What to Eat in Parma and Modena: Where Locals Eat, Producer Visits & Food Tours
The short version: in Parma, eat anolini in brodo, small stuffed pasta in capon broth, tortelli d’erbetta and torta fritta with prosciutto di Parma; in Modena, tortellini in brodo, gnocco fritto and crescentine with cured meats, and anything finished with aceto balsamico tradizionale. For anolini, go to the Bib Gourmand trattorias Brisla and I Tri Siochètt in Parma; for tortellini, Trattoria Aldina above the Modena market or the four tables of Hosteria Giusti. Drink Lambrusco, cold and fizzy, with all of it. The best part of this region is the producers: book a morning at a Parmigiano Reggiano dairy, an acetaia for balsamic and a ham house in Langhirano, or let a food tour drive you between them. Below: what to eat, where to eat it in each city, how to visit the producers, what to drink and the experiences worth booking.
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Our top pick is the Parmigiano Production and Parma Ham Tour with Tasting: 4 hours, rated 4.9 from 971 reviews on GetYourGuide.
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What to eat in Parma and Modena, and where to eat it
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it in Parma and Modena |
|---|---|---|
| Anolini in brodo | Parma’s small round pasta filled with Parmigiano and breadcrumbs, served in capon or beef broth | I Tri Siochètt and Brisla Trattoria (Parma); Ristorante Cocchi |
| Tortellini in brodo | Modena’s tiny meat-filled pasta in hot broth, the dish of the city | Trattoria Aldina; Hosteria Giusti; Trattoria Pomposa al Re Gras (Modena) |
| Tortelli d’erbetta | Large pasta parcels of ricotta and chard with butter and Parmigiano | Ai Due Platani (Coloreto); Ristorante Cocchi (Parma) |
| Torta fritta | Parma’s puffed fried dough, eaten hot with prosciutto, culatello and salame | Ai Due Platani (Coloreto) |
| Gnocco fritto and crescentine | Modena’s fried dough and its small griddle breads (tigelle), split and filled with cured meats | Trattoria Il Fantino (Modena) |
| Prosciutto di Parma and culatello | The air-cured ham of the Parma hills and the prized cured pork of the Po flatlands | Salumeria Garibaldi to buy; Antica Corte Pallavicina for culatello at the source |
| Parmigiano Reggiano | The aged cow’s milk cheese, tasted at 12, 24 and 36 months or older | 4 Madonne dairy (Lesignana); Mercato Albinelli for 30-month wedges |
| Aceto balsamico tradizionale | Modena’s thick, aged balsamic, used by the drop on cheese, meat and even gelato | Acetaia Giusti; Acetaia Malpighi |
| Bollito misto | Boiled meats carved from a trolley, with salsa verde and mostarda | Ristorante Cocchi (October to April) |
| Bomba di riso | A baked rice dome filled with pigeon ragù, an old Parma Sunday dish | Brisla Trattoria |
Where to eat in Parma and Modena
The two cities are close and share a kitchen built on egg pasta, pork, Parmigiano and broth, but each has its own pasta and its own fried bread. Lunch is the serious meal: several of the best old trattorias open at midday only, some take no bookings, and many close for all or part of August. For the Bib Gourmand trattorias and anything out of town, book by phone a few days ahead. The producers sit in the countryside between and around the two cities, so plan at least one morning with a car or a tour.
Parma
For anolini, start with the two Bib Gourmand trattorias. Brisla Trattoria (Michelin listing) on Strada Farini cooks Emilian dishes at fair prices, including bomba di riso with pigeon ragù and fresh pasta; it is closed Monday and Tuesday and takes bookings by phone. I Tri Siochètt (Michelin listing), a family trattoria on the edge of the city, is the cheaper of the two and is known for anolini in capon broth; it is closed on Mondays. Ristorante Cocchi (Michelin listing) has fed Parma since 1925: order culatello or prosciutto, anolini in brodo and tortelli d’erbetta, and from October to April the bollito misto carved at the table.
In the centre, Osteria del 36 (Michelin listing) is another classic Emilian address in the Michelin Guide, and Parma Rotta (Michelin listing) grills meat and makes very good anolini in brodo. For a special night, Inkiostro is Parma’s Michelin-starred restaurant (Michelin listing).
Just outside the city, two Bib Gourmand trattorias are worth the taxi. Trattoria Ai Due Platani (Michelin listing) in Coloreto does torta fritta with prosciutto, tortelli of chard and ricotta and a gelato made on a 1964 machine; call weeks ahead for dinner. Trattoria Antichi Sapori (Michelin listing) in Gaione is a relaxed family trattoria where the owner is often in the dining room to steer your order.
Modena
Upstairs at the market, Trattoria Aldina is the lunch locals queue for: tortellini, tagliatelle al ragù or lasagne. It opens for lunch only, Monday to Saturday from 12:00 to 14:30, and takes no bookings, so arrive early. Hosteria Giusti (Michelin listing) has just four tables in the back room of the historic Giusti delicatessen, hand-rolled egg pasta and its own cured meats; it opens Tuesday to Saturday, books online with a waiting list and closes in August, December and the first week of January.
For a full dinner, Trattoria Pomposa al Re Gras (Michelin listing) is a good-value trattoria for tortellini with 24-month Parmigiano cream, green lasagne, cotechino with beans and zuppa inglese; it is closed on Mondays. For gnocco fritto and tigelle with cured meats, Trattoria Il Fantino on Via Donzi in the centre is a traditional trattoria known for both. Osteria Stallo del Pomodoro on Largo Hannover is a mid-priced Emilian osteria open every day for lunch and dinner.
Modena is also one of Italy’s great cities for a big dinner. Osteria Francescana holds three Michelin stars (Michelin listing); tables are released online in set booking windows, you have about ten minutes to complete the booking, and the one tasting menu costs about 350 euros. The same kitchen runs the more relaxed bistro Franceschetta 58 (Michelin listing). L’Erba del Re has held a Michelin star since 2008 (Michelin listing), with a historic Emilian tasting menu, and Al Gatto Verde also holds a Michelin star (Michelin listing) for cooking over fire and embers, ending with a wood-grilled beef rib.
The producer country: Parmigiano, prosciutto and balsamic
Parmigiano Reggiano. Cheese is made early, so book a morning visit if you want to see the curds lifted from the copper vats. Near Modena, 4 Madonne Caseificio dell’Emilia in Lesignana runs one-hour guided tours with a tasting every day by online reservation, at 22 euros for adults. Near Parma, Caseificio San Pier Damiani, a family-run Parmigiano Reggiano dairy on Strada Gazzano, runs booked guided visits with a tasting at the end and a shop for cheese and salumi.
Prosciutto di Parma. The hams cure in the hills south of Parma around Langhirano. The Museo del Prosciutto di Parma in the old cattle market opens on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 10:00 to 18:00 between 1 March and 8 December, with a tasting of Parma products and Colli di Parma wines. For a working ham house, Salumificio Conti runs a tour every day at 11:30 by reservation. In early September the Festival del Prosciutto opens the curing houses to visitors.
Culatello. North of Parma, on the Po, Antica Corte Pallavicina is chef Massimo Spigaroli’s estate, with a culatello museum, a casual eatery, a cooking school and a Michelin-starred restaurant (Michelin listing). In the same village, Al Cavallino Bianco (Michelin listing) is the simpler Emilian option.
Aceto balsamico tradizionale. Acetaia Giusti, runs guided tours of its barrel lofts and museum, ending with a tasting; book ahead online. Acetaia Malpighi on the south edge of Modena gives free guided tours all year by reservation, ending in a vertical tasting; book at least 48 hours ahead.
Reggio Emilia
Between the two cities, Reggio Emilia has its own classics: erbazzone, a chard and Parmigiano pie, and cappelletti in broth. The place to eat them is Trattoria da Probo (Michelin listing) in Bagnolo in Piano, a Bib Gourmand with daily specials on a blackboard, erbazzone to start, then cappelletti and boiled and roast meats. It serves lunch on weekdays and dinner only on Thursday and Friday, so book. Pair it with a visit to the Lambrusco and balsamic cellars of Medici Ermete near Reggio.
Names link to Google Maps for directions. We checked these places in October 2026. Opening days change, especially out of season, so check before you go.
The markets and food shops
In Modena, the covered Mercato Albinelli, built in 1931, is the place to buy fresh tortellini by weight, 30-month Parmigiano and a bottle of Lambrusco. From mid-September to the end of May the stalls open Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 15:00 and on Saturday from 7:00 to 19:00; check the shorter summer hours before you go. Eat upstairs at Aldina. In Parma, Salumeria Garibaldi is the shop to know: culatello di Zibello, Parmigiano, porcini, Lambrusco and fresh pasta to take away. For gelato, Ciacco on Piazza della Steccata, near the Teatro Regio, is the gelateria to know, with Tre Coni in the Gambero Rosso gelato guide and its own panettone at Christmas.
What to drink in Parma and Modena
The drink is Lambrusco, served cool and lightly sparkling, which cuts through fried dough, salumi and rich pasta. Around Modena there are two main styles: pale, sharp Lambrusco di Sorbara and dark, fuller Lambrusco Grasparossa from the hills of Castelvetro. Around Parma you will also see the white Malvasia and other wines of the Colli di Parma. To take a bottle home, Salumeria Garibaldi in Parma and the stalls of the Mercato Albinelli in Modena both sell Lambrusco alongside the salumi. To visit a winery, Cleto Chiarli in Castelvetro runs winery tours and tastings by appointment, and Cantina Paltrinieri, a Lambrusco di Sorbara producer, opens its cellar for booked visits and tastings, with free open days during the year. Near Reggio Emilia, Medici Ermete runs guided visits of its winery and the Acetaia Villa Medici, where it ages traditional balsamic vinegar of Reggio Emilia.
Food experiences to book in Parma and Modena
This is producer country, and the producers are spread across farms, hills and villages with limited public transport. A guided food tour solves that in one morning: a dairy at cheese-making time, an acetaia and a ham house, with tastings at each and no driving after the Lambrusco. In Parma and Modena, a walking food tour or a pasta class is the shortcut to the trattoria dishes.
| Experience | Length | Rating (reviews) | Best for | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parmigiano Production and Parma Ham Tour with Tasting | 4 hours | 4.9 (971) | The classic visit | Check availability |
| Parmigiano, Parma Ham and Balsamic Tour | 6.5 hours | 4.8 (330) | All three | Check availability |
| Parmigiano Factory Tour and Tasting | 2 hours | 4.9 (297) | A short visit | Check availability |
| Parma Ham Farm Tour and Tasting | 5 hours | 4.7 (244) | Prosciutto | Check availability |
Our pick: the Parmigiano Production and Parma Ham Tour with Tasting, rated 4.9 (971) on GetYourGuide.
Ratings as shown on GetYourGuide in October 2026. Check the listing for live prices and availability.
Food day trips from Parma and Modena
Bologna is the obvious third stop, with its own tortellini, ragù and markets; see what to eat in Bologna, and if you are still choosing a base, read Bologna or Parma?. To compare the classic Parmigiano, balsamic and prosciutto day from each city, see Parmigiano, balsamic and prosciutto tours from Bologna, Parma or Modena.
Frequently asked questions
What is the one dish to eat in Parma and Modena?
In Parma, anolini in brodo: I Tri Siochètt serves them in capon broth. In Modena, tortellini: in brodo at Trattoria Aldina, or with Parmigiano cream at Trattoria Pomposa al Re Gras.
Can I visit a Parmigiano Reggiano dairy?
Yes, but book, and go in the morning when the cheese is made. 4 Madonne near Modena runs tours every day by online reservation, and San Pier Damiani near Parma runs booked guided visits with a tasting.
Where do locals eat in Parma and Modena?
In old trattorias at lunchtime: Trattoria Aldina and Trattoria Pomposa al Re Gras in Modena, I Tri Siochètt and Cocchi in Parma. For gnocco fritto and tigelle in Modena, try Trattoria Il Fantino.
Do I need to book?
For the Bib Gourmands, yes: Brisla, I Tri Siochètt and Ai Due Platani all book by phone, and Ai Due Platani fills weeks ahead for dinner. Aldina takes no bookings, so arrive early. Hosteria Giusti has a waiting list, and Osteria Francescana releases tables online in set windows.
Are trattorias open every day?
No. Some open at lunch only, such as Aldina; Hosteria Giusti closes on Sundays and Mondays; and many close for all or part of August. Hosteria Giusti also closes in December and early January.
What should I drink?
Lambrusco: Sorbara or Grasparossa in Modena, and the same cool, fizzy red with salumi in Parma. For a cellar visit, Cleto Chiarli in Castelvetro or Paltrinieri in Sorbara.
Is a food tour worth it here?
Yes, more than in most places, because the dairies, acetaie and ham houses are out of town. Compare the options above or on our Parmigiano, balsamic and prosciutto tours page.
Plan your Parma and Modena food trip
Parma food tours and producer visits · Modena food tours and balsamic tastings · Parmigiano, balsamic and prosciutto tours · Emilia-Romagna food tours · Bologna food tours · Bologna cooking classes · Parmigiano, balsamic and prosciutto: from which city? · Bologna or Parma as a base · What to eat in Bologna · Bologna food tours guide · Bologna pasta classes
