Valentine's Day was more farce than romance this year, even though I was in Bologna. For most of…read morethe day, I actually forgot it was St. Valentine's Day, but thought it was odd street vendors kept trying to sell my friend and I roses. I guess girls do that in Italy too. This dinner was on the last evening of a whirlwind trip and we had a surprisingly difficult time finding dining options in the historic downtown area. This area seemed to be dominated by bars, rather than restaurants, although I am sure locals could more easily find some of the local gems down scenic alleys. We were happy to find Ristorante 7 Archi (7 Arches Restaurant), just a few blocks from Piazza Maggiore, the main square in town. I wish we had our meal outside in the lounge area to enjoy the vaulted brick ceilings and arches, so that is exactly where I would head on a warm summer evening. It is away from the main streets, so you could dine or drink outside without being distracted by street noise. Our group was one of the first to arrive in the restaurant for dinner on Valentine's Day. We realized that most restaurants do not open until 7:30p and Italians tend to dine quite late in the evening. We were surrounded by couples as the evening progressed, and our trio was a bit of an odd group having a business dinner with hearts on the table and balloons festooning the walls. After a world class seafood dinner at another restaurant the previous night, we all focused on meat dishes at 7 Archi. The menu is offered in two parts: La Fantasia and La Tradizioni. While both have a mixture of fish and meat dishes, we all ordered from the more traditional menu, which is available in English. We skipped the antipasti course and ordered primi, secundi and dessert dishes along with a fine red wine. Primi - Tagliatelle alla Bolognese o alla Romagnola (Bolognese noodles and meat sauce) Secundi - Tagliata di Chianina con contorno di stagione (steak with balsamic vinegar and parmesan cheese sauce). This has a side of potatoes, carrots and green beans. Dessert - semi-freddo di cioccolata The presentation of all the dishes was nice, but didn't have a wow factor. Service was very pleasant and they steered us well when we were choosing from the wine menu, which is highly focused on Italian wines. There were a few items that were unimpressive, but they also suffered in comparison to our dinner the previous night. When two of us left our semi-freddo mostly untouched, one of the items was removed from our bill. For visitors to Bologna, this was a very nice option, especially the outdoor seating which was lovely. However, if you are looking for a quaint, local dining experience, you should start prowling the side streets.

My friends and I were looking to try a seafood place since we had not tried any on our trip so far…read more As another review said below, this place is for you if you love seafood! The octopus appetizer comes with two different octopus dishes. Both were good but the octopus prepared with tomato was my favorite. Seafood and tomato pair so well together. The fish carpaccio was a little salty. I'd go with the octopus or caprese as an appetizer. For the main course I had the triangle pasta with King shrimp, scallops, and clams. Oh my god. The clams were the best I've ever eaten. They were small but so sweet and seasoned perfectly. This was one of my favorite dishes from my trip to Italy. Bravo! The assorted fish course was such a deal. A whole grilled fish, a filet of salmon, shrimp, and potatoes for 22 euros. It was outstanding. Everything was perfectly cooked. Great service and great food. Oh, they gave us complimentary champagne too! It was a great evening.

Osteria Ruggera is quite hidden inside old town Modena. The awning covers up the sign above the…read moredoorway as you walk down the street. I happened to be wandering around looking for food when I stumbled upon this place. The menu posted outside the door lured me in. As I walked in, it felt very home-y. The owner spoke little to no English, which made me feel better about my choice. Started out with a salad that came with olive oil and 25 (yes, twenty five) year balsamic vinegar. The balsamic was so thick and flavorful, you did not need to put a lot on. The filet was cooked medium, as suggested by the owner, and had balsamic drizzled all over it. I'm not sure if the same balsamic from the salad was used, but was perfect. The steak was juicy and the balsamic added a nice sweet and tangy flavor. The spaghetti has buffalo mozzarella melted in it that I did not feel that it needed Parmigiano Reggiano on top of it. It was the beat pasta that I have had in Italy, so far. I'm glad I stumbled upon this place and if I were to ever be in Modena again, I'd definitely eat here again.

My wife and I had been looking at restaurants in this area of Modena the night before. We quickly…read morelearned that on a Saturday night without reservations we were going to have issues. We stumbled onto Osteria Ruggera in one of the side streets. Thank goodness we did. We ended up having one of the best meals we have had after a week of travel in Italy. We speak little Itlian and the wait staff was very patient with great suggestions on what to order that day. Everything was fresh and delicious. My wife enjoyed their Balsamic coated pasta which was totally unique and wonderfull. I would go back without any hesitation and will recommend to friends traveling in the region.

Great, cozy place for dinner. Come hungry- if you order the appetizers they keep bringing out…read moredelicious plates. The two of us had the appetizers and skipped entres and went straight to dessert which was 4 more plates of great cake and gelato! Service was extremely friendly, fast, and took time to explain each dish. Would recommend for a great, interesting Italian cuisine experience!

This is for anyone else like me that doesn't speak Italian or know how this place works…read more You're charged a set price if you order antipasto, dessert, or wine. It's basically an all you can eat for one price thing. I didn't know this when I ordered the antipasto, and was concerned I'd get charged for everything on the table! Really though the quality of the food is amazing, and the portions are MASSIVE. The celery salad was surprisingly my favourite part of the antipasto. It was so simple, fresh, and flavourful. The tortellini en brodo had incredible depth and flavour as well. I regret not having ordered an additional entree or dessert, but I had no space! It is an experience in its own to order the antipasto or dessert; I strongly suggest it!

According a friend who runs a be spoke food and culture tour business in Italy, this is one of the…read moretop 3 Osterias in the whole country. Having estén here 40+ times and still as excited as ever while taking me here. It's a bit iut there and the areas surrounding seem to be dominated by funebiture stories and related industries. Youd likely never know unless you lived here or the word of mouth. I seek this stuff out and didnt know about it. Apparently it's also a B&B so you can get a room and stay if you like. But we are here for the Fabes recipes of the area. The cutlet, the tagliatelle, and the fish that out them on the map: tortellini cooked with a raw cream sauce that they get from their local cows. The products are all basically within the area which is what makes then special. You cant be afraid of fat here. When my friend posted photos to a geoup chat the reply was: "il colesterolo è entrato nella chat" Hahaha Itnis a Rich meal for sure. But we crushed it. The staff seem a bit nervous, not sure why but since my friend knew the owners we had a great time. So dont let that deter you from having fun. Worth the trio to see how truly local ingredients of the Italian Kitchen translates to deliciiusness

I've eaten here 4 times now during two trips to Bologna and it's consistently my favorite place for…read morepasta; namely a dish I first discovered here called Passatelli. It's made from bread crumbs, eggs and lots of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. There are two preparations on the menu: alla Romagnola (with butter and some tasty type of cured meat) and in Brodo (in broth). Both are divine! Also, the Tigelle (small pancake shaped breads) are epic when sliced open and filled with the "pesto" made of lardo (pork fat) and fresh herbs. It's downright delicious made only more tasty if you decide to add mortadella to the mix. And, they have a Lambrusco (sparkling red wine with gold top) on the list that should not be missed! #JustSaying

First time in Bologna and staying at Hotel Novecento. Wanted something good to eat and easy to get…read moreto. How fortunate we were! Our Italian is quite limited at best. The staff spoke excellent English and made us feel right at ease. The menu is not extensive but but it is excellent. We started with the vegetarian soufflé antipasto. Such a delicate flavor! Each of us then had a pasta course. All were delightful. (Of course we had wine which was delicious). For dessert we split the torta al riso (which turns out to be a regional favorite) and the crema inglese. Yum. Yum. Yum. Not only was the food delicious but the staff so kind and helpful. Definitely if ever back in the area would go again and recommended it to our guide to spread the word for other hungry but weary travelers. Grazie Mille!

WOW, best meal in our three weeks in Italy. We approached San Pietro from the back side and saw the…read morePizzeria sign and had doubts. We then arrived at the front entrance and the outside was packed. We asked for a seat inside and they were so friendly. Thumbs Up and we hadn't even looked at the menu! A great homemade bread basket was served and we couldn't stop eating...but we made ourselves stop so we could eat our meals. Our meals arrived. The first dish was a beautifully prepared pork tenderloins with a Sangiovese sauce accompanied with a couple of grilled artichokes and some pumpkin puree. Maybe the best pork we have ever had. The grilled lamb chops were great. They were served with roasted rosemary potatoes. Service was great. The chef came over and looked at my chops and said pick them up and eat them...so I did, just like I was at home. The menu is varied and something for everyone. Highly recommend and would definitely return.

We had an absolutely delicious lunch here! We had a mixed salad, a Sorrento pizza, and a Diavolo…read morepizza. The Sorrento pizza was delicious and had so many fresh ingredients. The Diavolo pizza was closest to an American pepperoni pizza but with better salami, and was also delicious. The mixed salad was also very fresh. The servers at the restaurant were very kind and engaging and the restaurant itself was cute and clean with indoor and outdoor seating. Overall, probably the best pizza we've had in Italy so far!