Osteria Bartolini — Restaurant in Bologna

Well to be honest I have mixed feelings writing this review. PS. Apparently it's better to book a table in advance.

We didn't know that this place required reservations in advance and entered, excited to have our last great dinner in Italy for we are flying back tomorrow.

As soon as we entered, the manager/owner at the counter asked if we had a reservation and not in a welcoming way, I said no and didn't mind going to another place, but he said if you can eat under 1 hour they could give us a table; my wife wanted to try their dishes so I accepted.

The waiters were professional, but lacked the friendliness that I had received in all restaurants that I had visited before here so felt abit akward ( this is my personal opinion). Looking through the menu I remembered there was a dish that looked like spaghetti vongole, and orderded a dish that had clams in it, but the sad part was it was only a dish with clams and a slice of biscuit bread. Wife was disappointed, but I couldn't find anything on the menu that resembled Spaghetti vongole. The Funny part was after we ordered a couple behind had received the dish we were looking for: Spaghetti vongole or with clams... so this is quite confusing that they didn't have that in the menu but somehow the other guest orderded it. (Menu was in english when we scanned with the QR code).

We ordered: -Classical fish broth Risotto -Poverazze ( the clam dish we thought was vongole) -Fritto senza spine (fried seafood variety)

All dishes were good except poverazze was just clam with a bread slice and the let down already lost our hype.

Since we were in a rush, we just ate as fast as we could and left. When we left the waiters gave us their farewell, but the same person at the counter didn't even bother to greet us when we left.

So overall, the dishes were fine and if we were more relaxed, I guess we could have had a more positive experience.

Don't get me wrong, we chose to eat under 1 hour, so it's not their fault we felt like that, but from the confusion of the menu, the man at the counter with no hint of welcoming us, just felt straight cold and just...

A Tourist Trap in Disguise – My Honest Experience at Oateria Barteloni

I don’t usually write reviews, but this experience deserves to be shared — not out of spite, but so others can avoid the same disappointment.

From the moment we sat down, something felt… off. The staff smiled, but it didn’t take long to realise it was the kind of welcome that disappears the moment you ask for anything slightly outside their routine. Ask for something basic — salt, napkins, an extra fork — and they either pretend not to understand or vanish, returning with only part of what you requested.

The food? Bland doesn’t even begin to cover it. Everything tasted mass-produced, clearly designed for tourists who’ll never come back. Nothing fresh, nothing local, and certainly nothing worth the prices they charge. Speaking of which — exorbitant is putting it mildly. You walk out feeling like your wallet’s been emptied for a meal that left you both hungry and frustrated.

No cloth napkins, just thin paper ones. One set of cutlery for your entire meal — and I honestly believe they’d have expected us to use the same spoon for dessert if we dared to order it.

But the worst part wasn’t the food. It was the attitude. The moment you question something, or politely raise a concern, the warmth disappears. Sarcastic remarks. Eye rolls. And in our case? We were quite literally shown the door — like the problem was us for expecting basic decency and value.

I’m not writing this to tell you not to go. That’s your choice. But if you do, just know what to expect: a polished surface hiding a rushed, soulless, overpriced experience, built to squeeze money from unsuspecting tourists.

Some places feed you. Others take advantage of you. Unfortunately, this one falls in the...

This experience was excellent from the very beginning. Booking a reservation is very easy and you get a confirmation that it has been seen by the staff and accepted. The actual dining experience was phenomenal! The menu was small and easy to navigate and our server was very happy to make recommendations. The atmosphere was pleasant and quiet without feeling pretentious.

We split the Fresh Tuna and it was divine. The flavor was explosive but not overpowering and the panzanella was extremely fresh and refreshing.

After I got the grilled sea bass with vegetable and I was in heaven. The fish was perfectly cooked with a crispy top. The skin was not crisp but I like the skin to be soft. The vegetables were seasoned very lightly if at all but tasted like they had just been picked minutes before.

My wife got the fried calamari. They are not shy with the portion here. The calamari was soft and not even a little chewy. The breading was crisp as if it was tempura fried and packed full of flavor.

We finished with the terrine of fresh cream with zabaglione. They brought this out with a candle for my wife's birthday which I had forgotten I mentioned while making my reservation. It was something so small that made the evening even more special. This dish is something I will remember for the rest of my life. It ruined my palette with how extraordinary it was. Creamy and soft, sweet yet mildly savory. And perfectly sized for the two of us.

I cannot recommend Osteria Bartolini enough. The staff are knowledgeable, friendly and excited to be there. The venue is beautiful and welcoming. The food is mind blowing and even more mind...