There are a thousand reasons to visit Bologna. It’s a city you can enjoy in any weather condition, as its porticos allow you to visit it sheltered from both rain and beating sun. It is also an open-air gallery where the architecture of the past and modern street art blend harmoniously.
And then, well… you probably already know what I’m going to say: Bologna is also “the city of food“. It has an ancient but still very much alive culinary culture, and many of the most famous Italian dishes come from there.
I already wrote something about the foods you should try if you go there.
Today, I want to focus on a different topic: where can you find the best lasagna in Bologna? As you can imagine, it’s not easy to answer to that, but I’ll give you some advice.
Ristorante Trattoria Oberdan da Mario
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Awarded with Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice 2020, this small restaurant stands out for its first courses made with excellent fresh pasta, for its location, and for a service highly appreciated by customers.
Situated on Via Oberdan, Trattoria Oberdan da Mario is a great place to either have dinner with friends or lunch with colleagues. If you are looking for a place to eat lasagna in Bologna, this restaurant is definitely a good choice. Many customers, however, also recommend trying its gramigna with sausage ragout.
Does Pasta Fresca Naldi serve the best lasagna in Bologna?
There is a chance that the best lasagna in Bologna is not in a fancy restaurant, but in a pastificio. This might sound strange, but it really shouldn’t be surprising. Many pasta shops in Italy sell takeaway food, and I know from experience how good their meals can be. After all, they’re made by hand, with passion, and with quality local products.
Pasta Fresca Naldi, a specialty food store on Via del Pratello, became famous for its lasagna throughout Italy thanks to a Food Network broadcast. This store serves completely handmade lasagna in convenient take-out tubs. Everyone loves their food, and if you’re going to Bologna you should really consider popping in.
Osteria dell’Orsa
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Set in the heart of Bologna, just a few steps away from Piazza Maggiore, Osteria dell’Orsa is frequented by people of all ages and backgrounds and is considered an icon of local cuisine. In the friendly environment of this osteria, you can try some of the best lasagna in Bologna at an affordable price. Definitely worth a visit!
Trattoria da Me
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Not so far from Osteria dell’Orsa, there’s another place that you might try. Trattoria da Me has been serving local food since 1937. Like Trattoria Oberdan da Mario, it has been awarded with Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice 2020.
At this place, pasta is made the traditional way: by hand, with fresh eggs and wheat flour. If you try one of their sfoglie, you can be sure that it was made just a few hours ago, with the passion and skill that befits professional sfogline (the women who traditionally make fresh pasta). Does this place sell the best lasagna in Bologna? Only one way to find out… go there and try it yourself! 😉
All’Osteria Bottega
Last but not least, a place that many consider a must-see place for every culinary tour in Bologna.
All’Osteria Bottega is located in Via Santa Caterina. This street was inhabited for centuries by the city’s poorest people. Now, it is considered one of the best-preserved examples of the popular dwellings of the Middle Ages. It is often visited by tourists who stop to admire its porticoes and taste local food in one of its taverns. For this reason, it has been included by the municipality in a Unesco dossier.
Osteria Bottega was opened in 2005 by Daniele Minarelli and now considered “the Mecca of Bolognese food“. Wine and food journalist Stefano Bonilli described it as “a timeless trattoria, under the porticoes, in the heart of Bologna, with the best lasagna, tagliatelle, tortellini in Bologna, in Emilia, in the world“. Not visiting would be a crime.
Conclusion
There are so many things to see (and to eat) when visiting a city like Bologna.
It’s not easy to choose the best ones and you can never know if your readers have your same tastes. After all, there are many things that can change our perception of food, especially when we’re talking about those that have been made in a thousand different ways for centuries.
That’s one of the reasons why I never write rankings, only lists. So, I’ve limited myself to giving you some tips.
Now, it’s your turn to find out where your best lasagna in Bologna is. If you have a favorite restaurant or place that is not on this list, let me know in the comments. I’ll go check it personally!
