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The city of Bologna, Italy, is officially the one with the most delicious food in the world, according to the readers of the international magazine specialized in tourism “Condé Nast Traveller”.
Since 1987, the publication’s global audience has chosen the best in world hospitality annually through its Readers’ Choice Awards, which are currently based on a questionnaire whose responses are also analyzed by in-house editors and experts.
In 2022, the destination that is famous as “Italy’s gastronomic capital” won the honor of international gastronomic “hotspot” of the dispute, pointed out by the travelers themselves for its qualities. See why:
According to “Condé Nast Traveller”, Bologna is at the heart of the Emilia Romana region, which has given the world delicacies such as Parmesan, Parma ham, bologna and balsamic vinegar. It was also there that lasagna, tortellini and bolognese sauce were first prepared.
The shops of the “Quadrilatero”, in Bologna, an enclosed area famous for the quality of its fresh products
Image: Cividins/Getty Images
However, what would set the city apart would be the passion of its chefs natives in using only the best and freshest ingredients, coming from its many street markets, where it is also traditional to enjoy bologna sandwiches.
Lunch on Pescherie Vecchie street, where there are famous markets
Image: RossHelen/Getty Images
For this reason, “Condé Nast Traveller” classifies as “surprising” the fact that the city is not among the most visited and best evaluated among Italian tourist destinations, as it loses interest to trendy metropolises, whether for its fashion, romance or history like Rome, Milan and Venice — which receive around 10 million tourists a year.
More from Pescherie Vecchie, in the historic center of Bologna
Image: LucaLorenzelli/Getty Images
Bologna, by comparison, is a city of young students. It was there that the first university in the world, the University of Bologna, was born in 1088. No wonder it received 1.5 million visitors in 2019, a portion of them interested in technology, an area that is growing in the region.
Bolognese Tortellini served in Bologna, Italy
Image: RossHelen/Getty Images/iStockphoto
The prize tip for those who want to explore the delicious restaurants on the porticoes is to always book in advance. If there are fewer tourist sites, there is also a need to cultivate relationships with the teams of the houses to get a good service, since there is not always the capacity to serve those who arrive without warning – especially at peak hours, at 9 pm.
Restaurants and bars on the porticoes on the Strada Maggiore in Bologna
Image: bennymarty/Getty Images
To enjoy dinner later, as is the custom there, the ideal is to enjoy a drink, as the bars start to fill up around 6 pm — most are also located on the porticos, walkways that are considered a World Heritage Site by the Unesco and which yield a tour to explore the development of medieval and Renaissance architecture.
Bologna’s porticos: galleries were built in the late Middle Ages originally to house craftsmen and merchants
Image: Joaquin Ossorio-Castillo/Getty Images
The “Traveller” also recommends the following houses: Trattoria da Me, run by women and a real rarity in the predominantly male gastronomic scene of the city; Osteria Bartolini, already highlighted by the Michelin guide as a “Bib Gourmand”, that is, a good and cheap seafood restaurant; or the starred restaurant at the I Portici hotel, at Teatro Eden, for a luxury experience.
