Bologna Food Tours: What to Eat & How to Book

The short version: Bologna is nicknamed La Grassa, the Fat One, and it is Italy’s food capital. A Bologna food tour walks you through the Quadrilatero market lanes and old osterie, tasting mortadella, Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma, traditional balsamic and fresh tagliatelle al ragu, with local Lambrusco or Pignoletto wine. A guide gets you into the right shops and the city’s oldest taverns. Here is what to taste and how to book.

At a glance

What you taste

Bologna and the wider Emilia-Romagna region produce some of Italy’s most famous foods. On a tour you taste mortadella (the real thing, not “baloney”), aged Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma, drops of traditional balsamic vinegar aged for years, and a plate of tagliatelle al ragu, the dish the world calls “bolognese” (you will not find spaghetti bolognese here, and that is the point). Many tours finish with gelato or a sweet.

How a Bologna food tour works

The Quadrilatero, the grid of medieval lanes behind Piazza Maggiore, is lined with salumerie, cheese shops and fresh-pasta windows. A guide takes you into the best of them for tastings, plus a stop at a historic osteria for pasta and wine. It is the quickest way to understand why Bologna is called La Grassa, and a great first-day orientation.

Our pick: the Bologna Local Food Tour with Authentic Tastings and Wine (4.9 stars) runs through the city centre with mortadella, Parmigiano, Prosciutto di Parma, balsamic and wine.

Beyond the city

Serious food lovers add a day trip to the producers: a Parmigiano dairy, a balsamic acetaia and a prosciutto maker around Parma and Modena. See our guide to Parmigiano, balsamic and prosciutto tours, and where to base yourself in Bologna or Parma.

Planning more food stops? See the best food tours in Europe.

Compare every city: the best food tours in Italy.

Frequently asked questions

What food is Bologna known for?

Mortadella, tagliatelle al ragu (true bolognese), tortellini in brodo, and the Emilia-Romagna trio of Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma and traditional balsamic vinegar.

How long is a Bologna food tour?

Most run 2.5 to 3 hours through the Quadrilatero and a market, with tastings and often a sit-down plate of fresh pasta.

Is there spaghetti bolognese in Bologna?

No. The local dish is tagliatelle al ragu, served with flat egg pasta rather than spaghetti. Trying the real thing is half the reason to take a tour.

Book a Bologna food tour

Compare Bologna food tours, or make the pasta yourself with a Bologna cooking class.