Best Restaurants in Bologna: Where to Eat (2026)
Trattoria da Me is a good starting point for a traditional meal in Bologna, Osteria dell’Orsa suits a casual meal without a reservation, and I Portici, which holds one Michelin star, is the choice for a special evening. The right restaurant depends on when you want to eat, what you want to spend and whether you can book ahead.
Opening days and hours decide more than the menu: some kitchens close on Sunday and Monday, some stop between lunch and dinner and a few stay open all day. This guide picks eight restaurants for those situations. Hours, addresses and booking rules come from each restaurant’s own site, Bologna Welcome or the Michelin Guide, and a price appears only where a source publishes one.
Quick Comparison: 8 Restaurants in Bologna
| Restaurant | Best for | Closed and booking |
|---|---|---|
| Trattoria da Me | Traditional pasta with a modern touch | Closed Monday. Contact the restaurant to book |
| Osteria dell’Orsa | A casual meal without booking | Open all day. No reservations |
| Trattoria di Via Serra | A planned regional meal | Closed Sunday and Monday. Book ahead |
| Sfoglia Rina | An early pasta dinner | Open daily, kitchen until 8:00 pm. No reservations |
| Le Moline | Late or flexible meals | Open daily 12:00 pm – 11:30 pm. Book online |
| I Portici | A special evening | Closed Sunday and Monday. Reserve online |
| Oltre. | Modern Emilian cooking, open Monday | Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Book ahead |
| Da Cesari | A traditional sit-down meal | Closed Sunday. Reservation required |
The days are the regular weekly schedules, not a promise for holidays, and menus change. Bologna Welcome lists €20 to €30 per person for a full meal at Le Moline and €30 to €40 at Da Cesari. For the other restaurants no usable per-person price was found, so none is shown.
If you would rather try several specialties in one outing than choose a single restaurant, compare four Bologna food tours by price, length and group size. If you want to cook the pasta yourself, see our guide to the best cooking classes in Bologna.
How Eating Out Works in Bologna
When Do Restaurants Serve Lunch and Dinner?
Hours differ even among traditional places. Trattoria da Me lists lunch from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm and dinner from 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm from Tuesday to Friday, with lunch starting at 12:00 pm at the weekend. Trattoria di Via Serra serves lunch and dinner from Wednesday and only lunch on Tuesday.
For food between mealtimes, choose a place with all-day service: Osteria dell’Orsa lists 12:30 pm to 11:00 pm and Le Moline 12:00 pm to 11:30 pm with a non-stop kitchen. Sfoglia Rina suits an early dinner, because it takes food orders until 8:00 pm while the premises stay open until 9:00 pm.
Which Restaurants Are Closed on Sunday or Monday?
There is no single rule. Trattoria di Via Serra and I Portici are closed on both days. Trattoria da Me is closed on Monday and open on Sunday, while Da Cesari is the other way round. Oltre. is open on Monday and closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, which makes it the Monday option. Osteria dell’Orsa, Sfoglia Rina and Le Moline list daily hours without a weekly closing day. Check the restaurant’s own schedule again before you travel.
What Is Coperto?
Coperto is a cover charge that can appear as a separate line on an Italian restaurant bill. It is not a tip. In Emilia-Romagna, regional Law 14/2003, Article 18, says that where food is served at the table, the price list must be available to customers before they order and must show any service component. The article does not set an amount.
Before you order, look for a listed coperto or servizio line, and ask the staff if it is unclear.
Should You Reserve?
Reserve when the restaurant takes bookings and your mealtime matters. The Michelin Guide advises booking ahead at Trattoria di Via Serra even at lunchtime and highly recommends booking at Oltre. Bologna Welcome lists a reservation as required at Da Cesari and recommended at Le Moline, where booking is online only. I Portici takes reservations through its website.
Osteria dell’Orsa does not accept reservations, and Sfoglia Rina says it does not take reservations in its restaurants. For those two you arrive and may wait. No source gives a rule for how many days ahead to book, so ask your chosen restaurant once your dates are fixed.
What About August and Christmas?
Osteria dell’Orsa publishes closures on 24, 25, 26 and 31 December and on 1 January; its site gives no year. Da Cesari’s site announced a closure from 31 July to 31 August 2026 and, the winter before, from 25 December to 6 January, and it gives no dates yet for next summer or this Christmas. For the other restaurants in this guide no August or holiday schedule was found, so confirm the date before you rely on the weekly hours.
The Restaurants: Which One Should You Choose?
Trattoria da Me: Our Pick for a First Traditional Meal
Via San Felice 50. The trattoria’s own site says its story began in 1937 and that its pasta is made with fresh eggs and soft wheat flour, with the dough pulled by hand with a rolling pin. The Michelin Guide singles out the tagliolini with friggione and squacquerone cream, and says the classic lasagne alla bolognese is the Sunday dish.
It is closed on Monday and serves lunch and dinner on the other days. Michelin notes that the restaurant manages its own bookings, so contact it directly.
Osteria dell’Orsa: Best for a Casual Meal Without Booking
Via Mentana 1, in the university district. The osteria’s site says it was founded in 1979 and is open all day from 12:30 pm to 11:00 pm. It does not accept reservations and publishes no waiting time, so allow some flexibility at busy hours. It is closed on 24, 25, 26 and 31 December and on 1 January.
If tagliatelle al ragù is the dish you want, compare more places in our best tagliatelle al ragù guide.
Trattoria di Via Serra: Best for a Planned Regional Meal
Via Luigi Serra 9/b. The Michelin Guide praises its regional cooking, from fresh pasta with excellent tortellini in broth to zuppa inglese, and advises booking ahead even at lunchtime.
The hours are limited: it is closed on Sunday and Monday and serves only lunch on Tuesday. That makes it a poor choice for an improvised Sunday dinner and a good one for a meal you have planned. For more tortellini options, see our tortellini guide.
Sfoglia Rina: Best for an Early Pasta Dinner
Via Castiglione 5/B. The Sfoglia Rina site lists restaurant service every day from 11:30 am to 8:00 pm at its Bologna location: the kitchen takes orders until 8:00 pm and the premises close at 9:00 pm. It says it does not take reservations in its restaurants.
That suits a meal before an evening plan and does not suit a late dinner. The group also has a restaurant in Casalecchio di Reno, so check that you are using the Via Castiglione address.
Le Moline: Best for Late or Flexible Meals
Via delle Moline 2/F. Le Moline is open every day from 12:00 pm to 11:30 pm with a non-stop kitchen. Reservations are online only, and a card may be required to guarantee the booking. Bologna Welcome lists €20 to €30 per person for a full meal and recommends reserving.
It earns its place for its schedule: choose it if you arrive after the usual lunch hours, want to eat before 7:00 pm or need a table on a Monday. Plan on a 11:30 pm close, the time the restaurant itself gives.
I Portici: Best for a Special Evening
Via dell’Indipendenza 69, inside I Portici Hotel. The restaurant’s site says it holds one Michelin star in the 2026 guide, and Michelin describes the cuisine as creative and contemporary. This is the choice when the meal itself is the plan, not a stop between sights.
Dinner runs from Tuesday to Saturday, with the last reservation at 9:30 pm, and Friday and Saturday lunch is also listed; confirm which menu applies at lunch. It is closed on Sunday and Monday. Reservations go through the restaurant’s website.
Oltre.: Best for Modern Emilian Cooking, and for Monday
Via Majani 1/b. The Michelin Guide calls the cuisine Emilian and highly recommends the Bolognese ramen: tagliolino in a mushroom broth with parmesan, quail eggs marinated in balsamic vinegar and spinach. Choose it when you have already had the classic pasta and want a different approach.
It is open for lunch and dinner on Monday, Saturday and Sunday, for dinner only on Thursday and Friday, and closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Michelin highly recommends booking.
Da Cesari: Best for a Traditional Sit-Down Meal
Via de’ Carbonesi 8. The restaurant’s own site says it is open Monday to Saturday and closed on Sunday, with lunch from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm and dinner from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm. Bologna Welcome lists a price of €30 to €40 and gives the dinner hours as 7:30 pm to 11:00 pm.
The English page of the site says a reservation is required, while the Italian page says it is welcome, so book by phone to be safe. The price range is an indication, not a fixed menu price.
Looking for a Specific Dish or Diet?
This guide helps you choose where to eat. For one dish, the dedicated guides compare more places: tagliatelle al ragù, tortellini and mortadella. If you are still deciding what to order, our Bologna food guide explains the city’s dishes and products.
For dietary needs, use the gluten-free restaurant guide or the vegetarian and vegan guide, which cover requirements a general list cannot check for every kitchen. For a drink first, see the aperitivo guide, and for lower prices the Bologna on a budget guide. More food and drink guides are collected in Eat & Drink.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best restaurant in Bologna?
There is no single best restaurant for every visitor. Trattoria da Me is our pick for a first traditional meal, I Portici suits an evening with a Michelin star, and Osteria dell’Orsa is the practical choice when you cannot book.
How much does dinner cost in Bologna?
It depends on the restaurant and what you order. Bologna Welcome lists €20 to €30 per person for a full meal at Le Moline and €30 to €40 at Da Cesari. These are figures for those two restaurants, not a citywide average, so check each menu for dish prices, drinks and any extra charges.
Do you need a reservation for restaurants in Bologna?
It depends on the restaurant. Michelin advises booking ahead at Trattoria di Via Serra, Bologna Welcome lists a reservation as required at Da Cesari, and Le Moline takes online reservations. Osteria dell’Orsa does not accept reservations, and Sfoglia Rina says it does not take them in its restaurants. Check the policy of your chosen restaurant.
What time do restaurants open for dinner in Bologna?
Trattoria da Me lists dinner from 7:30 pm and I Portici from 7:15 pm on its opening days. To eat earlier, choose a place with all-day service: Le Moline is open from 12:00 pm and Osteria dell’Orsa from 12:30 pm.
What is coperto at an Italian restaurant?
Coperto is a cover charge that can appear as a separate line on the bill. In Emilia-Romagna, regional law requires the price list to be available before you order, with any service component shown. Ask the staff if a charge on the bill is unclear.
Where can you eat on Sunday or Monday in Bologna?
Osteria dell’Orsa, Sfoglia Rina and Le Moline list daily hours without a weekly closing day. Trattoria da Me is open on Sunday and closed on Monday, Da Cesari is the other way round, and Oltre. is open on Monday. Trattoria di Via Serra and I Portici are closed on both days. Confirm holiday exceptions for your date.
Plan Your Trip to Bologna
For a first visit, the 2 days in Bologna itinerary shows where lunch and dinner fit between the sights, and Start Here helps you plan the wider trip.
