Antica Moka was quite simply resplendent. During our first visit to the Amelia Romana region of…read moreItaly, this restaurant achieved the very finest meal of all the fabulous meals we enjoyed during our stay. The quality of the ingredients, the perfect balance of flavors, and the exquisite preparation/display exceeded any expectations prior to our dinner here. The service staff is exceptional, and in addition to their patience wading through our minimal Italian they had complete command and delivery in English. While the owner and front end manager did not speak English, communication with them was also easy. The wine list was extensive and greatly expanded our experiences with Emilian wine styles. The restaurant is easy to locate, just east of Modena. Access is simple, whether by driving yourself or taking a taxi. In interior is well appointed, with much greater space among tables than what we commonly experience in the US. Not only will we certainly come back. I encourage anyone visiting Modena or Bologna to make Antica Moka a must-stop among your dining plans. Reservations will absolutely be necessary!!

Passion and tradition is their motto. We would never have encountered this wonderful experience if…read morenot recommended by Casa Maria Luigia. All the servers are women dressed in dark suit except their son. Amazing food and service. The vegetable pie is a must try! We wished we had a chance to go back before we headed back to Bologna. The beauty of their stories is that they can be told to taste each time..........it was just that good!

One of the best meals I have ever had. We had the fresh pasta with porcini mushrooms - amazing!…read more The service was welcoming, everything was perfect. I can't recommend this restaurant enough, an unexpected gem.

Great traditional Italian restaurant. The seasonal porcini meals were fantastic. Been here twice…read moreand would definitely come again.

Feels like a very old timey traditional Modena restaurant for locals but the staff speaks English…read morewhich was a surprise. The tiny Tortellini in broth was amazing & I haven't had tripe italian style for a long time. Wonderful place.

Enzo was delightful! You'll walk upstairs to get to the dining room - a very homey, calm vibe…read more Nothing crazy & no surprises. Just really good pasta! Service was good.

This was our first stop for Massimo botturo in Modena…read moreAbsolutely the Emilia burger is the best hamburger known to man The aged Negroni was absolutely delightful and delicious and instilled a sense of peace The pasta with clams was luxurious sauce and only the completion allowed satisfaction beyond compare The dessert was constructed perfectly Service as always is attentive and constant and. The restaurant is cozy and comfortable A must visit to Modena before his classic three star restaurant Francescana at casa Maria luigia

It was an amazing meal from a visual and sensory perspective. Each dish is a painting that is…read moreserved and evolves on your plate through color and space. The staff nicely explains each dish and the background of its story. You receive a printed card showcasing the story and theme before the meal (in our case misery and nobility), then a copy of the printed menu, and a separate menu with the substitution if you have a dietary restriction. I didn't know they had an extensive kitchen and staff of 65 that works on the preparations and execution behind the scenes. It was definitely the most expensive fine dining experience in Europe, possibly the most expensive restaurant in Italy. But it was worth trying it. Very different from the Paul Bocuse experience, and different from Japanese fine dining too.

From the owner: Il pregio e la rarità del locale creato da Anna Maria Barbieri, profondamente innamorata…read moredell'arte della cucina, consistono nel situarlo al più alto livello della bontà e della finezza dei cibi, ma tenendolo allo stesso tempo radicato nel cuore della tradizione sapienziale popolare e nel modo di porgere tutto emiliano. La millenaria storia dei sapori, che inizia miticamente da Dionysos e che eleva il semplice alimentarsi alle forme superiori del banchetto, trova qui, un punto di riferimento: il carattere autentico dei piatti padani è infatti la base sulla quale la signora Anna Maria coltiva il sorprendente giardino delle sue mirabili elaborazioni" La tradizione e la cucina per Anna Maria e' un amore profondo, dalla Caffetteria Moka, vecchio Bar di quartiere, era il 1974 in via Emilia Ovest, ad oggi Antica Moka in via Emilia est. Dal Gnocco fritto di prima mattina, alla semplice cucina di trattoria, per giungere alla cucina attuale, la ricerca della materia prima nel territorio, alla t

This gem came recommended by a local we met today. It's upstairs, unassuming and absolutely…read moreamazing! Friendly staff and many options for both carnivores and vegetarians

Homey trattoria for traditional Italian food! It felt like stepping in to someone's home where we…read morewere treated to friendly service and delicious food. The lasagna was completely made from scratch and my boyfriend stated it was the best he's ever had. I ordered the pasta with sausage and wow, what a treat. Prices were affordable and food was serviced quickly. Can't recommend enough!

Food! Service…read more Ambiance Location Deserts Steaks Wine Great find, Interior was great and comfortable A/C worked Did I say Deserts

This meal was, by far, our favorite pasta in Italy! The handmade tortelloni pasta with pumpkin,…read morebalsamic vinegar, and Parmesan is an absolute must when dining here. We arrived around 10 minutes before the doors opened for lunch, and our party of 7 was seated immediately. We ordered and most of our plates arrived quickly. For some reason, one plate of lasagna arrived 15 minutes after the other dishes. Everything we tried was delicious, and the outdoor seating in the plaza was lovely!

Just finished eating here. Pasta with porchini mushrooms and osso bucco. Both were excellent…read more Since the last review is so long ago, wanted to update that service and quality of food is still excellent. Prices are reasonable. Five steps from Duomo. You can actually see it if sitting outside. Very pleasant. And some street musuans are playing right outside ans are very very good.

What a delicious restaurant! Came here at 7:30 PM on a Saturday night and it was empty. Italians…read moreeat so late, it's weird. Anyway, we ordered the gnocco fritto to start, which was mind blowing. Imagine a sweet puffy dough pillow that was halfway in-between a crossiant and a donut. And then imagine putting nice prosciutto and salamis and what not on it. It was an awesome, life changing meal. For our mains, we had the gnocchi with sausage and the cheese and spinach tortilini with balsamic dressing - two awesome dishes. Perfectly sized, great flavors, not overly salty. Water was only 1 euro per bottle, and coperto was 2 euro each. Our waiter spoke great English, and even put up with my dad's sad attempt to speak Italian (by attempting to pronounce the names of the dishes). I prefer the "point to the menu" method myself. Really really pleased with the quality, price, and level of service. It's a little bit hidden down a small street, but keep searching it's worth it I promise!

One of the rare times where expectations were high, but not met. I had been crushed when the place…read morewas closed my first visit to Modena in 2015. Determined, I returned to the city in 2017, and HG was my first call (in fact, I confirmed they were opened before booking the hotel). I love all the intrigue in entering through a secret door from inside a high-end meet and cheese shop. There are just 4 tables, so it's very intimate too. The menu is concise, and offered in English. But the food didn't "wow" me. The "dried cod cream with toast" appetizer was like hot fish dip. It was, I can't believe I'm saying this, a little gross. And it was 18€! My table of 4 was playing "hot potato" with it. The 12€ fried dumplings with cold cuts was one of the better items. Both pastas (macaroni with duck and linguini with pork cheek sauce) were enjoyed by all, but at 18€ each, were also a little shocking. The 26€ main courses were mostly fine, but again, way too expensive and too small. Nothing even worth describing in my usual exhaustive detail. Oh wait: the "fried cotechino with zabiglione sauce" was also gross. So another big strike out in the secondi to go with the hot cod dip. For a place with such a fanatical foodie following (FFF), I would have much preferred the weekday lunch at Strada Facendo (a multi course lunch for the price of a single dish here).

After watching the second season of Master Of None, I was bound to make reservations at Hosteria…read moreGiusti. In the show, he meets a girl at the salumeria and they hit it off. I was now a single girl ready to mingle, in hopes of living the life the way Aziz Ansari did in the show. Hosteria Giusti happens to be Mario Batali's favorite restaurant. It also happens to only be open for lunch and caters to the lucky diners who manage to snag one of the four tables available. Yes, you read it right; there are only a total of four tables! I booked months in advance for this lunch and couldn't wait to try it. The restaurant itself was situated below my AirBnB (if you need recommendations, just ask me!) and luckily, I didn't have to dine alone. Upon arrival, you walk into the salumeria and check in with the staff to let them know you have a lunch reservation. The place itself is magnificent, with cured meats hanging from the ceiling and condiments after condiments all situated throughout the 4oo year old store. The hostess takes you through the store to the back, walking you through the kitchen until you reach your destination. The tables are rustic and you feel you're sitting in the dining room of a cute little European cottage. You're offered water and a wine list and the menu. Then the food comes.... MY FAVORITE DISH. FRIED DUMPLING WITH COLD CUTS (€12.00). Can I just tell you how freakin amazing this dish is? The bread aka the fried dumpling was light and airy and wasn't greasy for being fried. It was easy to eat and the cold cuts were delicious! It wasn't heavy and can be shared amongst your other party. I have yet to find something similar to this dish in LA. MACARONI WITH "ZAMPONE" SAUCE AND POTATO MUSH (€18.00). I never had pasta that is paired with potato. The zampone sauce usually consists of shoulder and thigh meat as well as the pork cheek and skin. It is common and Modena and I can see why! It is delicious and flavorful. The whole pasta was cooked al dente (now I really know what al dente means). The flavor was delicious, light, and slightly rich without being overpowering. I actually enjoyed the potato at the bottom of the dish. It absorbed the sauce. I liked this dish a lot. Get it cause I have yet to find a dish similar to this in the States. PUMPKIN RAVIOLI (€18.00). I mean, how can you go wrong with ravioli? It was light and the filling was smooth. It wasn't too sweet which can often happen with pumpkin. It was filling and yet, you find yourself wanting more. This dish was a good dish and fresh for the season. SUCKLING PIG IN ROOM TEMPERATURE WITH ONION SAUCE AND AGED BALSAMIC VINEGAR (€18.00-HALF PORTION). This was my least favorite dish. I felt the suckling pig was a bit too dry for my liking. I didn't love the onion sauce. It was a tad bit overwhelming in terms of acidity. Together, the onion sauce and the suckling pig were well-balanced but it still fell short of moistness and texture. FRIED "COTECHINO" WITH ZABAGLIONE AND LAMBRUSCO (€18.00-HALF PORTION). This was my favorite main amongst the two. It wasn't what I expected. It was basically a deliciously, ground up, moist sausage that was fried and topped with a well-balanced sauce. It was crisp and the perfect size being the half portion. It wasn't overly heavy, so I appreciated that. COOKED PEARS WITH MOSCATO ZABAIONE AND TOASTED ALMONDS (€18.00). I picked this dish cause I thought it was something different. The pears were delicious and not too sweet. The portion size was a good size to be shared. I just felt that the dish wasn't amazing. It wasn't what I expected. It was a little sour and I just was hoping for something more. Overall, I can see why Hosteria Giusti is Mario Batali's favorite restaurant. It is unique and pays homage to authentic food of Modena. This was the first time I tasted what true "al dente" pasta meant. It was definitely something to get used to, but I now much prefer this mode of cooking pasta. I thought all the flavors were quite prominent at this restaurant and I loved the fact that it was intimate. They cater to you as though you're one of the family. Although I didn't love every dish at this restaurant, I thought it was a unique experience and I wouldn't mind eating at this place again. For more pics, check out thefoodseeker dot com