Drogheria della Rosa

I think this was my favorite restaurant in all of northern Italy. This was one of the few places in Italy that tasted exactly how I imagined Italian food in Italy would taste. I got there much earlier than my family, they let me sit at a table and wait ~15 minutes for them. The owner offered me a glass of wine on the house while I waited which was really kind. They also had a complimentary appetizer of mortadella for us when we were all seated as well. The mortadella was amazing. The pasta was truly al dente, not just undercooked like it was in so many other places. The sauce was delicious and flavorful, and maybe more importantly, there was a sufficient amount of it. Not just a little dollop, enough sauce to cover the pasta. The osso buco was one of my favorites - we tried osso buco probably half a dozen times, but this was by far the best, without a doubt. Delicious and served with some potatoes and seasonal veggies on the side.

We had high expectations for the food here and although the ragú pasta and ossobuco we ordered were just fine, the dishes left us wanting more. The service is spotty but once you get the servers' attention they're pretty nice. The owner is quite a character and it shows not only in how he interacts with his customers but also in his quirky decoration of the restaurant.

This was a perfect first meal in Italy after a long flight from the U.S. We were recommended here by the staff at our hotel. It's about a 10 minute walk from the main square (and our hotel.) It was a Friday night and we got seated right away without a reservation (though there were plenty of people there.) The food was great...fresh made tortelloni (the vegetarian versions of tortellini) including a pomodoro with tomato sauce and one topped with fried zucchini blossoms which was the star of the show. Really fresh. Really delicious. They brought out complimentary appetizers which, at first, didn't include the delicious looking mini frittatas that other folks had, but once we confirmed we were not vegan, those came along, with slices of cheese and other veggies. Bread is brought in a paper bag which was brand new to us, but which we then experienced all over the northern part of Italy. The service was nice and the owner or main manager stopped by to check in on us. This was a great intro to food from this region at a restaurant slightly off the beaten tourist path that made us awfully happy to be in Italy.

INCREDIBLE PASTA ! My wife and I acted on a hot tip from an employee at our fav breakfast cafe in Bologna that this place was the ant's pants for great pasta. Of course 1198 reviews at 4.4 stars on Google Maps can't be ignored. On Saturday we walked over here for lunch arriving just before 1.30pm ( open for lunch 1pm - 2.30pm ). We found Bologna to be a very walkable city.....everything of interest to us was within an easy walk. The restaurant was busy enough but not too busy on such a lovely day. We were seated at a table on their beautiful terrace straight away. A server named Martina ( could have been the manager ) came by to help us. I ordered the beer they had on offer.....a German one called Ayinger Lager Hell - 4.9% abv and asked for 2 glasses of water. My ice cold beer and a lovely tall stem glass turned up quickly....it tasted fine. Soon after a complimentary starter of fresh Dinner Rolls and Mortadella arrived....a nice touch and very delicious. We could tell this was a pretty switched on restaurant and a very good choice for lunch. My wife had been craving good lasagna and that's exactly what she ordered...Lasagna Classica Verde. I selected the Ravioli Di Melanzana Al Pomodoro. So far on the Italian leg of our 3 week vacation we found the prices of food and drinks very good value. Our entrees arrived together in perfect time considering how busy these guys were in their lunch time window of 90 minutes. We asked our server Martina for grated parmigiana which she took care of promptly. AND ? Well we were more than happy with the excellent texture and flavor of our pasta dishes. THE SERVICE AND AMBIENCE WERE SECOND TO NONE ! NOTE - Of course with 20 million views of my Yelp reviews and pics world wide in 2023 I can tell you what is great !

Yelp is nonexistent in Italy, but if you're on the app here, this place is a 10/10 recommend if you find yourself in deep in Bologna. The ambiance is really nice outside under the porticoes and more importantly the food is AMAZE. I had a small appetizer (forgot what's called) eggplant ravioli and mascarpone. If you meet the owner by chance, he is nice (I think from Basilicata).

Amazing. Everything tested good. All the plates were so delicious. Very friendly staff. We stopped for lunch. We had a blast. Highly recommended.

Lots of tourists here. Although I was almost first on list of reservations for the evening, my sister and I were sat down at the very end of the restaurant, next to the trash. Although we tried to enjoy it, the recycling bins killed any ambience and we could not wait to leave. Food and service was ok. Mortadella sandwich by the train station was best meal we had that day. Shame as we were looking forward to it

A classic Bologna restaurant. If you can get an indoor table you will listen to opera. The filet mignon with Modena vinegar was superb.

This place came with high praise and recommendation from a friend who eats here all her dinners every year she comes to Bologna for her birthday. Unfortunately this place left everything to be desired. We asked to meet the owner so that we could show him the picture of our friend with him... he said "yes" and really couldn't care any less that she told us to come. They serve bread and complimentary glass of mediocre white wine and complimentary "tapas" which included two slices of salami, a small square of a frittata and some other thing that wasn't memorable. We ordered the lasagna bolognese and the tortellini in broth, but they gave us the tortoloni with artichoke instead . Whatever, we didn't care enough to tell them. The house wine was okay and so was the food. I wouldn't waste a meal at this place. The best thing I had here was a 2" square of frittata. And the owner is a little bit of a narcissist and hits the sauce a little too often. I saw him drinking three separate glasses of prosecco within the short time we were here. Ugh! Oh! And did I mention this place is extremely overpriced?!!!!!

Came here for lunch after filming at Massimo Osti's archive. We were greeted by the manager and offered proseco and some water. There's no menu. Instead they tel you what they offer. The meal starts with charcuterie of divine prosciutto and some mortadella and a cheese, paired of course with wine, then plates of leafy green braised veggies with potato and then bolognese and beautiful tortellini with squash blossoms, dessert was amazing, a creamy with shaved chocolates and a seasonal peach. Marvelous, a beautiful place that proudly showcases Cuisine from bologna.

Despite the allure of the concept, we found this restaurant to be a tourist trap. It is a charming restaurant with some theatrics and charisma; however, the less than transparent menu left us feeling puzzled. We believe we paid more than we should have. That being said, we still enjoyed our food. Take note that there is no menu and no prices presented to the guests - the owner selects the food for the day (but it is generally the same across time). We believed it was a pre fixe, but it is not - be aware that everything you order is a la carte. The first course (somewhat of an amuse Bouche) and wine are automatically a part of your meal. We did enjoy the first course pasta, native to bologna including a ragu and tortellini. We each ordered a second, thinking that it was pre fixe. The owner did suggest that we only order one, to his credit. My husband ordered the filet with balsamic glaze, which was excellent and the best part of the meal. The Osso Busco was also very good, albeit likely stewed in a large batch daily. Overall, we weren't sure how fresh everything was but it's fine if you are looking for a home style meal. We each ordered a dessert too - if you come here, I suggest you skip the dessert and grab gelato elsewhere instead! Overall, for two appetizers, two glasses of wine, two firsts and seconds and two desserts, we were charged 100 euro - too much in my opinion for the quality / value of food. But if you want a good show and a charismatic (slightly self centered?) host with a homestyle rustic feel, this is your place.

Our best meal in Bologna! Fantastic theatrical service by manager Marcello who also speaks perfect English All the pasta dishes are hand made and divine! the wine list is exceptional and the desserts are to die for! I would take a trip from Florence to Bologna just to have another meal at Drogheria della Rosa LOVED IT !!

Seven of us for dinner. All ordered different primi and secondi piatti and were simply delicious served by incredible staff. The avuncular host, maestro adonne, with his orations of the menu was supportive and a delight to work with. The cosy, homey atmosphere made it perfect for many tables to all enjoy a big night out! Please come and enjoy!

This place is a gem. Don't be dissuaded by the negative reviews. Marcello, the owner/manager has poured his heart and soul into an authentic experience away from the hustle and bustle of the city center. The menus is limited and Marcello will come to your table and recite the daily selections. The food is as good as any of the other highly rated restaurants but the service is far better. The 'theatrics' mentioned in other reviews are Marcello being a wonderful host. While we were there many of his friends and locals dined nearby, he gave bread and a rose to a local little girl, and he knew nearly everybody that passed on the street. We had lasagna, oriechetti with lamb, and pork osso buco, and a bottle of local wine. All were excellent. Be sure to go inside and see the eclectic art and wine cellar. If you're a foodie and you want something off the beaten path, put this place on your list.

The most amazing italian restaurant I have ever been in. No menu, owner attention, amazing food great wine list and cellar.

My husband and I stopped into Drogheria della Rosa on a Thursday night after having been denied a table at al Sangiovese and we could not have had a better experience. We were welcomed by the owner and then quickly poured a glass of Pignoletto (or of the like). We then wondered what happened next - would we be delivered menus? Was it a set menu? How did this work? A few minutes later, we were delivered a small appetizer which resembled a quiche and had a slice of mortadella on the side. Once finished, we ordered a bottle of Sangiovese (very good) and another server came by to tell us all about the menu which, I have to say, was a bit overwhelming. There were so many choices and both the first and main courses were cited one right after another. I wish she would have explained the first course, had us choose, and then explained the main course. That said, I understand why she rattled off all the dishes at once - so we had a full view of the entire menu and could make accurate choices for each course. We both chose the taglietelle with ragu for our first course. I chose the osso buco for my main course and it was absolutely delicious. It was tender and the meat literally fell of the bone and the bone fell to pieces. The potatoes were delicious as well - soft and appropriately seasoned. My husband chose the beef in red wine (cannot remember the name) and was also very pleased though I think he had food envy. Total price for two appetizers, a glass of Prosecco each, two first courses, two mains, a bottle of wine, a bottle of still water, and a basket of bread was 70 Euro. Total time spent at the restaurant was about two relaxing hours.

We never miss a chance to eat at Drogheria Della Rosa. The food is all classic Bolognese cuisine and the menu always includes the chef's expertly cooked beef filet (chateaubriand) with a wonderful balsamic sauce. Owner Emmanuele and his staff are attentive and the prix fixe tab is quite inexpensive, especially for the excellent quality of the food and wine. Most of all, enjoy being in Drogheria della Rosa's welcoming atmosphere.

I am a native of Bologna and I had no idea this place existed. It took my American students to invite me out for their last night in town after a semester abroad here in Bo. We were a party of five, and our dinner experience was incredible. The place itself looks small but it actually has pretty good capacity. As soon as we sat down, the waitress brought us a welcome bottle of very refreshing prosecco and filled our glasses. I gotta admit we had to wait a little bit for the appetizer to come out but the place was packed that night (you don't get to choose the appetizer, it varies every day; this one night it was mozzarella di bufala with chopped cherry tomatoes and bread). You do not get to read a menu; the waitress comes and tells you the options for the day, both for first and second courses, and usually five or six different dishes per every course. Now you gotta know, my family is 100% bolognese and I was spoiled growing up with my grandma's and mom's homemade ragù. If you're from Bologna, you wouldn't really go out for dinner and eat what you'd eat at home. But I went for tagliatelle with ragù, and I do not regret it one bit. The plate was abundant, I like my tagliatelle generously drenched in ragù and that's what they served me. The pasta was cooked splendidly; I was in heaven, and I didn't know it was so close to home. My American friends got some lasagna and some ravioli with artichokes, I didn't get to try them but the look on their faces spoke for itself. As a second course, I got some filetto with aceto balsamico (beef tenderloin, rare, with balsamic vinegar). It was very reasonably sized (which is good if you've had a first course before) and came with roasted potatoes and vegetables. It was so tender and juicy, and the balsamic did not cover the taste of the rare meat as it happens sometimes with filetto al balsamico. Meanwhile we were also sipping on a bottle of Sangiovese wine (red, and from the region). At this point we were more than fine with our appetite, but we could not withhold from dessert. They brought us a plateful of panettone (typical Italian Christmas sweet bread with raisins) to dip in our mascarpone dessert. Another friend got some nut cake, and another one a semifreddo. Superb. The highlight of the dinner was that as I was outside for a cigarette break, I got to meet the owner, who's a wonderful, friendly, funny mid-aged man from Bologna. At the end of dinner, he came to our table with a bottle of limoncello and two extra bottles of red wine on the house. He sat, chat, and drank with us for a bit. He also speaks some really good English! Final tab? 35 a head! My students picked the check for me, but I would have not regretted one single cent. For all we ate and for how good everything was, it was all worth it and even cheap, in a way. So yeah, who would have thought a native of the food capital of the world actually found out about this gem thanks to some Americans...

My wife and I came here without a reservation and were very lucky to snag an outside table, since they were fully booked inside - definitely make a reservation here! We had our best dining experience of our vacation here. There's no printed menu, they list out a handful of choices for primi and secondi that you pick from. Emanuele does a great job explaining the choices, and offered to pick out the wine to pair with our selections. They treated us like family, bringing us extra wine after our bottle emptied, and as much grappa and lemoncello for dessert that we desired, and never rushed us, and even apologized for having us sit outside, even though we were the ones that showed up without a reservation. All for 85 euros total. If you are in Bologna, definitely make a reservation and go here!!

Really fantastic. We stumbled across this place right before closing time, which was no problem at all for this delicious establishment. The outside tables were all filled, but the owner pulled out a table from the inside so the two of us could sit outside, then gave us a glass of bubbly. I love being treated like an old friend, which is the impression I received throughout this meal. My friend is a vegetarian, which is a bit like a curse word in Emilia Romagna, but a beautiful dish was suggested for her without a bat of an eye. Delicious food, great service, and attention to detail, there was even an improptu concert as a mezzo-soprano from the near by opera house came to eat and sang everyone a lovely aria. !00% returning on my next trip to Bologna. Thanks Emanuele!

I came to Bologna for a quick holiday and my friend recommended this restaurant. Therefore, as soon as I settled into my Airbnb, I tracked across the city to this establishment. For a Saturday night, I was able to sit down to a table with only booking a half hour before they started serving. They do speak English here and I suspect other tourists have heard about this place, because I was surrounded by different tongues. As soon as you're seated, they bring you an aperitivo on the house. Then, a compliment of the chef dish, which was some type of game with mozzarella. I ordered the typical Pasta Bolognese (when in Bologna, right?) and it was more than enough. But, since I have a sweet tooth, I had some hazelnut gelato, which was to die for. While I was enjoying this heavenly dessert, they served me a shot of sweet wine - on the house. I highly recommend this restaurant - the food was excellent and they make you feel at home. I would absolutely come here again.

Out of all of the places I had been during my travels to Italy, this was the worst. The good was sub par and the service was rude. I came with a huge, hungry group of students and we were yelled at even though we said we would be more than happy to sit separately. Not one of us had a good meal. I had a simple antipasti platter than was greasy, warm, and the mozzarella was covered in whey. Others had just dessert because the waiter rushed them into ordering, but their dessert was haphazardly thrown together and cold when it should have been warm. The food was tolerable at best but the waiter, I'm assuming a son of the owner, was rude and harassed one of the people in our party when she didn't want to order while she was being rushed by him. He yelled at her in Italian, which she did not understand, and then e quickly yanked her silverware from her place setting and stormed away. The whole situation was just awkward and memorable for all the wrong reasons. Definitely not how we wanted to end our trip.

I found this restaurant in the travel guide book. I forgot that it was expensive and were surprised at the lack of menu and prices indication. The waiter approached us after few min, took our drink order and disappeared for several minutes. We discovered that this restaurant doesn't serve beer only wine so we settled for a cold white wine as it was very hot that day in Bologna. The waiter verbally told us the menu for the day and we ordered lasagna and pumpkin and cheese ravioli. The food arrived after some wait, the portions were on a small side. Lasagna was a bit dry and didn't have bechamel sauce as well as any tomato sauce. The ravioli were much better. Before food, they gave us some bread and salumi (cold meats) which was included in the coperto. We didn't have anything else after this and requested a bill which came to 40 euros but there was no detailed breakdown of this amount. The bill apparently included 10% service charge. The good thing about this restaurant is its outside seating area but right next to it is another restaurant much cheaper. Next time we'll go its neighbour.