Ristorante Diana on Via dell'Indipendenza in Bologna is the 1909-founded room running the canonical Bolognese carte and the famous Sunday carrello dei bolliti.
Signature dishes: Tortellini in brodo, Lasagne verdi, Carrello dei bolliti
Must order: Tortellini in brodo, lasagne verdi, the carrello dei bolliti on Sunday lunch.
Tip: Book a fortnight ahead for Sunday lunch; the carrello dei bolliti runs only on Sunday and Wednesday lunches.
Address: Via dell'Indipendenza 24, 40121 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.
Signature: Tagliatelle al ragu, Cotoletta alla bolognese, Tortellini in brodo
Order: Tagliatelle al ragu, cotoletta alla bolognese, friggione on the side.
Tip: Book a fortnight ahead by phone; the family carte does not change and the wine cellar is run by Massimiliano Carati personally.
Ahime in Bologna near Via San Vitale is the Lorenzo Vecchia and Filippo Pennestri room, a 30-seat natural-wine bistro rooted in fermentation and Emilian produce.
Signature: Tortelli di erbette, Trippa with parmesan crust, Daily fermented vegetables
Order: The tortelli di erbette, the fermentation tasting plate, the trippa with parmesan crust.
Tip: Book three weeks ahead online; the natural-wine cellar is the city's most-cited and the carte rewrites weekly.
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.
Signature: Tagliatelle al ragu, Cotoletta alla bolognese, Tortelloni di zucca
Order: Tortelloni di zucca, tagliatelle al ragu, the Sunday-only bollito misto.
Tip: Book a week ahead for Sunday lunch; the portico walk from Porta Saragozza takes 25 minutes and is the traditional pre-lunch passeggiata.
Al Pappagallo in Bologna on Piazza della Mercanzia is the 1919-founded fine-bistro running the Bolognese banking-class carte; Fellini and Pavarotti both ate here.
Signature: Tortellini in brodo, Tagliatelle al ragu, Cotoletta alla bolognese
Order: Tortellini in brodo, lasagne verdi, the cotoletta alla bolognese with prosciutto.
Tip: Book a week ahead; the ground-floor dining room is the one to ask for, with the original 1919 fittings.
Scaccomatto in Bologna's Mazzini is the Mario Ferrara fine-bistro running a sea-and-land carte that crosses Adriatic seafood with the Emilian land tradition.
Signature: Tasting menu, Risotto with raw seafood, Sea-bass with Lambrusco reduction
Order: The seasonal tasting carte, the carbonara di mare, the slow-cooked guancia.
Tip: Book a fortnight ahead online; the tasting carte is the value option at 75 euros and the wine pairings are a strength.
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.
Signature: Tagliatelle al ragu, Tortelloni di ricotta, Lasagne verdi
Order: Tagliatelle al ragu, tortelloni burro e salvia, the Wednesday-only lasagne verdi.
Tip: The dine-in room takes walk-ins until 14:00; for take-away pasta, the queue thins after 11:30.
