3 listening bars in Bologna our editors have drunk at, sorted by score. All Bologna nightlife.
Borgo Hi-Fi ★ 4.5
Piazza Maggiore · Via Ugo Bassi 25, 40121 Bologna
Borgo Hi-Fi opened on Christmas Eve 2025 as Bologna's first listening bar, set inside the Borgo delle Erbe arcade of the Mercato delle Erbe with a vinyl-only.
Tip: Saturday nights book up; reservations via prenotazioni.borgoerbe@gmail.com. Sunday tardeo runs from afternoon into evening with a softer playlist.
Lab 16 ★ 4.0
Universita · Via Zamboni 16/D, 40126 Bologna BO
Lab 16 runs a cocktail room and kitchen under the porticoes of Via Zamboni a few doors from the Two Towers, pairing an aperitivo buffet, a small dinner menu.
Tip: Aperitivo from 18:00 includes a buffet with the drink; reserve a table inside if the live programme runs that night. Outside seats fill fast in summer.
Mascarella 22 ★ 4.0
Universita · Via Mascarella 22, 40126 Bologna
Mascarella 22 anchors the south end of the Via Mascarella jazz strip with a small cocktail and gin counter, a vinyl-led soundtrack, an English-speaking bar.
Tip: The bar serves on the street from June to August during the Salotto del Jazz; book inside in winter. Margarita and spritz lists are the strong end.