Contact Admin. Bologna is known as "La Grassa" the Fat One , and this friendly city can stake a strong claim to being at the heart of Italian cuisine. This is the home of fresh pasta, the famous mortadella sausage, and nearby there are the finest producers of Parma ham, Parmigiano cheese, balsamic vinegar.
There is no better place in Italy for eating out, and it really is almost impossible here to pay a lot of money for a meal. It can come as a surprise but when the Bolognesi want to go out to eat fish they will invariably choose a pizzeria, first because they are run by supposed seafood experts from Napoli or Sicily, and secondly because they are invariably less expensive than a formal restaurant or trattoria.
The Brace is a classic example, cheap and cheerful, with a fun decoration of famous footballers' shirts hanging from the ceiling, and a menu that ranges from Pizza Positano, with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella, to grilled squid and prawns, sea bass and tuna. Whether you turn up at lunchtime or for dinner, the atmosphere is always buzzing at "The Bear", a Bologna locale that has transformed over the years from an alternative punk hangout into a traditional osteria that also has a shop next door selling their handmade pasta to take away.
Great place to meet the locals as everyone sits down at communal tables, and at night you might find yourself listening to a live band, a poetry reading or heated philosophical discussions. It is well worth the five-minute walk out of the town centre to discover this traditional trattoria hidden away beneath one of Bologna's trademark portici arcades.
This is also the place to try another local speciality, bollito misto , a half-a-dozen different cuts of boiled meats served with an array of savoury sauces โ horseradish, parsley, candied fruits. Le Stanze is right in the heart of the student quarter of the city, and is the one spot that stands out among the dozens of lively bars and cafes that line the surrounding streets.
