Bologna (Italy)
02.05.14 - Guillaume - 716lavie
Getting there
There’s that permanent Air France flight at 100 euros the return ticket which changes everything. 1 hour and a half and you’re in Italy.
Transportation
It’s a medieval city so a circle and closed by a wall, therefore circulation is difficult, if you’re not walking and biking.
For the bus that does go in the center, there’s only a ticket “carnet” that costs 10 euros. Otherwise there’s a Bologna tourist card that costs 20 euros (http://www.bolognawelcome.com/en/richiedicard/) , or 18 euros if you get accommodations through Bologna Welcome: incredible, what a deal!
For example, for the bus you have to buy a 10 ticket “carnet” around 12 euros which gives you about 20 cents discount per ticket, but otherwise nothing else. But there is no other pass better than that. One thing that could be nice to try is to rent a bike for the day, otherwise walk, but there’s lots of walking! The center may look small at first, but it really isn’t, you get tired fast if you don’t take the bus at all.
Bologna is a much more complex city than it seems. A university city, we find the oldest university in the world here, it’s a city traditionally on the left in politics. It’s also a city of music, since the Middle Ages up until now, there is notably a museum of musical instruments. I had stumbled upon a youtube channel called InnerSpace1991 on which they put up techno rave videos from the start of the 90s, I had offered to make up a 716 playlist ( Listen to the Playlist d’InnerSpace1991) when I found out through them that they were from Bologna despite their English name. They explained that the techno scene in Italy had started “principalement” from Bologna.
I then thought to myself that it was a city sufficiently full of young people and students to generate underground movements.
But Bologna is also the city of the automobile industry ( Maseratti, Ducatti) and pharmaceutics. It is therefore a wealthy city. For that matter, when we walk around downtown we also see that traditional bourgeoisie “qui se donne du Dottore quand elle se salue”. On another note, there is a square on which we can find casinos, many Bolognese told me that the city was trying to get rid of it, but that it wasn’t that easy. Friends that had been to Bologna a good ten years ago remembered it as pretty dirty, particularly because of gross graffiti they told me. I didn’t see anything that would make me think that.
I think this follows what Vittorio described above as “Bologna has become a normal city”. The underground scene has given away to something cleaner.
I’m not giving an entire summary of Bologna with these few lines, but I just wanted to say that Bologna wasn’t just a historical city and a university city full of Erasmus students. Because it’s an industrial city and that she wasn’t part of the 1st “division” of Italian touristic cities, Bologna ignored up until 2005 its touristic potential ( it’s the tourism office that gave me this date). Yet it’s a city that dates to the Antiquity ( 9th century B.C.E) Things are changing slowly, but it’s very slow with the institutions.
The tourism office set up an English blogger program ( 10 winning bloggers get a completely free trip) because they realized there was a flux of British tourists, however for the French “dont ma pomme”, nothing, or very little.
It was difficult to cooperate with them, for example it was impossible to get a map of the public transportation to get around the city. I got a tour and some free entrances to museum. Yet I had explained to them that with the Air France 90 euros return ticket that had an amazing opportunity to attract French tourists. Today when we go away for a weekend we want: to eat well, club or cocktail deals, see historic sites, be in a city where there is little traffic where we can walk around and if possible that there not be 100 000 tourist per square meter. There’s all of that in Bologna.
There’s lots of museums in Bologan, I’m not usually a fan of museums, and particularly those in Bologna because a lot are only in Italian. And lets be honest, I’d rather walk around the city. But others could easily find their bliss in the museums they have.
There was no Cartoville for Bologna.
E Cucina Leopardi
Via G. Leopardi, 4
40123 Bologna
Tel : +39 051 275 0069
Closed sundays
“A super good restaurant, a chef that offers a lunch menu at 10 euros: trendy without being snobby, smart dishes: even if my Italian friends didn’t think the pasta were amazing , my French palate, though very demanding, was very happy….and my wallet too! Good deal!!!!”
Il Diavolo Al Pontelungo
Via Mascarella, 5/B
Bologna
Il Marinaio
Via Toscana, 163/A 40100 B
Bologna
Tel : +39 (0)51 474663
Closed Monday
“A seafood restaurant outside of town. It’s a sure thing according to my friends who live beside it and really appreciate the place. On the internet opinions contrast between those that are really enthusiastic about it and those that complain about high prices. If you’re a French guy in Italy, especially if Parisian and you’re in Bologna having an entire fish, fresh, for 20 euros, it’s a decent price, but for some Italians, they’ll find the prices too high.”
Pasta Fresca
Via del Pratello 71
Bologna
Tel : 051 523288
“A pasta place like they used to be: pasta of the day cooked by a mama of a respectable age, and it’s another that takes the orders. Lots of students, but not only, super authentic, and not expensive!”
Trattoria Da Vito
Via Mario Musolesi, 9
40100 Bologna
Tel : +39 051 349809
“An establishment that’s been here forever, every artist and political figure have crossed paths here. The place became famous when singers such as Lucio Dalla and Guccini went to eat here. The locals appreciate the family vibe, and the authentic atmosphere. Eating tortellini al ragu at Da Vito is one of those things that you wont ever forget.”
THE PLACES I DIDN’T TRY OUT WITH COMMENTS FROM THOSE THAT MADE THE RECOMMENDATIONS :
RESTAURANTS
All’Osteria Bottega
Via Santa Caterina, 51, 40123 Bologna
Tel : +39 051 585111
http://www.cucchiaio.it/mangiare-fuori/osteria-bottega-bologna/
Camera a sud
Via Valdonica, 5, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Tel : +39 051 095 1448
http://www.cameraasud.net/
Eataly
Via degli Orefici, 19,
40124 Bologna
Tel : +39 051 095 2820
Marco Fadiga Bistrot
Via Rialto, 23C, 40124 Bologna, Italy
Tél : +39 051 220118
http://www.marcofadigabistrot.it/
“The restaurant of the “golden youth”, with a great wine selection.
Shabby-chic atmosphere, elaborate dishes but not complicated, a hint of French cuisine with a local twist. You can buy products too, from either the Bologna tradition or foreign one.
To try: The cotoletta chicken
Really good to have after a show.”
Osteria del Orsa
Via Mentana, 1, 40126 Bologna
Tel : +39 051 231576
http://www.osteriadellorsa.com/
“Simple, with local cuisine, known because cheap and full of students!”
“Right downtown! A gem! I ate a cotoletta alla bolognese there, and it’s worth it!”
Osteria del Sole
Vicolo Ranocchi, 1/d, 40124 Bologna, Italie
Tel : +39 347 968 0171
http://www.osteriadelsole.it/
“and there is a really typical place where u can bring your own food n just buy drinks calles Osteria del sole- as italians told me, it is the how it was at the beginning, u cant buy food there, only drinks. But you can bring food from home. And usually it is always overcrowded ….
“It’s the oldest from 1465. In this osteria is possible drink wine and take your own food that you can buy outside or wherever you want, if you want; or you can just drink wine and enjoy the atmosphere. In via degli orefici, close to the osteria, there are other nice places like Eataly.”
“then Osteria del Sole in Vicolo Ranocchi. Go there and take some wine glass. Remember inside there you can only drink, but you can can buy some “crescente” with “mortadella” in some place in the nearby.”
Osteria San Carlino
Via San Carlo, 16, 40121 Bologna
Tel :+39 051 412 6010
http://www.sancarlinobologna.it/
Sardinian cuisine
Osteria Satyricon
Via delle Armi, 3, 40141 Bologna, Italy
Tel : +39 051 444320
http://www.osteriasatyricon.com/
“Small, but super nice, and super good! Try the tagliatelle al ragu!”
Osteria Tato e Vino
Via Sebastiano Caboto 2/a (outside),
40132 Bologna
Tel : +39 051 619 3521
“My favourite 🙂 Traditional, heart-warming, inexpensive! The only problem..to get there from downtown you need to take a bus or a taxi if you don’t have a car! Can’t miss: Spaghetti alla chitarra!”
La Pignatta (on the outskirts of town)
Viale Antonio Silvani, 18
40122 Bologna
Tel : +39 051 521700
“Not too far from the train station, if you want to eat some good fish as well. A bit “nouvelle cuisine”, a bit traditional bolognese, discreet atmosphere, patio during the summer, the master will explain all the recipes in detail.”
First fish dish to eat and love, like the CALAMARI TAGLIONI. And the fish mixed salads are sublime as well.”
Trattoria/magasin Tamburini
Via Caprarie, 1, 40124 Bologna
Tel : +39 051 234726
http://www.tamburini.com/
PIZZERIAS
Pizzartist
Via Marsala, 35,
40126 Bologna
Tel : +39 051 587 2755
“the amazing amazing pizza place!”
Pizzeria Altero (a emporter)
Via dell’Indipendenza, 33, 40121
Bologna
Tel : +39 051 234758
http://www.pizzaltero.com/
Pizzeria Spaccanapoli
Via S. Vitale 45/A – 40125 Bologna
Tel : 051 261743
http://www.pizzeriaspaccanapoli.net/
“The second one is known for its huge pizza sizes! Cozy, and cheaper!”
Pizzeria La Stella (en dehors de la ville)
Via Marco Emilio Lepido, 49,
40132 Bologna
Tel : +39 051 400352
“Not very central, but really good, the best pizza in Bologna, cool atmosphere, poetry on the chairs and on the walls…the ingredients are chosen with thought, the herbs are grown behind the restaurant.
The specialty? The BURROTTO, a small pizza with tomatoes, and a mountain of “burrata” mozzarella in the center.
Pizzeria Tonino
via Cairoli, 16, 40121 Bologna, Italy
Tel : +39 051 588 2700
http://www.mediton.it/
“more expensive but very interesting place ( I wont say why, you’ll see 🙂 )”
Bologna is renowned for being one of the best cities in Italy to eat in. I’d like to mention that the expression “bolognese sauce” doesn’t exist in Italy, it’s “al ragu”, so a râgout sauce. If you don’t make this mistake, you’ll make friends easier. Italians are serious about their food. Cooking workshops- A man contacted me, having heard that I was writing articles on Bologna, to let me know about the workshops that he organized, except that he calls it spaghetti bolognese, which kills exactly what I just said 🙂
Check out his website: https://www.cookening.com/en/tables/spaghetti-bolognese-in-bologna-where-else
-There are also these Kitchen Dates, meetings in which you cook together, it looks really cool: http://www.kitchendate.it/
Le Fico: A huge project that consists of constructing a gigantic city of gastronomy called Fico. A theme park with 40 restaurants, fields, gardens, production workshops, laboratories, schools, shops. The only articles that I was able to find were in Italian, so it’s hard to have a precise idea of what the project really is/looks like. However, I got the impression that the tone was often critical towards this gigantic park made out of nothing.
051
Via de’ Pignattari 1/f
40124 Bologna
Open Monday-Saturday 12:30pm-4pm and 7pm-11pm
“It’s a bar that exists since 2009. It has a specialty food store vibe with charcuterie specialties ( mortadella, salami, ham and cooked) and wine bar, the place fills up all at once for drinks before dinner.”
Celtic Druid
Via Caduti di Cefalonia, 5
40125 Bologna
Tél : +39 051 227518
“I had an hour to kill that day downtown, and I was wondering where I was going to go. I stumbled upon this pub, that seemed to have a good vibe, I enter, impression confirmed. My bolognese friends also agreed that this was a good place when I told them I thought this was a really nice spot.”
Moustache
Via Mascarella, 5/A
40126 Bologne
Tél : +39 051 235424
Open Tuesday-Saturday 12:30pm-2:30pm and 6:30pm-1am. Monday closed at 11pm. Sunday closed!
“Moustache is the story of a coup de coeur: a restaurant/bar in which we feel good, where the cocktails are good, all of this served by a team of young, dynamic, hard working women.”
THE BARS I DIDN’T TRY AND THE COMMENTS FROM THOSE THAT RECOMMENDED THEM
“Cool concept and for you and your blog, especially the apéritif. It’s not just a martini with two peanuts to chew on… 7 euros and you get your drink and a huge all you can eat buffet 🙂 Naturally you’re going to leave with a ridiculously full stomach…no dinner except after 10pm if you’re a big eater!”
Caffé Zamboni
Via Zamboni, 6, 40126 Bologna
Tel : +39 051 273102
http://www.caffezamboni.it/en/index.html
Lab 16
Via Zamboni, 16, 40126 Bologna
Tel : +39 051 1889 9835
http://lab16.it/
Drinks start at 6pm until around 8pm
Mambo
Via Don Giovanni Minzoni, 14, 40100
Bologna, Italy
+39 051 649 6611
http://www.mambo-bologna.org/
It is a modern art museum and they do ‘aperitivo’ but not all the time.
Pane e tulipani
Via Gandino, 4/A
40137 Bologna
Tel : +39 051 305465
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pane-e-Tulipani/119440211400166
“a really cute bar that looks on a canal (yes bologna has cananals! but they’re hidden)
n i think they do live music sometimes too..”
Record Stores
Via San Carlo 18/b
Via Galliera, 23
40121 Bologna
Tel : +39 051 239145
The website : http://www.discodoro.it/
Bologna is a city of music. In particular there is a music museum with instruments and historical scores. If I went to Bologna it’s because I published a 716 Playlist by a Bolognese producer that I really like: Franck Agrario. He’s got many projects. I particularly like his disco edits.
I found him during this trip, he was working hard making the new Bolognese pop group’s (Lo Stato Sociale) second album.
To get a feel for Bologna in a video, this video is pretty interesting, even if I don’t like this particular group from Bologna
Mercato Della Terra
Piazzetta Pier Paolo Pasolini, entrata da Via Azzo Gardino 65 (cortile Cineteca)
Bologna
Read the review
GELATI
Cremeria Funivia
Via Porrettana, 158, 40135 Bologna
Tél :+39 051 614 5062
http://www.cremeriafunivia.com/
When you eat ice cream at “Cremeria Santo Stefano” or at “La Funivia” you’ll laugh when you see “glace italienne” written in Paris 🙂
Gelatauro
Via San Vitale, 98, 40125 Bologna
Tél : +39 051 230049
http://www.gelatauro.com/
The best icecream for me is Gelatauro is the small shop in via san vitale closer that vitale´s door…
