The restaurants worth a reservation in Parma, from neighbourhood bistros to the new classics.
The restaurants worth the trip in Parma. bistros, neo-classics, neighbourhood favourites, and the rooms locals book first.
Trattoria Corrieri fills an old posthouse courtyard near Parma's Parco Ducale with torta fritta, tortelli d'erbetta and anolini served all day long.
Signature: Tortelli d'erbetta, Anolini in brodo, Torta fritta con salumi
Order: Torta fritta with Prosciutto di Parma, then tortelli d'erbetta.
Tip: It runs continuous service from noon to midnight, so aim for 15:00 or 18:30 to skip the queues that build at classic meal times.
Ristorante Cocchi has fed Parma's bourgeoisie since 1925: anolini in brodo, the trio of tortelli and, from September to April, a serious bollito trolley.
Signature: Anolini in brodo, Trio of tortelli, Bolliti, Savarin di riso
Order: Anolini in brodo, then the boiled-meat trolley in winter.
Tip: The bolliti run September to April only. Book a day ahead for Sunday lunch, when Parma families claim most of the two dining rooms.
Osteria del 36 traces its name to 1880, when wine here cost 36 cents a litre; chef Francesco Ziveri has run its Emilian kitchen in Parma since 1997.
Signature: Tortelli d'erbetta, Anolini in brodo, Punta di vitello ripiena
Order: Tortelli d'erbetta and the stuffed veal breast.
Tip: It closes from mid-July to around 20 August each summer, so check before an August visit and book for the small wine-lined room.
Trattoria Sorelle Picchi grew out of a historic salumeria on Strada Farini in Parma, so lunch starts at the counter: culatello, coppa and spalla cotta.
Signature: Culatello di Zibello, Tortelli d'erbetta, Anolini in brodo
Order: The salumi board from the counter, then anolini in brodo.
Tip: The front counter is a working salumeria whose boards also sell to take away; tables book in two seatings at lunch, 12:00 and 13:45.
Trattoria del Tribunale hides in a lane behind Parma's courthouse, rolling tortelli, anolini and tagliatelle daily under a ceiling of hanging salumi.
Signature: Tortelli d'erbetta, Anolini in brodo, Salame di Felino
Order: The Emilian salumi board with Salame di Felino, then tortelli.
Tip: Open every day including Sunday evening, which is rare in central Parma. The lane entrance on Vicolo Politi is easy to walk past.
Brisla Trattoria earned a 2026 Bib Gourmand for chef Elia Otgianu's seasonal take on Parma classics: anolini in brodo, leek tortelli and bomba di riso.
Signature: Anolini in brodo, Tortelli di porri e tartufo, Bomba di riso
Order: Anolini in brodo, then the rice bomb with pigeon ragout.
Tip: Book online through their site; the room on Strada Farini is small and the Bib Gourmand listing keeps weekend tables scarce.
I Tri Siochett is the family trattoria on Parma's southern edge with a 2026 Bib Gourmand, feeding big tables tortelli d'erbetta at around 9 euro a plate.
Signature: Tortelli d'erbetta, Torta fritta, Trippa alla parmigiana
Order: Tortelli d'erbetta with plenty of melted butter and Parmigiano.
Tip: The name is dialect for the three founding brothers, the three fools. Come hungry on Sunday lunch and treat it as the main event of the day.
Trattoria Ai Due Platani in Coloreto holds Gambero Rosso's Tre Gamberi and a Bib Gourmand, ten minutes from Parma and booked out weeks ahead for tortelli.
Signature: Tortelli d'erbetta, Salumi con torta fritta, Gelato alla crema
Order: Tortelli d'erbetta, then cream gelato from the 1964 Carpigiani machine.
Tip: Reserve well in advance, even midweek. Finish with the house cream gelato, churned in a 1964 Carpigiani machine the owners refuse to retire.
Trattoria Antichi Sapori sits in Gaione's countryside just outside Parma with a 2026 Bib Gourmand; the same kitchen team has rolled its pasta since 2005.
Signature: Tortelli quadrati, Tortelli d'erbetta, Trippa alla parmigiana
Order: The square tortelli, the house twist on Parma's classic shape.
Tip: Order the square tortelli that made the trattoria's name. Book ahead for summer evenings; the drive from central Parma takes about ten minutes.
Trattoria Le Viole, run since 1989 by the Petrera sisters north of Parma, plates savarin di riso and tortelli with a lightness rare in the food valley.
Signature: Tortelli d'erbetta, Savarin di riso, Faraona con uva
Order: Savarin di riso, the moulded rice dish old Parma rarely makes now.
Tip: Rosanna talks you through the menu and Lucia runs the wine list. Order the savarin di riso here; almost nobody else still makes it.
Parma Rotta roasts over a wood and herb fire on the Langhirano road, where the river once broke its banks; Parma comes here for meat done properly.
Signature: Spit-roasted meats, Grilled beef, Tortelli d'erbetta
Order: Whatever is turning on the wood-fired grill that day.
Tip: The name marks the spot where the Parma torrent once broke its banks. Ask for a table in the garden and let the grill set the pace of the meal.
Osteria Virgilio is Oltretorrente Parma at its most honest: 36-month prosciutto, anolini in brodo and horse tartare in a small room with natural wines.
Signature: Salumi platter, Anolini in brodo, Tartare di cavallo
Order: The cured-meat board with 36-month prosciutto, then anolini.
Tip: The room seats very few, so call ahead. Gazzetta di Parma's February 2026 review called it a modern osteria of local tradition and a posto del cuore.
Borgo 20 is Parma's contemporary bistrot near Piazza Duomo, pairing 30-month prosciutto with risotto alla parmigiana and a serious pastry counter.
Signature: 30-month Prosciutto di Parma, Risotto alla parmigiana, Cavall pisst
Order: Risotto alla parmigiana with caramelised onion.
Tip: Gambero Rosso lists it among Parma's essential tables and the kitchen runs unusually precise plating for a bistrot. Book for dinner.
Soj Vino e Cucina seats about fifteen people around an open kitchen in Parma, where chefs Federico Capocasa and Eugenio Restivo cook and serve everything.
Signature: Duck, Snails, Fresh pasta
Order: The day's fresh pasta, chosen at the counter with the chefs.
Tip: The two chefs are also the waiters and sommeliers, so the pace is theirs. Reserve by phone and ask for the counter seats facing the open kitchen.
Officina Alimentare Dedicata reworks Parma tradition with organic produce from vetted local farms; anolini of stracotto arrive in capon broth at 16 euro.
Signature: Anolini di stracotto, Seasonal organic plates, Fresh pasta
Order: The anolini di stracotto in capon broth, gluten-free on request.
Tip: The kitchen flags celiac and vegan-friendly plates clearly, which is rare among Parma's traditional rooms. Book the aperitivo hour too.
Cortex Bistrot layers Emilian tradition with fusion instincts in central Parma: wild boar pappardelle with prunes, then snails cooked with mushrooms.
Signature: Wild boar pappardelle, Snails with mushrooms, White chocolate with mango
Order: Wild boar pappardelle with prunes.
Tip: A Gambero Rosso new entry for 2024, it stays quieter than the famous trattorias, which makes it the sensible last-minute booking in the centre.
Trattoria del Grillo in Vigatto won TV Parma's contest for the city's best torta fritta, pairing the fried puffs with Ponte Romano prosciutto crudo.
Signature: Torta fritta, Cappelletti in brodo di cappone, Gnocchi al salame e Lambrusco
Order: Torta fritta with prosciutto crudo, about 6.50 euro the basket.
Tip: Reservations are phone-only. The torta fritta arrives in waves, so pace the salumi board or the pasta courses will defeat you.
Croce di Malta keeps a small bright modern room off Parma's Piazza Garibaldi, cooking precise seasonal plates built on herbs and artisan produce.
Signature: Seasonal tasting plates, Fresh pasta, Herb-led vegetable dishes
Order: The day's fresh pasta with whatever the market delivered.
Tip: Gazzetta di Parma reviewed it warmly in January 2025 for balanced, modern cooking. Sunday is lunch only and Thursday is the closing day.
La Filoma bills itself as the oldest restaurant name in Parma and cooks like it: culatello with Parmigiano, black-truffle risotto and proper tortelli.
Signature: Culatello di Zibello, Risotto al tartufo nero e culatello, Tortelli d'erbetta
Order: Culatello di Zibello DOP with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano.
Tip: The claim to be Parma's oldest dining room is the house's own, but the belle-epoque interior near the Duomo does most of the convincing.
Trattoria Il Cortile serves Parma classics in a vaulted Oltretorrente courtyard room: anolini in brodo, tortelli d'erbetta and slow-braised veal cheek.
Signature: Anolini in brodo, Tortelli d'erbetta, Guancialino di vitello
Order: Anolini in brodo, then the braised veal cheek.
Tip: The Oltretorrente side of the river stays calmer than the Duomo streets at dinner, so this is the easier good table on a Saturday.
Angiol d'Or puts its terrace tables in front of Parma's Duomo and Baptistery, cooking traditional dishes with a creative hand and a serious cellar.
Signature: Beef tartare, Tortelli d'erbetta, Torta della nonna
Order: Beef tartare, then tortelli with the Baptistery in view.
Tip: Ask for the outside tables on Vicolo Scutellari at lunch; the pink marble of the Baptistery does the decorating for free.