il Passatello di Bologna — Restaurant in Bologna

you get what you expect, a traditional full Bolognese dinner experience. no flaws detected here.

the cured meats and cheese for starters was very nice, especially the salami and what i think was a type of burrata. we were also served warm thin bread, not sure what the name is but i loved it.

the scallopina, we thought were going to be scallops because we did not translate it correctly, so we had a laugh when it arrived. but it did not disappoint! the lemon flavour shine through the buttery wine sauce and it was a well-balanced dish.

the passatelli was nice and savoury from the proscuitto, and i really liked the handmade pasta, good soft chewiness.

the cotoletto was also indulgent and well-balanced. it is very creamy though so not for the faint-hearted :)

the tartare isn’t for the weak either but I devoured it. the condiments were perfect with it, especially the onion and the brown sauce. good portion size and super filling. yum!

the grilled vegetables were good, i liked the cherry tomatoes and zucchini, but the aubergine was a bit on the dry side.

for dessert, the tiramisu is good, quite standard. i prefer it with more mascarpone to savoiardi ratio, but this was a bit more cakey. still good, rich cocoa flavour!

the panacotta was by far the best however, it tastes a bit like caramel popcorn but in a silky format. mm… divine.

was surprised to see crema catalana on the menu too but it was a happy surprise! the orange and cinnamon notes enhance the custard, and the brulée was perfectly executed. scrumptious!!!!!

come here for the perfect...

There is an old saying by the Italians: if you want the best food, make sure the menu is not in English and the restaurant is full of Italians. Passatello di Bologna definitely holds true to this saying. The staff was very welcoming to all visitors! The owner, who told us he had been running this fine establishment for decades, was incredibly gracious. He quickly led us to our table, sat us down, and our waitress, who also spoke English, did a fantastic job helping us order our meal. We went off the beaten path and ordered the Gramigna alla Salciccia, Cotoletta alla Bolognese, and Patate al Forno. The textures, the flavors, the atmosphere—it was an experience like no other. This was our fourth city in our Italian journey. We ate at plenty of restaurants in Milan, Verona, and Venice, but here in Bologna was the best meal I’ve had in Italy. I swear, I just wanted to cry because of how good this meal was. Of course, after the meal, we decided to get some Tiramisu. That was what took it over the top. Here, thousands of miles from home, I had the best tiramisu of my life—leagues better than anything I had in any other city. Wow! I don't think I'll ever forget this place. This was one of those “knock-your-socks-off” dinners. I can happily say, don't skip Bologna and don't skip...

Pleasant, but not completely blown away

We visited this restaurant one evening in Bologna, drawn in by the high ratings and glowing reviews. While we had a pleasant experience overall, not everything quite lived up to our expectations.

Due to the upstairs being busy, we were seated downstairs in the basement area, which actually had a cozy and inviting atmosphere.

I asked our server for a recommendation, and she suggested that the pasta and lasagna were their best dishes, noting that the pizza was not their specialty. Trusting her advice, we ordered one pasta and one lasagna.

After receiving our drinks, we experienced quite a wait—around 20 minutes for our starters, and a similar delay for our mains. While the starters were absolutely delicious (as you can see in the photos), the lasagna, unfortunately, didn’t impress. It was quite dry and lacked flavor—the pasta layers felt heavy and bland, with the filling barely making an impact.

For dessert, I had the panna cotta, which was delightful—smooth, flavorful, and definitely a highlight. I’d absolutely recommend it.

All in all, the restaurant offers a nice ambiance and is certainly a decent dining spot, but not all of the dishes we tried lived up...