Where to eat in Bologna

Bologna is the reason Emilia-Romagna is called Italy's food valley. The dishes the rest of the world imitates, ragù, tortellini, lasagne, mortadella, were born here, and they're still made with more care than anywhere else. Eat one proper trattoria lunch and you'll understand the nickname.

What to order first

Before you pick a restaurant, know what you're looking for. Start with the full guide to what to eat, but the short list is:

• Tagliatelle al ragù, the real "bolognese," flat egg pasta with slow-cooked meat sauce. (No, spaghetti bolognese isn't a thing here.)
• Tortellini in brodo, tiny stuffed pasta in capon broth, the city's holiday dish.
• Lasagne alla bolognese, made with green spinach pasta and béchamel.
• Mortadella, the silky original of what Americans call "baloney," best sliced thin in the market.

Traditional trattorias

For the classics done right, head to the family-run trattorias the locals have used for generations, places where the pasta is rolled by hand each morning. Book ahead for dinner; the good ones fill up.

Eat in the market

The Quadrilatero and the covered Mercato di Mezzo are where to graze on cured meats, fried dough and a glass of Lambrusco at the counter. For a sit-down local lunch away from the crowds, try the Mercato delle Erbe. See all the city's food markets.

By budget and occasion

Drinks, coffee and aperitivo

Bologna takes its aperitivo seriously, an early-evening spritz with a spread of snacks. For after, find the best gelato, a historic café, and the regional wines worth ordering.

Learn to make it yourself

The most popular thing visitors do here isn't a museum, it's a pasta-making class, learning to fold tortellini by hand. A guided food tour is the other great way in.

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