18 Best Restaurants in Emilia–Romagna, Italy

Host Paolino Cesari has been presiding over his eatery since 1962, and he and his staff go out of their way to make you feel at home. The food's terrific, and if you love pork products, try anything on the menu with mora romagnola: Paolino has direct contact with the people who raise this breed that nearly became extinct (he calls it "my pig"). The highly flavorful meat makes divine salame, among other things. All the usual Bolognesi classics are here, as well as—in fall and winter—an inspired scaloppina alla Petroniana (veal cutlet with prosciutto and fontina) that comes smothered in white truffles. This one-room restaurant has white tablecloths, dark-wood paneling, wine-bottle-lined walls, and is just a few minutes' walk from Piazza Maggiore.

Honest cooking doesn't get much better than this: host Danilo has been at the helm for decades and oversees his restaurant with a keen eye and great spirit. The food here is local, terrific, and unpretentious. There's a reason why locals swarm here, and visitors as well. Regional favorites like tortellini in brodo, or tortelli stuffed with pumpkin (all pasta made in-house), and bollito misto are on the menu, as are many things with that local product (balsamic vinegar). If you can possibly, do have one of the fab cakes or desserts. 

Food, service, and ambience harmonize blissfully at this casual but elegant restaurant inside a 12th-century building. The chef shows a deft hand with area specialties and shines with the fish dishes. If they have the chestnut ice cream, don't miss it. There are two tasting menus, and a terrific cheese plate complements the amazing wines poured here. Patrons enter through a tiny wine bar, some pausing for a glass of wine before proceeding into the restaurant.

Sicily-born Parma transplant Angelo Cammarata makes magic in his small eatery on the ground floor of a 16th-century palazzo, where the menu teems with Parma classics as well as modern takes on Sicilian dishes. Creatures from the sea play a starring role—try the terrific starter of blanched shrimp. The “Duchessa di Parma” (chicken breast stuffed with Parma ham and cheese) weds beautifully with marsala sauce. The interior is sleek and minimal with exposed brick complementing the pale, muted gray of the walls.

Locals love this lively café because it does just about everything and does it well, beginning at 7 in the morning with excellent coffee and tasty breakfast pastries and ending long after dark with aperitivi (aperitifs), cocktails, and dinner. The fairly limited menu includes Italian tapas and starters and mains with vegetarian and fish options. The place comprises two rooms, showcasing temporary art enhanced by subtle lighting, and there are tables outside. The wine and cocktail list is winning, as is the service.

A couple of jazz-, rock-, and food-loving friends joined forces to open this smart little restaurant in the center. The interior's warm terra-cotta-sponged walls give off an orange glow, and wine bottles line the walls, interspersed with photographs of musical greats—but the food is what counts. Here you'll find nicely done classics—like cappelletti prepared three different ways (with butter, with a meat ragù, or in brodo)—as well as more contemporary fare. The fritto misto is an absolute winner. The carefully culled wine list includes many local labels, and service is stellar.

Locals and other cognoscenti frequent this sleek eatery just minutes away from Piazza del Duomo, where chef Gabriele Romagnoli uses prime local ingredients to create gustatory sensations on a menu that changes daily. Fish and seafood figure prominently among his dishes, such as with a gratinato (similar to a French au gratin) with seafood. There are also Ferrarese classics like cappelletti pasta. The restaurant's tasting menus are well priced, its wine list is divine, and the service, led by gregarious hands-on proprietor Mara Farinelli, is always top-notch. Two small rooms festooned with works of art have linen tablecloths and jazz playing softly in the background.

At the bottom of an alley off Piazza Maggiore, this unassuming place—known to locals as simply "Da Gianni"—is all about food. The usual starters are on hand—including a tasty tortellini in brodo—in addition to daily specials; bollito misto (mixed boiled meat) is a fine option here, and the cotechino con puré di patate (pork sausage with mashed potatoes) is elevated to sublimity by the accompanying salsa verde. The two unadorned rooms are usually crowded both at lunch and dinner.

On the second floor of a building across from the covered market, steps from the Piazza Grande, this simple, typical trattoria is in the very nerve center of the city. Here you'll find exemplary preparations of the region's crown jewels: tortellini in brodo, tagliatelle al ragù, and roasted meats. Wash it down with Lambrusco, as locals have for centuries, and save room for the zuppa inglese (layered sponge cake with custard), which is terrific. The kitchen also puts a contemporary twist on classic dishes. It's highly popular, so even arriving early at lunchtime you'll probably have to wait in line (they don't accept reservations at lunch); or, book a table for Friday or Saturday night.

These buildings, joined by a glass-ceilinged courtyard, date from the 15th century, so the setting itself is reason enough to come; that the food is so good makes a visit here all the more satisfying. At lunchtime Ca' de Vèn teems with locals tucking in to piadine (a typical Romagnolo flatbread) stuffed or topped with various ingredients, and the grilled dishes—including tagliata di pollo (sliced chicken breast tossed with arugula and set atop exquisitely roasted potatoes)—are among the highlights. One dish to consider: insalatina di radicchio con bruciatini, a local specialty with raw radicchio and pancetta as a dressing and topping.

The dining room here evokes the turn of the 19th century with its high ceilings, chandeliers, and damask drapes. The food shines, from the classic anolini in brodo di manzo e cappone (a local variation on tortellini in brodo) to the exquisite roast veal stuffed with prosciutto and Parmigiano-Reggiano. The friendly staff and a terrific wine list add to the enjoyment.

Little-known by tourists but popular with locals in the know, this small and select restaurant just down the street from Palazzo della Pilotta in the historic center offers up traditional Parmesan cooking with stylistic flourishes. The chef has a nice touch with classics like anolini ripieni di stracotto in brodo di cappone (dumplings stuffed with stewed meat in a capon stock) but also prepares innovative dishes. Though the dessert tray delivers stunners like a ricotta and pear pie, you might want to simply ask for Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, carved from a big wheel. Service is personal and friendly, in part because the place is tiny, and the unpretentious surroundings keep the focus on the food.

It's all about fish at this welcoming spot, and aside from vegetable side dishes and dessert there's little on the menu that wasn't recently swimming (or lurking) in the sea. Locals flock here, and with good reason—the food is excellent, and the prices are reasonable. Depending on what's in season you might find a starter like mazzancolle alla catalana (steamed shrimp with cherry tomatoes and red onions, awash in local olive oil), which provides a tasty introduction to more complicated delights. Pastas are made in-house, and the fish on offer is the catch of the day. The winning desserts include fresh fruit sorbets and poached pear al Sangiovese. If on foot you'll likely approach this trattoria via the Ponte di Tiberio, a bridge from the 1st century AD named after the ruling Roman emperor.

A large open-hearth fireplace dominates this rustic trattoria, and wonderful aromas of grilled meats and garlic greet you as you walk in. Marianaza successfully showcases the best of la cucina romagnola (the cuisine of Romagna): the extraordinary primi are mostly made with fresh pasta—tagliatelle or garganelli (egg-based and tubular)—while secondi rely heavily on the grill. Garlic toasts topped with prosciutto crudo delightfully whet the appetite. The mixed grill is perfect for sharing, and the grilled vegetables pair well with it. There is almost always a full house.

A winning combination of traditional and innovative dishes is the big draw at this colorful, contemporary restaurant with splashy modern art spread over two floors. Young chef Giacomo Garutti delivers Ferrarese classics like salamina da sugo con purè (salami atop creamy mashed potatoes) alongside fried and grilled seafood, and innovations like cappellacci pasta filled with pumpkin, orange, and ginger. There's a good wine list, too. The youthful staff are welcoming, attentive, and informative.

Simple, honest food doesn't get any tastier than what's served at this casual, tiny venue (there are about 20 seats at the wooden tables in the wood-beamed space) with an even tinier kitchen. Nicoletta Molducci, chef and owner, takes pride in turning out terrific regional dishes from a short menu with the usual local specialties, such as cappelletti in brodo or al ragù, supplemented by an ever-changing list of daily specials. The polpettine di lesso (little meatballs) in a lively tomato sauce with peas and pancetta, and the squacquerone e fichi caramellati (soft cheese with caramelized figs) are two winning dishes that might be on offer. Attentive service and a fine wine list make a meal here a true pleasure.

At this simple trattoria off the main tourist circuit, much care has been taken with the decor: the rooms, overseen by host Flavio, are small and intimate, and the wooden walls painted a creamy whitish gray. Chef Tommaso gives equal care to the menu and deftly turns out Bolognese classics, as well as dishes with a modern twist—among the antipasti, his tosone fresco avvolto nella pancetta incorporates Parmigiano-Reggiano, unsmoked bacon, and greens. Pastas are mostly homemade, and desserts are delicious. Though the trattoria is not in the centro storico, it's only a five-minute walk from the train station, and well worth a detour.

Mercurial host Ermes Rinaldi greets you as you walk in and seats you wherever he happens to have room: it doesn't matter that you might be put with people you don't know, since the host feels this quasi-communal style of lunching encourages conviviality. In the kitchen, Bruna, Ermes's wife, turns out splendid versions of cucina casalinga modenesi (home cooking, Modena-style). Ermes recites the short list of primi and secondi on the set-price menu, which change daily and arrive promptly. The accompanying wine is local, simple, and inexpensive: most stick to Lambrusco. It's no surprise that this rough-and-ready place is favored by everyone from suits to construction workers to students. Come early to get a table, and note that bookings are not accepted.