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 dishes: Tagliatelle al ragu, Cotoletta alla bolognese, Tortelloni di zucca
Must 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.
Address: Via Saragozza 240/A, 40135 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.
Signature: Tagliatelle al ragu, Petroniana cotoletta, Tortelloni
Order: Tagliatelle al ragu, the petroniana cotoletta, the tortelloni di ricotta with sage butter.
Tip: Book by phone two days ahead; the dining room has 40 seats and the kitchen runs the same carte at lunch and dinner.
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.
Osteria dell'Orsa in Bologna's University quarter is the canonical student trattoria operating since 1979, a no-reservations canteen for tagliatelle and crescentine.
Signature: Tagliatelle al ragu, Crescentine, Sausage and friggione
Order: Tagliatelle al ragu, crescentine with the salumi board, sausage with friggione.
Tip: Walk-in only; arrive by 12:00 for lunch or after 21:30 for dinner to skip the line. Cash and card both fine.
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.
Signature: Tagliatelle al ragu, Petroniana cotoletta, Tortelloni
Order: Tagliatelle al ragu, the petroniana cotoletta, the tortelloni di ricotta with sage butter.
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 in Bologna's Mazzini is the long-running neighbourhood osteria with a fixed-price set carte and pasta still hand-rolled daily on site.
Signature: Tortellini in brodo, Tagliatelle al ragu, Gnocco fritto
Order: The fixed-price set carte at 25 euros, tortellini in brodo, the salumi board.
Tip: Book by phone two days ahead; the 25-euro set carte runs at lunch only and is the value play.
