I visited Bologna back in winter in 2018 but this time around, the trip was focused on eating and drinking in the summer. We had a reservation at Osteria Francescana (3 Michelin star restaurant) in Modena which was the main reason for the trip back..

We arrived on Friday evening (after delays) and took the Marconi Express to Bologna Centrale (8 mins) and walked to our hotel. We went to Kinotto Bar which was a super local sports bar (but very convenient as it was opposite the hotel), so we had some aperol spritz before calling it a night.

Day 1

The next morning we caught the train from Bologna Centrale to Modena (30 min journey) and wandered around Parco Giardino Ducale Estense, Palazzo Ducale di Modena, Piazza Grande and the Duomo di Modena. We also bought some balsamic vinegar from Giuseppe Giusti and checked out the markets (Mercato Storico Albinelli).

We had a lunch reservation at Osteria Francescana and did the 12 course tasting menu which costs €320. We had an aperitif of the ca’ del bossco to start and shared a bottle of white wine. The dishes were all creative and the tasting menu had a lot of good dishes but there were a few lacklustre ones and no meat dishes. My favourites were the mini pannettone, oyster, risotto, the “porchetta” turbot and “oops” dessert. The service was polite and polished and overall it was still an amazing experience but with the price you pay, you do expect all the dishes to be outstanding.

We took the train back to Bologna and went to Hotel Metropolitan rooftop for some drinks. We got complimentary snacks, had a couple of bottles of Ca’del Bosco and it had nice views of the city.

Given it’s August and summer holidays, a lot of the restaurants we wanted to go to were closed. We went to Osteria Bartolini and shared the oysters, fish croquettes, warm octopus salad, clams with spaghetti and grilled prawns and calamari. We enjoyed the meal but it wouldn’t be our first choice in Bologna.

After we stopped at La Baita Vecchia Malga for a meat/cheese platter for one (€15 for 3 different types of meat and cheese) and some drinks.

Again, a lot of the bars we had our eyes on were not open so we headed to Bollore, Box 26. It was another local bar in Bolognina but we had great cocktails and it was the perfect way to end the evening!

Day 2

We spent the day walking around Bologna and given it was a Sunday in August, it was hard to find the better restaurants in town that were open.

We stopped by Piazza Maggiore and did some shopping and stopped by at Sfoglia to get some fresh pasta. We also decided to eat here when they opened at 11:30am. The pastas were decent enough and we didn’t have to queue but with so many options in Bologna (when more things are open outside of August), I wouldn’t say this is my first choice.

We walked around town, did some shopping and did a final gelato at Gelateria Galliera 49 to end our weekend trip.

It was a fun trip with friends, eating and drinking our way through and I’d love to come back to try the restaurants that were closed during the summer period.