BY MATHILDA BELL
1 osteria dell'orsa
This restaurant is extremely casual, perfect for lunch or an informal dinner setting, offering hearty portions of traditional Bolognese dishes. Located in the heart of the University area and due to extremely cheap prices, this has become the perfect young person’s hangout spot. The surroundings may be pretty basic, but the food is certainly not. You can enjoy the exquisite Tagliatelle al Ragu or the Ravioli, the main dishes they serve, for around six euros. They also have litres of wine, albeit not of the best quality, for around six euros too. Word has definitely spread about this place and is usually busy at both lunch and dinner time. If you’re going on the weekend, I’d recommend getting there early to avoid queues. What’s more, they have a shop next door where you can buy fresh pasta for almost a third of the price compared to most places. It’s a cheap and cheerful restaurant, and ideal for students travelling on a budget wanting to sample some authentic Bolognese food.
There’s a reason why Bologna is loosely coined as Italy’s “Food Capital”. For a country whose food culture and tradition is taken with the utmost seriousness, this is a considerable accolade. For any foodie, or lover of Italian food, Bologna is a must-visit location. Bologna boasts affordable and (mostly) informal restaurants and delis on every corner, offering the finest fresh tortellini, mortadella and aperitivo: this is not one to miss. Bear in mind that Italians refer to Bologna as “La Grassa” (“the fat one”) so be prepared to leave feeling satisfied, finding those jeans ever so slightly more difficult to do up on the way home.
I spent six months studying in Bologna, and during my time there I compiled a list of my favourite restaurants. Here are my stand-out top three:
cucina