The eastern side of Modena along Via Emilia Est towards Fossalta, with Antica Moka's balsamic menus, pastry shops, pizzerie and a home pasta lesson.
Pizzeria La Lanterna in Modena has fired sourdough pizza since 1969, tucked under an overpass with a short, well chosen list of craft beers.
OrderThe Diavola with spicy sausage sauce and the Cacio e Pepe with crisp pancetta.
TipOpen Thursday to Sunday evenings only; the dough uses organic stone ground flours.
Terra Mia Modena fires contemporary Neapolitan pizza on Via Emilia Est, with a dedicated gluten free kitchen and late weekend closing hours.
OrderA classic Margherita or the seasonal special from the wood fired oven.
TipAsk for the dedicated gluten free kitchen if that matters; no reservations needed midweek.
Antica Moka in Modena runs tasting menus built around its own aged balsamic vinegar, served in elegant rooms inside a former early 1900s schoolhouse.
OrderThe tasting menu courses finished with the restaurant's own Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale.
TipThe kitchen closes Monday all day and Tuesday lunch; the same family also runs an acetaia worth asking about at the table.
Dispensa Emilia serves casual tigelle and gnocco fritto on Modena's Via Emilia Est, a chain outpost offering combinations of five different fillings.
OrderA combination of five tigelle fillings, the house signature order.
TipOutdoor seating suits families; open every day with no midweek closing.
Bar Pasticceria Pamela on Modena's Via Emilia Est opens at 05:00 daily for espresso, pastries and savoury lunch plates on the San Lazzaro side.
DrinkEspresso and morning pastry
TipIt runs breakfast to aperitivo across a single long shift, so it stays a useful stop well past the morning rush.
La Coppia di Pane bakes bread and brioche on Via Beethoven in north-east Modena, plus pizza slices and custom desserts for parties and celebrations.
Worth the queueCrescioni and fresh-baked bread
TipSunday hours end at 12:30, so a late brunch run should come earlier in the morning.
Pasticceria San Lazzaro on Modena's Via Emilia Est bakes traditional sweets alongside Sicilian arancini and rosticceria for a quick weekday lunch.
Worth the queueArancini and breakfast cornetti
TipSeating is limited, so the cakes and arancini are best ordered for takeaway at the counter.
Pasticceria Modenese on Viale Caduti sul Lavoro bakes amaretti and torta Modena, the traditional sweets this Modena shop ships across the country.
Worth the queueAmaretti di Modena
TipIt restocks the counter two or three times a day, so a mid-afternoon visit still finds the tray full.
Caffè Borghi has roasted coffee on Via Emilia Est in Modena since 1946, now run by a third generation, selling beans, ground coffee and capsules.
BeansBrazil, Central America, East Africa
BrewsWhole bean retail, Capsules, Ground coffee
TipThis is a working torrefazione and retail counter, not a café; ask staff which single-origin lot is freshest before buying beans to take home.
Caffè Cagliari has roasted espresso coffee on Via Emilia Est in Modena since 1909, and opens its own espresso-machine museum to visitors on Saturdays.
BeansBrazil, other espresso-grade origins
BrewsEspresso, Whole bean retail
TipThe espresso-machine museum runs guided tours roughly every 30 minutes when it opens; check the roaster's site for the next date.
Labeerinto brews about 10,000 litres a month on Via degli Scarlatti in Modena, pouring its own beer at the taproom alongside charcuterie boards.
TipThe taproom sits next to the brewery itself; the Gate 48 pub in the San Giacomo area pours the same beers closer to the centre.
Maria Luisa Nicolini teaches fresh pasta in her home on Via Emilia Est in Modena: three hours rolling tagliatelle and tortelloni, then a meal of the pasta al ragù with Modenese starters.
TipRing Nicolini at Via Emilia Est 163 and take stair B; her assistant Ilaria helps at the lesson, and cancelling up to a day ahead is free.
Dispensa Emilia sells cheap tigelle and gnocco fritto on Modena's Via Emilia Est, a chain outpost offering combinations of five different fillings.
TryTigelle with a choice of five fillings
TipOutdoor seating suits families; open every day of the week with no midweek closing.
House of Kebab grills Turkish specialities on Viale Amendola in eastern Modena, a budget counter for lunch and dinner with free home delivery.
OrderA durum kebab wrap with extra vegetables and garlic sauce.
TipDelivery runs from the same counter and is free on any order over twenty euros.
Terra Mia Modena keeps its Neapolitan pizza oven firing until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, a late weekend stop out on Via Emilia Est in Modena.
TryContemporary Neapolitan pizza
TipWeeknights close earlier at 23:30; the gluten free kitchen runs the same late hours.
Ristorante Marechiaro bakes pizza and cooks fish on Via Emilia Est in eastern Modena every night of the week, its kitchen open until midnight.
OrderA seafood pizza or the catch of the day cooked simply.
TipFree home delivery runs alongside dine in service, useful on a slow weeknight.
L'Off runs live indie and alternative shows from a converted concert hall on Via Morandi in Modena, with a Stoff APS club card required at every door.
TipMembership cards are issued on-site for a small yearly fee; shows run on select weeknights so check listings first.
5 hours
Discover the Bolognese Hills with a guided tour of two historic wineries, including vineyard visits, wine tastings, and local delicacies amidst breathtaking scenery.
5 hours
Tour the vibrant local markets and immerse yourself in a private cooking class in a local home with a certified Italian home cook. You can learn local recipes before t...
7 hours
Experience the production of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and learn about Lambrusco wine. Visit a balsamic vinegar factory, and after enjoy a lunch to explore local cuisine.