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ItalianSaragozza
All'Osteria Bottega in Bologna's Saragozza is the Daniele Minarelli and Valeria Tonelli room, a tiny dining hall running the canonical Emilian carte.
OrderTortellini in brodo, tagliatelle al ragu, the salumi board of Bonfatti mortadella.
TipBook three weeks ahead by phone; the room seats 28 and the lunch service has the easiest tables.
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Bolognese TrattoriaBolognina
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.
OrderTagliatelle al ragu, tortelloni burro e salvia, friggione.
TipBook three weeks ahead online; the lunch service is the easier seating and the kitchen runs the same carte at both meals.
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ItalianPiazza Maggiore
Ristorante Diana on Via dell'Indipendenza in Bologna has run the canonical Bolognese carte since 1909: tortellini in brodo and the carrello dei bolliti.
OrderTortellini in brodo, lasagne verdi, the carrello dei bolliti on Sunday lunch.
TipBook a fortnight ahead for Sunday lunch; the carrello dei bolliti runs only on Sunday and Wednesday lunches.
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Bolognese TrattoriaCentro Storico
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.
OrderTagliatelle al ragu, cotoletta alla bolognese, friggione on the side.
TipBook a fortnight ahead by phone; the family carte does not change and the wine cellar is run by Massimiliano Carati personally.
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Modern Italian, Natural WineSanto Stefano
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.
OrderThe tortelli di erbette, the fermentation tasting plate, the trippa with parmesan crust.
TipBook three weeks ahead online; the natural-wine cellar is the city's most-cited and the carte rewrites weekly.
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ItalianSaragozza
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.
OrderTortelloni di zucca, tagliatelle al ragu, the Sunday-only bollito misto.
TipBook a week ahead for Sunday lunch; the portico walk from Porta Saragozza takes 25 minutes and is the traditional pre-lunch passeggiata.