Fun and entertainment Emilia-Romagna

An address not to be missed at Strada Farini, but not precisely for the great class of its fine vintages! At the Enoteca Fontana, you can sip your glass of lambrusco or malvasia for €1.50, sitting on a bench along large wooden tables that you are happy to share with other customers. The atmosphere is cheerful, noisy and relaxed. Possibility to eat a panino or a focaccia, all garnished with local charcuterie (the al culatello principle is delicious), or a dish of the day. A reference for small budgets. Pleasant terrace in summer.

Parisian style bistro superbly located on the canal side, with a large terrace with colourful tables and chairs lined up along the water. Forget the menu: the food is by no means exceptional and the portions are medium. On the other hand, for an aperitif accompanied by snacks, or for an evening drink while enjoying the evening breeze, the place is perfect. Varied choice of cocktails, wines and bubbles. The atmosphere is always festive and cheerful. Very busy in the summer, it can be difficult to find a table there.

This trendy and cultural café exists in Ferrara, but also in Bologna and Reggio Emilia. Casual, contemporary, it adopts an indus style with large metal lamps under high ceilings, with a large welcoming counter. It is very bright on the corner of a street with large bay windows on the same level. With its motto "food for mood", it offers appetizing croissants in the morning, sandwiches made with gourmet ingredients at lunch, fresh juices, good coffee in the afternoon before the eveningaperitivo. Brunch on Sundays.

This bistro located just a stone's throw from Piazza Maggiore has been in existence since 1465. It is one hundred years "certified", and has a cohort of bottles that would support a seat almost as long. They drink wine, champagne and beer. You don't eat anything here, but you are cordially invited to shop in the narrow streets next to the mercato di mezzo and to come and eat your food here, sitting at one of the long wooden tables and, of course, with a glass, because Chi non beve sta fuori ("Whoever doesn't drink stays outside")!

Not far from the university district, this bar deserves a visit if only for its breathtaking setting. In the old chapel of the Bentivoglio aristocratic family, as if nothing had happened, there is a counter, some bottles and a few tables. You have to admit that savouring your cocktail under a ceiling decorated with trompe-l'oeil is priceless! Young and trendy, Le Stanze plays the contemporary key: wine by the glass, good cocktails, aperitif buffet. Very crowded, the clientele often spills out onto the sidewalk and the surrounding street.

On a hidden square in the Ferrara ghetto, the Clandestino bar is the hotbed of the ghetto, a lively place until late in the evening, in a neighbourhood with narrow streets bathed in silence. Attended without distinction by a clientele of all ages and origins, it mixes students, sports enthusiasts who come to watch competitions broadcast live and board game enthusiasts gathered around a gaming table. Wide choice of cocktails, artisanal beers, organic and natural wines, as well as piadine for those who are feeling a little peckish.

This wine bar is well worth a visit: first of all you can appreciate its location, in the enchanting setting of the Pisacane piazzetta, which is pedestrian. The wine library seeks above all to promote natural wines from Italy, France and Spain. Each vial has been carefully selected and there are approximately 200 labels. And to accompany the tasting of a good wine, by the glass or the bottle, some tapas with the scents of Andalusia, cooked with seasonal, local and Spanish products. To change some Italian antipasti!

We like this micro-factory of cold-pressed juices, composed of a few tables and a beautiful wooden counter. The concept is simple: shelves overflowing with seasonal vegetables and fruits, a barmaid in an apron preparing the compositions. The menu of detox juices, vitamins, etc., is well thought out and creative. You can also have lunch with soups and vegetarian dishes of the day. A healthy place that deserves a break. If space is scarce, order takeaway. This Italian brand exists in a few other cities in the north, in Bologna and Modena among others.

This is a beautiful place, nestled under the arcades of Via Emilia with its small vegetated terrace that invites you to sit. You can come here in the morning for a good coffee, a fresh fruit juice and a pastry. You can also have lunch with a gourmet sandwich or a homemade pasta dish, accompanied by a good wine. A sweet break in the afternoon is not to be refused here: the pastries in the window are all tempting. Maison Livre becomes a refined cocktail bar in the evening, concocted with quality bottles that line the shelves.

We love this cute little cafe in the cathedral square of Modena with its dynamic waitresses. A few tables squeezed outside on the corner under the arcades are the rendezvous of early morning coffee drinkers, as well as strollers on the terrace who linger at their table to enjoy the view and the musical atmosphere of the café, at any time of the day. Behind the window, a display of cute pastries and some sweet and savory pies. Freshly squeezed orange juice, espresso and sweets make for a pleasant morning or afternoon on this terrace.