11 upscale places in Parma, editor-picked. occasion restaurants in Parma: destination kitchens for celebrations and visits. All Parma food.
Ristorante Cocchi ★ 4.6
oltretorrente · Viale Antonio Gramsci 16/A, 43126 Parma
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.
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.
Locanda Mariella ★ 4.6
Calestano · Via Fragnolo 29, 43030 Calestano, Parma
Locanda Mariella keeps drawing Parma up the Fragno road, a Bib Gourmand locanda whose three set menus reward the 40-minute drive into the hills.
Tip: Email at least 24 hours ahead and choose between the tradition, land or fish menus; the drive through Val Baganza is part of the meal.
Al Vedel ★ 4.5
Colorno · Via Vedole 68, 43052 Colorno, Parma
Al Vedel in Colorno near Parma pairs an elegant dining room with the Podere Cadassa cellars, where the family ages its own culatello below the inn.
Tip: The restaurant dates its hospitality to 1780 and the culatello cellars can be visited before lunch if you ask when booking. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Parizzi ★ 4.4
centro-storico · Strada della Repubblica 71, 43121 Parma
Parizzi has run on Strada della Repubblica in Parma since 1948; Marco Parizzi cooks anolini and stracotto beside contemporary plates, Michelin listed.
Tip: A selected restaurant in the Michelin Guide, it opens aperitivo at 18:00 before the 19:30 dinner service, a civilised way to read the menu slowly.
Borgo 20 ★ 4.3
centro-storico · Borgo XX Marzo 14/16, 43121 Parma
Borgo 20 is Parma's contemporary bistrot near Piazza Duomo, pairing 30-month prosciutto with risotto alla parmigiana and a serious pastry counter.
Tip: Gambero Rosso lists it among Parma's essential tables and the kitchen runs unusually precise plating for a bistrot. Book for dinner.
Parma Rotta ★ 4.2
parma-sud · Strada Langhirano 158, 43124 Parma
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.
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.
Ristorante Romani ★ 4.2
Vicomero · Strada dei Ronchi 2, 43056 Vicomero di Torrile, Parma
Ristorante Romani brings white-tablecloth calm to the plain north of Parma at Vicomero: a Michelin Guide address for anolini, roasts and serious service.
Tip: Ten minutes by car from the city, it earns the drive on Sunday when Parma families book it out for long lunches; reserve the early sitting.
Locanda Stella d'Oro ★ 4.2
Soragna · Via Giuseppe Mazzini 8, 43019 Soragna, Parma
Locanda Stella d'Oro anchors Soragna, the Bassa town near Parma that keeps the Parmigiano museum, with a Michelin Guide kitchen of culatello and anolini.
Tip: Pair it with the Parmigiano Reggiano museum across town and Soragna's Rocca; the locanda also keeps rooms if the lunch turns into an afternoon.
Cortex Bistrot ★ 4.0
centro-storico · Borgo del Correggio 20/B, 43121 Parma
Cortex Bistrot layers Emilian tradition with fusion instincts in central Parma: wild boar pappardelle with prunes, then snails cooked with mushrooms.
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.
La Filoma ★ 4.0
centro-storico · Borgo XX Marzo 15, 43121 Parma
La Filoma bills itself as the oldest restaurant name in Parma and cooks like it: culatello with Parmigiano, black-truffle risotto and proper tortelli.
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.
Angiol d'Or ★ 4.0
centro-storico · Vicolo Scutellari 1, 43121 Parma
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.
Tip: Ask for the outside tables on Vicolo Scutellari at lunch; the pink marble of the Baptistery does the decorating for free.