The best restaurants Emilia-Romagna

On the menu, organic. Vegetarian hot dog, tofu and spinach medallion, carrot cake…

The temple of the italian cuisine slow food also proposes some local dishes to be tasted between the displays of the products of food. The products are fresh and of high-quality. The tables are often taken by storm at lunchtime. An original address to test!

Very good kitchen and good wine cellar.

Elegant restaurant, founded in 1947, offering fish dishes. Located in the pedestrian area of the city.

An old osteria in the heart of the university district, highly prized for its traditional cuisine and conviviality. Excellent pasta dishes (delicious tagliatelle al ragù) and other local dishes are eaten on large wooden tables. The Osteria dell'Orsa is also a place of exchange, meetings and culture that reflects the university tradition of Bologna. People of passage and locals mingle in a cheerful and warm atmosphere. The place is often crowded, so expect to wait a little while. A very good address at a low price.

In an old building in the historic centre, with a large room with brick walls and wooden ceilings, this fish restaurant has a special feature: for its dishes, it uses only the fish caught the same day on board the trawler of the family owning the restaurant. There is no real menu, but proposals for dishes written on the slate and changing every day, with regular suggestions for fish tartars, fried foods, risottos. Beautiful selection of wines, with a large choice of Italian sparkling wines and some champagnes.

A classic Bolognese restaurant, which has occupied a downtown alley since the late 1950s. In this discreet and welcoming trattoria, one breathes an air of the vecia Bulagna, "the old Bologna". The cuisine is traditional, the one of Bolognese grandmothers busy in the kitchen stretching the dough and filling it with stuffing or cutting it into tagliatelle, watching the bollito misto simmering or the stinco candying in the oven. A simple and tasty cuisine, and very comforting, which is worth the detour.

Close to the university, this canteen is famous for its musical evenings. It comes mainly to listen to jazz where groups play live. The wine list is impressive (over 400 wines). It's possible to recover, but the canteen has less and less reputation about its kitchen.

Close to the Basilica of San Vitale, this elegant address offers creative Romagna cuisine, with a menu that changes every two months to guarantee the freshness and seasonality of the products. If the cuisine is more sea-focused, there is no shortage of land and vegetarian proposals. As an appetizer, you can choose between kadaif shrimps, sea urchin tartar or passatelli in shellfish broth. In a dish, fritto misto or rack of piglet. Bread and desserts prepared daily, and excellent cellar.

This restaurant is very appreciated by the locals for the quality and consistency of its cuisine. The à la carte dishes are classic but well executed. There are mainly pasta-based primi and a wide choice of meat secondi, in sauce, breaded, oven-roasted or braised. Beautiful large white room a bit kitschy with its false columns; pleasant terrace in summer. Very warm welcome and staff available. In the culinary panorama of the region, a safe bet just a stone's throw from the main square.

A temple of traditional Parmesan cuisine, a well-known trattoria that has its regular customers and attracts people passing through Parma. This reputation proves to be amply justified: tasty local cuisine with no false notes, very generous portions and a joyful and authentic atmosphere, all for an unbeatable price-quality ratio. Magnificent platters of cold meats, homemade pasta (tortelli with squash or ricotta and herbs) and desserts to fall. The place is always full: it's best to book in advance.

Interior Art Deco and terrace in summer where you can enjoy local cuisine.

Along one of the busiest streets of the historic centre is the Ca' de Ven, in Italian casa del vino (house of wine), a warm place where locals and tourists alike meet in a cheerful and relaxed atmosphere. It is housed in a building dating back to 1542 and has a magnificent setting, with a succession of large halls, each one reminiscent of an old pharmacy with high wooden shelves, a covered garden and a wine storehouse with its barrels. On the menu: pasta, grilled meats or a piadina accompanied by a good glass of wine.

Not recommended for those seeking privacy, Ermes remains the most convivial osteria in Modena. In the small room with panelled walls, you will be at the same table as other guests in a warm and characteristic atmosphere. No à la carte, the menu changes every day with a few proposals of primi and secondi and the meal ends with a dessert, an espresso and a limoncello or grappa. Local cuisine that goes around the regional specialities. A must-see address to savour a moment of authentic Modenese hospitality.

A small restaurant very appreciated by the inhabitants for its local cuisine served without fuss. Local atmosphere guaranteed. Very friendly boss, fresh products and excellent homemade pasta, what more could you ask for? Some specialities: tortellini in brodo (in broth), lasagne and bolognese escalope, a breaded escalope with raw ham and cheese. In dessert, try the zuppa inglese. Family atmosphere. Stefano, the photographer, and his wife Marina, the sculptor, are taking care of their guests. Careful, it's sold out soon.

Located 50 m from the Duomo, this trattoria is one of the references of the local cuisine. It is a good place to eat in an informal atmosphere. The menu changes very regularly, almost every month, but keeps the basics like tortellini, fresh pasta and homemade desserts. Chocolate mousse is a staple of the house. Various meat dishes are offered such as pork chops, lamb, rabbit and tender beef.

The Bolognese culinary tradition, with homemade pasta since 1963! From the counter abundantly stocked with fresh pasta for retail sale to the halls, the atmosphere is welcoming and friendly. Two menus are available, one traditional with classics such as tortellini in brodo and the other innovative with recipes based on seasonal products, a perfect balance between tradition and novelty. The service is fast and the wait is short even when the queue forms at rush hour. A must in the city!

In this beautiful bakery you can buy the gnocco fritto, a fried bread dough that has the shape of a large ravioli and that the locals traditionally accompany with cold meats. There are also different kinds of breads, pizza slices, pies and pastries, as well as a wide variety of fresh pasta to be cooked later or eaten on the spot (tagliatelle, stuffed pasta, passatelli...). Bar open at all hours for a coffee or an aperitif; it's a pity that the service in the dining room is not always very friendly...

Not far from the cathedral, this restaurant is a real institution. La Casa di Ferrara (Ca' d'Frara in dialect) offers dishes from the Ferrarese tradition, but also a creative land and sea menu, with inventive and colourful plates, mixing local products in a beautiful balance of flavours. Everything is prepared with finesse and served in a room with elegant lines. Among the specialties: homemade pasta, bollito misto, wood-fired meats and eel, to be drizzled with a good Italian wine. It's just delicious.

A rustic restaurant located just in front of the sea, but which does not offer fish dishes! Here, Romagna's cuisine is honoured, that of the land, with its cold meats accompanied by warm piadine, juicy grilled meats, tagliatelle al ragù and tortelloni with butter and sage. Everything is homemade, even the fresh pasta, you can taste very tasty traditional dishes. Don't stop at the façade, which is not particularly engaging: here you eat well and are greeted with a smile.