Bologna Food Weekend
Bologna, Italy
Bologna gets called la grassa - the fat one - for a reason. This is the city that invented ragu, mortadella, and tortellini, and the locals will fight you over the right way to eat each one. Come hungry, leave heavier, no regrets.
Day by Day
Day 1
- Morning.
- Coffee in Piazza Maggiore, climb the Asinelli tower.
- Afternoon.
- Quadrilatero market wander, small lunch standing up at Tamburini.
- Evening.
- Real ragu at Trattoria di Via Serra - far from the centre, worth the cab.
Day 2
- Morning.
- Mercato delle Erbe for breakfast, then San Petronio basilica.
- Afternoon.
- Pasta-making class if you booked one, otherwise wander the porticoes.
- Evening.
- Aperitivo in the university quarter, late dinner at Sfoglia Rina.
Where to Stay
- Budget. Combo Bologna - design hostel near the centre.
- Mid-range. Art Hotel Commercianti - old building, central, charming.
- Splurge. Grand Hotel Majestic - if you want to live like a 19th century industrialist.
Where to Eat
Trattoria di Via Serra
The real ragu. Book a week in advance, no joke.
Tamburini
Stand-up lunch counter, charcuterie heaven.
Sfoglia Rina
Fresh pasta, watch them make it through the window.
One local tip nobody tells you
Do not order spaghetti bolognese. It doesn't exist here. Ask for tagliatelle al ragu and the waiter will smile.
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