Trattoria Belfiore in Bologna's Saragozza is the neighbourhood family room running the canonical Bolognese carte with a strong Sunday carrello dei bolliti and weekday lunch tradition.
Tip: Book a week ahead by phone; the Sunday bollito carrello runs only at lunch and Sunday dinner closes.
Osteria Buca Manzoli ★ 4.1
centro-storico · Via Castiglione 27, 40124 Bologna BO
Osteria Buca Manzoli in Bologna's Centro Storico is the long-running buca (cellar) osteria with stone walls, hand-rolled pasta and the canonical Bolognese carte at weekday lunch.
Tip: Book three days ahead by phone; the buca dining room is intimate and the dinner service is calmer than lunch.
Trattoria da Pietro ★ 4.1
saragozza · Via Falegnami 18, 40121 Bologna BO
Trattoria da Pietro in Bologna's Centro Storico is the long-running family room near Via Indipendenza, running the canonical Bolognese carte and a small daily-changing seasonal sheet.
Tip: Book a fortnight ahead by phone; the dining room is intimate and the chef speaks fluent English for the international crowd.
Trattoria da Gianni ★ 4.1
centro-storico · Via Clavature 18, 40124 Bologna BO
Trattoria da Gianni in Bologna's Quadrilatero is the long-running family room on Via Clavature, running the canonical Bolognese carte and the Sunday carrello dei bolliti.
Tip: Book a fortnight ahead for Sunday lunch; the Quadrilatero is loud after 19:30 and the lunch service is the calmer seating.
Osteria Il Volpetto ★ 4.1
pratello · Via del Pratello 80/A, 40122 Bologna BO
Osteria Il Volpetto on Via del Pratello in Bologna is the neighbourhood osteria with the porticoed pavement seating, running a Bolognese-and-natural-wine carte and aperitivo from 18:00.
Tip: Walk-in works at lunch; book online for dinner. The Pratello is loud from 22:00 onward and aperitivo from 18:00.
Osteria dei Poeti ★ 4.0
centro-storico · Via dei Poeti 1/B, 40124 Bologna BO
Osteria dei Poeti in Bologna's Centro Storico is the 16th-century buca cellar with live music on Friday and Saturday evenings, running the canonical Bolognese carte under vaulted brick.
Tip: Book the music nights a fortnight ahead online; the kitchen runs only dinner and the live music starts at 21:00.
Trattoria Mariposa ★ 4.0
bolognina · Via Bertoloni 6, 40128 Bologna BO
Trattoria Mariposa in Bologna's Bolognina is the family-run room running the canonical Bolognese carte for the post-industrial quarter, with a strong neighbourhood lunch trade.
Tip: Book three days ahead by phone; the Bolognina quarter is a 10-minute walk from the central station and the lunch carte is the value play.
Osteria Numero Sette ★ 4.0
santo-stefano · Via dei Bibiena 7, 40125 Bologna BO
Osteria Numero Sette in Bologna's Santo Stefano is the small-room family osteria on Via dei Bibiena, running the canonical Bolognese carte for the quiet residential lunch trade.
Tip: Book three days ahead by phone; the room seats 24 and the kitchen runs the same carte at both meals.