Trattoria Papa Re — Restaurant in Bologna

On our last night of a three week trip to Italy, we decided to eat at Ristorante Papa Re.

We started with a shared order of the Insalata Papa Re, which although it doesn't say it, this is a green salad tossed with bacon that is cooked up with balsamic...and yes, it is as great as it sounds (sorry the picture is from when we were just about done eating it)! We also shared an order of the Tortellini in Brodo di carne because, well, we were in Bologna so I think that it's mandatory to have some tortellini! This tortellini was perfect and probably the best I've ever had.

After this, we ordered the Gramigna Fresca con Ragù di Salsiccia and Tagliatelle al Ragù Bolognese to split. The Tagliatelle was very good and perfectly prepared; however, the shining star of the night was the Gramigna Fresca! We had never had this before, but the description seemed appealing so we decided to try it…and I have to say that this blew us away!! The flavors were so well defined and complimentary that they hit every part of my mouth! It's hard to truly put into words, but I have to say that in three weeks of traveling to multiple cities in Italy, this was the best and most flavorful meal that I had during the trip.

Beyond the exceptional food at Papa Re's, the highlight of our evening was the opportunity to get to talk to the owner Dante and his absolutely wonderful daughter, Barbara! I have to say that these two truly embody what we have come to appreciate about Italians, which is the passion for creating quality food coupled with a staunch commitment to family. We saw that firsthand in Barbara in her support for Dante and the restaurant, and it was so powerfully evident in Dante when he told us about some of the restaurants that he had owned over the years with his wife. He was so proud to show us several write-ups on these places and he beamed with love and pride when he talked about his wife even though she passed over 20 years ago.

We will make it a priority to stop back at Papa Re’s on any future trips to Italy; not just for the Gramigna Fresca, but to also see these wonderful folks!

TL/DR - The Gramigna Fresca con Ragù di Salsiccia was the BEST dish that I had in three weeks of eating in Italy! And if you go to Papa Re’s, please hug Barbara and...

Everything we tried was superb, including the complimentary pumpkin soup that was immediately served. However, be certain to get the Risotto Thousand and One Nights (house specialty risotto). It is portioned for two people to share, and was a great first course dish to pair with the Scallops or the pork cutlets that we chose for a second course. The Zuppa Inglese desert Is also worth saving room for. It is a bit like tiramisu, but sponge cake soaked in amaretto instead of espresso. The house red wine was also delicious, at a reasonable 5 euros per glass. Reservations can be made over the phone, but if "Papa" answers the phone, be aware he speaks some French and Spanish, but not English. I gave 4 stars on the atmosphere only because a younger family with some rather loud children were seated near us during the middle of our dinner. It was pleasantly quiet...

The food in Bologna is amazing in general but this place was special. It was late night so we were the last table seated. It was quiet and clean. The host/server I assume was an owner. She was efficient, bilingual, professional and accommodating. Wine list was heaven. The menu was only in Italian so I'm not sure what sauce was on my pasta but I think it was pureed onions. It had broccoli and pecorino.. My husband had a pasta with sausage in a tomato cream sauce. We also shared scallops. It was an unexpected find and turned out...