A Balùs — Restaurant in Bologna

Firstly, the food was delicious. Based on what I’ve read about the recipes, the menu derives inspiration from traditional Bolognese cuisine, with slight variations for the modern palette. There seemed to be many locals, which I suspect is because of the quality food and very reasonable food prices. We ordered a salad which was simple, but flavorful and fresh, and a vegetable “cream sauce” which was actually puree. The latter was delightful, as the veggies were at peak ripeness and a nice balance of warmth which really primed us to eat. The mains were a lasagne and a mushroom tortaloni (not to be confused with tortalini) and were both delightful. The lasagne was my favorite but the tortaloni was something of a modern classic from what locals told me in a cooking class earlier that day. The portions were sizable for Europe and we had been eating all day with small appetites for we had leftovers. Finally, there was likely a very innocent mix up in the wine I selected which was remedied. There were two versions of the La Mangia Brunello di Montalcino 2019 (a Riserva and non Riserva). I requested the latter but received the former, more expensive by 50 euro. When I mentioned this the waitress when closing out, she immediately refunded me in cash and insisted I take it despite my protests. I really enjoyed the more expensive wine and noticed the issue in the middle of my first glass, but despite trying to explain this the waitress took responsibility for the miscommunication (which was technically her fault). The insistence on adhering to ethical business above all else spoke volumes to me regarding their level of service, it was superb. This is an A grade spot I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to friends. Just make sure you’re clear, read what you’re getting carefully and ask questions during the ordering process if you’re English speaking. You’ll be rewarded with delicious food and outstanding...

I dont usually write reviews but I feel it's necessary to give an honest appraisal of our experience. I will begin by mentioning that we dined on a Tuesday night (tonight 16/7) at a 7pm time slot. Maybe the kitchen had their B--Team on but the food was subpar even for Bologna tourist restaurant standards. We arrived and waited a while to order drinks at which point we were told there were no cocktails even though they had a fully stocked bar. OK, maybe its not their thing. The bread came out and it was dry and stale and we had to ask for olive oil (cardinal sin in Italy). The pasta dishes served were dry and devoid of suace and flavour typically associated with Emilian cuisine. My mothers duck was lukewarm with a cold ratittouie type accompanyment even though it was a hot dish and and only the duck in sesame mentioned on the menu. It lacked flavour and nuance. The wine was very nice but only two glasses of white and red on the menu just doesnt cut it. The waitress wasnt sure of the wine list and also forgot our coca-cola order. The prices are reasonable but any bad food is going to feel expensive. I guess we were just...

We were greeted by a lovely waitress and were shown to our reserved table. She was friendly and accommodated us with English menus

Our Steak tartare was beautifully presented and the Mushroom pie with ricotta cheese and creamy Parmesan was a dish we never experienced before. Both we would order again and again.

My Tortellini “a balus” was cooked in brodo and finished with Parmesan and truffle, a twist from the normal Tortellini Soup. My husband had Tagliatelle with wild boar ragu. The wild boar was medium ground meat so you could taste it in each bite. Wonderful. Coming back in April and will certainly revisit this restaurant.

If you have read our reviews before you may think that we always rate high. Not true. We definitely do our homework and only go to restaurants that are given high ratings by the general public.

Joanne and...