Guided tour

Bologna: Guided Traditional Food Tour

4.6 / 5

45 reviews

Activity provider: Do Eat Better Experience
Guided tour

Bologna: Guided Traditional Food Tour

Activity provider: Do Eat Better Experience
Likely to sell out

From US$ 96.52 per person

Likely to sell out

Join a full, multi-course, traditional Bolognese lunch divided into 5 different restaurants hand-selected by local experts. Your guide will share stories and recipes, as well as divulge the history of Bologna and its famed dishes.

About this activity

Free cancellation
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Duration 3.5 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Live tour guide
English, Italian

Experience

Highlights
  • Discover the top 5 food stops in Bologna
  • Enjoy Bologna with a full belly guaranteed
  • Taste a variety of traditional foods
  • Avoid the tourist traps
  • Enjoy the company of a friendly and motivated small group
Full description

Learn all of the secrets of traditional Italian food culture and items from the Bologna region on this guided food tour. Your food guide will navigate you through the history behind the dishes and their preparation. Experience Bologna from an unusual perspective. 

Learn why Bologna is known as the wise for containing the second oldest university in Europe, the red because of the red roofs of its houses, and the rich for its food offerings and flavor. 

Discover the secrets behind Italian gastronomy in the Emilia-Romagna region as a reference due to its historical ties with food and Bologna as a hotspot for Italian culinary excellence. 

The following are a few dishes that you may try during the tour:

  • Local cured meats and cheeses with hand-baked bread or platter of mixed pizza - the meal opens with a wide variety of local cured meats and cheeses or with a delicious platter of mixed gourmet pizza.
  • Fresh pasta like Bolognese tortellini stuffed with different types of meat and parmesan cheese. Usually, they are served in meat broth, but our guests will have the opportunity to choose among different options for garnishing their tortellini.
  • Bolognese cotoletta, a veal meat served with a rich sauce made with cream and parmesan cheese and topped with smoked ham. The traditional recipe requires that the meat is fried, then served in meat broth. Finally, it is briefly baked in the oven and served covered in melted cheese and ham.
  • Brazadela, is a cake prepared in a doughnut shape from a traditional peasant recipe. Since its origins, the recipe has been passed from mothers to their children in order to preserve its simplicity and delicate taste.
  • Espresso coffee is the inevitable conclusion of every Italian proper meal. Espresso will be offered in a historic coffee shop, accompanied by artisanal whipped cream.

Includes
  • Food
  • Water
  • Wine or beer in fixed amounts
  • Live commentary
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Tips
Not suitable for
  • Wheelchair users

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Meeting point

Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, in front of Feltrinelli bookstore

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Important information

What to bring

  • Comfortable shoes

Not allowed

  • Pets
  • Luggage or large bags

Know before you go

  • Tours are run in English and Italian. Other languages are available upon request
Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.6 /5

based on 45 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    4.8/5
  • Value for money
    4.6/5
  • Service
    5/5
  • Organization
    4/5

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Star rating:

Food was delicious! The guide was so kind. We showed up late after some transportation issues. I wish the guide talked about the food or talked about the city, but that's my only critique. She was super helpful and kind. We even bumped into her later. She gave us some advice on the food we missed.

October 29, 2022

True to description, we definitely ate a lot. We experienced a lot of traditional foods like tagliatelle al ragu, mortadella and prosciutto, and this amazing fried steak dish. Didn't feel rushed and the other people in the group were great to talk with. The guide was friendly but it would have been nice to have learned more along the tour of what we were seeing and eating.

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September 30, 2022

Eleonora was a great guide! She was very friendly and knowledgeable about the local cuisine in Bologna. She gave us insights to not only the foods, but also general life and the history around her city. She also gave recommendations for food/drinks to try outside of the tour. We had so much fun and enjoyed all the food we tried.

June 5, 2022

Product ID: 195896