If I had to choose one city in Italy for a long weekend devoted to good food, it would probably be Bologna. After all, Italians nicknamed it la grassa, the fat one, for a reason. And that tells you quite a lot.

Bologna has always felt unapologetically itself. It’s not trendy or polished in the way some northern cities like Milan or Turin can be, and despite its endless porticoes and medieval bell towers, it doesn’t lean on grand monuments to impress you. Instead, it’s a city of atmosphere and appetite that wins you over gradually, one homemade dish at a time. I always tell people that Bologna is less about ticking off sights and more about planning your meals.

This is the home of mortadella, tagliatelle al ragù and tortellini in brodo, dishes that have travelled the world but rarely taste the same elsewhere. Here, your day tends to revolve around what and where you’re eating next, and meals can stretch for hours, starting with cured meats and crescentine and ending with a luscious crema al mascarpone. 

Many of my trips here happen simply because I start craving proper ragù, but what I love most is that Bologna isn’t frozen in time and always finds a way to surprise me. Alongside the historic dining rooms and white tablecloth institutions, there’s a younger generation of chefs, bakers and wine bar owners rethinking the classics without losing sight of where they come from. It’s a city where you can move from a traditional pasta lunch to a modern tasting menu in the same day and have both feel entirely right.

These are the places I always suggest to friends visiting, from classic addresses to newer favourites, plus two hotels that make an ideal base for eating your way through the city.