What should you eat in Bologna?

The three that define Bologna

• Tagliatelle al ragù. Fresh egg tagliatelle with ragù, a sauce of minced beef and pork, soffritto, wine, milk and a little tomato, cooked for hours until it is brown rather than red. Where: every trattoria in the centre. Tip: do not ask for spaghetti bolognese; it is not a Bolognese dish, and the menu will not have it. Parmigiano on top is fine.

• Tortellini in brodo. Small rings of egg pasta filled with pork, prosciutto, mortadella and Parmigiano, served in a clear capon or beef broth. Where: traditional trattorie, and pasta shops in the Quadrilatero sell them fresh. Tip: order them in brodo, not with cream (alla panna), which is a later variation; it is a winter dish but most places serve it year-round.

• Mortadella. A large, smooth pork sausage cooked slowly and studded with cubes of fat and sometimes pistachios. Where: deli counters (salumerie) in the Quadrilatero, sliced to order, and in sandwiches. Tip: ask for it sliced very thin, and try it on a warm tigella or crescentina.

Nine more foods to try in Bologna

• Lasagne verdi alla bolognese. Green spinach pasta layered with ragù and béchamel, the original Bologna lasagne. Where: trattorie, often on Sundays or as a daily special. Tip: it is a full meal; skip the second course.

• Tortelloni. Larger stuffed pasta with ricotta and herbs, usually served with butter and sage. Where: trattorie and fresh pasta shops. Tip: the vegetarian choice on a Bolognese menu, and lighter than the ragù.

• Gramigna alla salsiccia. Short, curly pasta with a sausage sauce. Where: traditional trattorie. Tip: a good second pasta if you are sharing several primi.

• Cotoletta alla bolognese. Veal cutlet fried in breadcrumbs, then topped with prosciutto and Parmigiano and finished in broth. Where: older trattorie. Tip: it is rich; order it as your only main.

• Tigelle and crescentine. Tigelle are small round flatbreads cooked in a hot mould; crescentine (also called gnocco fritto) are puffed fried dough. Both come with platters of cured meats and soft cheese. Where: casual osterie, food halls and market stalls. Tip: order a platter for the table with tigelle on the side and fill them yourself.

• Parmigiano Reggiano. The hard cheese from the plain between Parma and Bologna, sold by age. Where: cheese shops in the Quadrilatero. Tip: compare a 24-month and a 36-month at the counter; most shops will vacuum-pack a piece to travel.

• Prosciutto di Parma. Dry-cured ham from Parma, further west along the Via Emilia. We went to Parma for a day from Verona, but Bologna's delis sell it everywhere. Where: salumerie in the Quadrilatero. Tip: buy it sliced to order and eat it the same day.

• Lambrusco and Pignoletto. Lambrusco is the sparkling red of Emilia, drunk cool with salumi; Pignoletto is the local white, often lightly sparkling. Where: osterie and wine bars. Tip: a dry Lambrusco with a mortadella plate is the local pairing; avoid the sweet export style.

• Gelato. Bologna takes gelato seriously, and the university quarter has some of the city's best-value counters. Where: gelaterie in the centre and the university quarter. Tip: as our Italy food guide says, look for flat covered tubs rather than piled-high displays.

The Quadrilatero and markets

The Quadrilatero is the old market district just east of Piazza Maggiore: a grid of narrow streets including Via Pescherie Vecchie and Via Drapperie, lined with butchers, fishmongers, cheese shops, fresh-pasta makers and small places to sit with a platter. The Mercato delle Erbe on Via Ugo Bassi, a short walk west, is the city's main covered produce market: the stalls are open Monday to Saturday, and the food counters inside serve lunch and dinner every day, the easiest place for a casual meal.

For cheaper food and student bars, walk to Via Zamboni and the university quarter, as our Bologna guide suggests. If you visit in August, expect some trattorie to close for the summer holidays; the city partly empties out. For supermarket shopping, see what to buy at an Italian supermarket.

Cover charges, tipping and ordering in Bologna

Expect a coperto (cover charge) per person on most trattoria bills; it is legal if printed on the menu and it is not a tip. Our coperto guide explains when to leave something extra, which in Bologna is usually just rounding up.

Italian menus run antipasto, primo (pasta), secondo (meat) and dolce, but in Bologna the pasta is the point, and ordering two primi to share instead of a secondo is normal. Do not ask for spaghetti bolognese, or for cappuccino after dinner; our guide to what is considered rude in Italy has the full list.

If you only have one day: a Bologna food plan

Morning: coffee and a pastry under the porticoes, then the Quadrilatero before it gets busy, with a stop for Parmigiano and mortadella.

Lunch: tagliatelle al ragù in a trattoria near Piazza Maggiore, plus a plate of tortelloni to share.

Afternoon: a walk under the porticoes to Piazza Santo Stefano, then gelato in the university quarter.

Evening: tigelle and a salumi platter with a dry Lambrusco, then tortellini in brodo. For how to split your time, see how many days in Bologna; for trips to Modena and Parma, day trips from Bologna.

Frequently asked questions