Trattoria Da Romano — Restaurant in Bologna

Where do l start???? The bread rolls are old and the focaccia is stale. The waiter reminded me of Manuel from Fawlty Towers. The owner looks 95 and can barely walk. I love the elderly and have all the respect in the world for them…but. His son in law had to joke with him that he offered the tap water to my dog so l didn’t get charged. The tortellini is not home made, either is the broth. That in itself merits one star. The tagliatelle came with one tablespoon of ragu on top l had to ask for more. It was the smallest portion of pasta l have ever seen in Italy. The rabbit was lovely however one piece was perfectly tender and one piece was dry. I gave it to my dog. I ordered the rabbit as the lamb shank that comes with potatoes wasn’t available on the menu anymore l was told rather bluntly. I later heard Manuel explain nicely to the German women they had sold out. The portions are tiny. That’s why the prices seem so attractive. Beware! Back to Manuel. He didn’t smile. He had zero personality. With me that is. The German women who ordered a bottle of wine got all his smiles. I only ordered half a litre in a carafe…so l was scum in his eyes. He turns away people non stop, tells them the restaurant is booked out. It’s not…..all lies…. He is slow too…. Zero ambience also. He told me no dishes on the regular menu were available when l asked to see it and only the special menu items were available. More lies. Such a disappointing experience for my one night dining experience in Bologna. Don’t be stupid and believe the great reviews like l did. I am a chef. I know the difference between good food and average food. Last time l was in Bologna l ate dinner at Trattoria Amedeo it was absolutely mind blowing. Total Perfection !!! Don’t be a fool like l was and threw €3 away on a very average...

Some of the most amazing food my partner and I have had. The chef (I believe) came out to greet us and seated us himself as he had the time, he was super welcoming and definitely set our great mood for the night! Very underrated but to our benefit as the night started off nice and quiet. The starters were a delicious selection of cured meats (for him) and a selection of bruschetta the stand out being the chefs homemade ragù on top of a beautifully toasted piece of bruschetta.

Both of the mains were absolutely phenomenal, first we started with two pasta dishes, tortellini in broth (for him) and a mortadella stuffed ravioli. Our second main was a braised beef cheek with a gorgeous jus and mash potato.

Compliments to the chef for the wonderfully creamy beetroot Panna Cotta served with a sweet tangy raspberry coulis, I love to go for the 'experimental' option on the dessert menu and I can confidently say that was an experiment well executed and proven successful.

The servers were amazing at their job, super friendly and delivered a perfect wine to pair with our beef cheek main which we were informed was grown and bottled only 15 minutes away from the restaurant.

An absolutely outstanding meal and service, I can only hope in the near future they receive the recognition they deserve from official food reviews and here on Google for the quality, time and passion the food and service exudes from this lovely team for...

When I left Forli for Bologna, my colleague gave me a note of what to eat in Bologna. I thought that there was only the first and second course, but actually there was two main courses. The waiter told me that this is a lot to eat, so I asked if they can make smaller portions. It wasn't a problem for them. But then I realized that it was really 3 portions of food, so even though the food was extremely tasty, it was 2-1 for the food in man vs. food this time. I just couldn't finish the two main portions.

Anyway the waitress was very helpful and she gave me the rest to go. She even gave me some discount on the two smaller size portions, even though I was ready to pay the full prize. I just didn't want any food to go to waste.

So thank you very much for this experience for both the chef and the waitress! Maybe if I would have had a lighter lunch today, I wouldn't have made my self such a fool at the dinner.

This restaurant is off the beaten track of the tourist area, but really worth a couple of minutes walk from the...