6 Best Restaurants in Bologna, Emilia–Romagna

Host Paolino Cesari has been presiding over his eatery since 1962, and he and his staff go out of their way to make you feel at home. The food's terrific, and if you love pork products, try anything on the menu with mora romagnola: Paolino has direct contact with the people who raise this breed that nearly became extinct (he calls it "my pig"). The highly flavorful meat makes divine salame, among other things. All the usual Bolognesi classics are here, as well as—in fall and winter—an inspired scaloppina alla Petroniana (veal cutlet with prosciutto and fontina) that comes smothered in white truffles. This one-room restaurant has white tablecloths, dark-wood paneling, wine-bottle-lined walls, and is just a few minutes' walk from Piazza Maggiore.

At the bottom of an alley off Piazza Maggiore, this unassuming place—known to locals as simply "Da Gianni"—is all about hearty traditional food. The usual starters are on hand—including a tasty tortellini in brodo—in addition to daily specials; bollito misto (mixed boiled meat) is a fine option here, and the cotechino con puré di patate (pork sausage with mashed potatoes) is elevated to sublimity by the accompanying salsa verde. The two unadorned rooms are usually crowded both at lunch and dinner.

The frescoed ceiling, parquet flooring, and live classical music are clues that this sophisticated restaurant (part of the hotel of the same name) occupies a former theater and café-chantant, or musical venue, from the late 19th century. It's the perfect setting for an evening of fine dining featuring mainly Emilian-inspired dishes with modern touches and the vision of chef Nicola Annunziata. The menus change seasonally, and three separate dinner tasting menus offer gustatory bliss.

Here, in the mirrored interior, a mostly young crowd chows down on classic regional fare at affordable prices. Nimble staff bearing multiple plates sashay neatly between the closely spaced tables delivering such standards as tortellini in brodo and cotoletta alla Bolognese (veal with Parmigiano-Reggiano and prosciutto). It is the kind of place where the waiters don't glare at you if you only order a plate of pasta—perhaps another reason it's a student favorite.

At this simple trattoria off the main tourist circuit, much care has been taken with the decor: the rooms, overseen by host Flavio, are small and intimate, and the wooden walls painted a creamy whitish gray. Chef Tommaso gives equal care to the menu and deftly turns out Bolognese classics, as well as dishes with a modern twist—among the antipasti, his tosone avvolto nella pancetta incorporates roasted Parmigiano-Reggiano trimmings and unsmoked bacon. Pastas are mostly homemade, and desserts are delicious. Though the trattoria is not in the centro storico, it's only a five-minute walk from the train station, and well worth a detour.