Trattoria da Me — Restaurant in Bologna

I would not recommend this restaurant. I did a lot of research about where I wanted to go for dinner during our limited stay in Bologna. I thought this restaurant had a nice mixture of new and traditional which excited me. Unfortunately, the dining experience and service doesn’t live up to it. We arrived to their first seating to a huge line out of the door which moved quickly. They asked if we wanted English menus which we declined because we can read the Italian menus and we’ve found some English menus in Italy more confusing because of their translations. Our waiter was confused by the Italian menu which I don’t blame him for but the rest of our experience with him was not ideal. Every time I told him what we wanted, he would look at my husband and offer another suggestion but in a rude tone and at two points told us not to be “so touristic” and told us to order something else. It’s fine to suggest that we order something that is the chef’s specialty, but how you say that is key. Calling your diners touristic felt, and was, an insult. Not only that, why do you have it on the menu if you don’t want people to order it? The whole time it felt like he was trying to upsell us or get rid of their unsold food because they wouldn’t be open the next day; when I asked for him to recommend a wine, he chose the most expensive one. To cap it all off, we received a “tomato salad.” I say this in quotes because mealy tomatoes with a couple cucumbers topped with dried oregano arrived; no seasoning, no oil, no vinegar. When I asked for some oil and vinegar (because every other table around us and been given it), the waiter placed it on the table and, in a sarcastic tone, said “what great service.” He hadn’t visited our table once at this point since we ordered (we have been dining in Italy for over two weeks and this is the first time that this has happened) and acted as if my one question was such an inconvenience. I held back tears and went quickly to the restroom because I was so taken aback. My husband told him that he had made me cry and he offered and apology and dessert but neither of us wanted to stay because our experience and meal had been ruined. If you want to feel like you’re being churned out with 100 other diners for the next set of customers, go here. If you want a more intimate or enjoyable experience, go elsewhere. I’d mention more about the food but the experience was so poor that I can hardly remember the food. There’s plenty of great food in Bologna and plenty of other places with far better service and attention to detail....

I'm confounded by how this place has overall such great reviews, because to me it's pretty mediocre. To start, we got there early, a bit before 7.30, hoping to perhaps sit at the bar if the table wasn't ready, but instead were greeted by a closed restaurant, with the shutters down and other customers waiting outside. The shutters were then opened at 7.30 and everyone piled in at the same time. I'm not sure why they do this, perhaps it's meant to be theatrical, however I just found it pretentious. Anyway, moving on, we were taken to our table swiftly, and then just left to our own devices for about 20 minutes. It was quite impossible to get the attention of any of the waiters as they all walk around constantly looking at handheld devices. Eventually we were able to order some water - this was back in July and it was pretty hot - and a bottle of wine. Our waiter was friendly enough but spent far too much time out of sight and so it was just painful trying to ask for anything extra, e.g. more water. When we ordered our food, he recommended that we add an extra dish - a starter called Cheese Ice Cream. I said that we thought we'd ordered more than enough but he insisted that we try a 'small' portion of it. When it arrived it was clear he'd just added a whole Cheese Ice Cream to our order. This particular dish was not great. There was far too much cheese and we barely made a dent in it. The rest of the dishes were largely good but the meatballs were basically raw - not sure if this was deliberate, but either way it wasn't very nice. At one point I tried to get the attention of our waiter, and he gave me a thumbs up and then just walked past us and didn't bother coming back! Luckily we did later find a waitress who was great and helped us get things we wanted in a sensible timeframe, however this was towards the end of the meal. For the amount spent I expected a significantly better experience and better food. Unfortunately I can't recommend this place at all, which is a shame, because the reviews do indicate it's a great restaurant. Perhaps our...

We came with high expectations and left with such disappointment that I honestly felt helpless—almost to the point of tears.

The experience started off uncomfortably when the waiter pressured us into ordering more than we originally wanted. This left us too full to properly enjoy the rest of the food that came later. After placing our initial order, he asked if we wanted to “try a scoop of cheese ice cream”—which sounded like a casual sampler. I said okay, only to be served three full scoops of different ice creams, which cost €13. It felt misleading and definitely should have been phrased more clearly, as it ended up being a full-priced menu item, not a simple tasting.

As for the food: We ordered the leek appetizer, which turned out to be a single, paper-thin slice of roasted leek with a bit of sauce and a few tiny celery cubes. For the price of €15, this was shockingly underwhelming.

The cotoletta alla Bolognese (veal cutlet) was another letdown—soggy, cold, and far from crispy. The cheese sauce on top was overpowering and completely masked the flavor of the meat. The pasta ragu was just average, nothing memorable.

Honestly, the only thing I genuinely enjoyed all night was the mixed salad—a pretty low bar for a place with such high ratings.

To be fair, the server was kind enough to offer a small gesture of compensation when I expressed my disappointment, and the restaurant had a lively, busy atmosphere. Perhaps this truly is authentic classic Bolognese cuisine—who knows? But one thing’s for sure: it’s not for everyone.

Most importantly: if the middle-aged server tries to convince you to order more—say no. It’s your night, your money, and your appetite. Don’t let anyone pressure you into something you don’t want. May all diners find the courage to speak up for...