Trattoria Ermes

This was an excellent local restaurant. We went there with three teenagers and the five adults. The staff was great Our waiter Allesandro was excellent and made the dinner fun. I had the bistecca and it was excellent and the tortolini in broth was great. There was a tortellini in a Parmesan cheese days le that was excellent There was a tagliatelle and porcini mushroom and a guanciale that was slow cooked with potatoes and it was excellent We had a great meal.

Mamma Mia! I really don’t understand these sub five star reviews. This is the best restaurant in all of Italy. I don’t care whether you’re in Rome or Venice or Florence. Take the train to Modena and come here stat the food, the people, the wine will make you wanna come back for lunch the next day. Absolutely unbelievable I want to shed a tear, thinking back about the plate of food I had. Absolutely incredible!

If I could give more stars I would. We had wine, primi, secondi and dessert and every course was incredible. Our server was friendly, efficient, and funny (not pushy or dismissive). It seemed to be a locals spot, and we totally understand why. Would go back in a heartbeat.

Best food we’ve had in Italy so far (Rome, Florence, Venice). Exceptionally friendly service and great value. Had no problem doing lunch for two without a reservation. The waiter was so friendly and helpful, at one point moving us inside due to the bees attacking our plate and giving us a new dish for free.

The place is lovely and definitely worth a visit but at least if you are going there for lunch I advise to check out what's the menu of the day. The menu in fact changes every day and they don't allow variations. The options are really interesting but for example, looking at the pictures I really wanted lasagne and they were not available that day. Similarly, what my wife was hoping to get was not on that day. At lunch they do 2 rotations. Everyone gets in at the same time and leaves at the same time. Food is not served "per table" but "per course". So for example all the customers who ordered "tortellini" get them and the other person at the same table waits until they serve whatever food they have ordered. Not ideal to build a nice atmosphere. In general, it felt like being at a station of a supply chain. At the beginning the staff gave us a few dry answers. They opened up and became a bit friendlier after a while.

Without a doubt the best dining experience we had in all of our Italy trip! The traditional dishes of Modena were beyond incredible, but apart from that the staff made us feel at home. We could tell immediately they had regulars as kitchen & wait staff would come converse with the diners and it made for a relaxing & fun environment. This restaurant is a 5/5 without hesitation!

EDIT: I don’t know who is Cara but I guess we share same experience. I don’t remember staff telling us we won’t be served, but I do remember Adam Sandler touching my girlfriend without eye or verbal contact. Owner’s reply speaks about his professionalism itself… ✌️ REVIEW: Tried to eat there twice. We left after first attempt when the staff was rude. During the second attempt we actually sat there but the same staff guy (probably one and only - i guess it is owner or idk) totally ignored us, while italian guest were served fine. We felt very unwanted and left without interaction after 30 minutes. I guess and hope, that the restaurant is ok when you are local or you know the Adam Sandler lookalike staff in person. If you speak english or look touristy, you won’t be served. Many reviews seems suspicious.

Maybe my favorite meal in Modena. The wait staff was nothing short of amazing. They had great suggestions and helped my kids make choices. We didn’t have reservations, but they were able to accommodate us outside with almost no wait. The pasta was great. Very authentic. Prices were very reasonable.

From my trip in January 2023 So I researched restaurants for Modena and this turned up in a couple of food blogs. Also I was talking to some locals and they recommended this place as well so I knew I had to go. I actually ate here twice because I had to return to Modena 3 weeks later for another exclusive reservation and made sure to stop by for lunch. Trattoria Ermes only served lunch when I went, but I don't know if it was because it was off season or this is always the case. A small cozy place with 2 tops that can pushed together for larger parties and a large communal table in the back. I went early, about 10 minutes after opening and the place was already about a quarter full. I was seated at the communal table since I was alone. The MENU COMPLETO is €22 and changes daily. It includes antipasto, primo, secondo, acqua, caffe, and coperto. I was also offered a menu in English but I like to read the local menu and translate what I can't figure out. I started with salumi and bread as the antipasto. For the primi I chose tagliatelle al ragu. My secondi was coniglio al forno con patate (baked rabbit with potatoes). Finished with a caffe. The bread was very good, 5/5 Salumi 4/5 Tagliatelle al ragu 5/5 Coniglio con patate 5/5 perfectly seasoned and very tender. Potatoes were perfect as well. The communal table was great for me since I was alone. Friendly conversation all around and I was lucky enough to be seated next/across from a guy and his parents. He and his dad spoke English and told me how rabbit is a traditional local dish and gave be me info on the restaurant and even mentioned that Jimmy Carter had even eaten there while he was President. The staff was great. The guy who ran things was always joking and talking and when he found out I was a chef he let me see the kitchen and meet the chef. The bartender/cashier was friendly and I had a nice conversation with him while paying and having my caffe. In fact the next evening as I was walking around he came out of the bar he was working at and greeted me and invited me in to his second job. Such a great experience and great food! In fact when I returned to Modena 3 weeks later I had to eat at Trattoria Ermes again. Once again I was seated at the communal table with a group of guys who went to University together and were celebrating one guy's birthday and I felt a part of the group. The staff was wonderful and the food great as expected. This time I had Gramigna alla sausizza (salsiccia) 5/5 Costoline (costine) di maiale (oven rotated pork ribs) 5/5 One of my rare 5 star reviews.

We are here now and what a wonderful restaurant very cozy like you are in a private home Prix fix menu very reasonable, great value! Awesome! Grazie!

We stopped in here for lunch and were lucky enough to get a table. 5/5 for ambiance: The place is small and quaint on the inside but has an amazing charm to it. There was a group of locals celebrating a birthday and the staffs' interactions with them were nice and fun! Food 6/5! This was one of the top meals we had during our 2 week trip in Italy! We got the complete menu tasting for just 25 Euros/person. It came with a plate of cured meats that were different and delightful each in their own way. Then we each got to choose a pasta dish and a mean/meat dish. Each was enough to be a full meal on it's own, so this was practically dinner for 4 for two people! The tasting also came with a bottle of Lambrusco that was excellent. Fruity but not sweet, and had a great texture from the small crisp bubbles. I got the Tagliatelle with Ragu and my wife had the Gramigna wheatgrass with sausage. Both pastas were great, they were handmade and al dent, and both dishes had a light sauce that was flavorful but not overpowering, and the meat was tender and cooked perfectly. For our mains, I got the Ossobuco and my wife got the beef meatballs. Both again were outstanding! The Ossobuco had a fatty broth to go with the tender veal. The meatballs were very dense and packed, they had a deep rich flavor, almost like a bolognese. Both meals came with cooked pease that were seasoned well and added to the dish. After the mains were were given more Lambrusco, espresso and limoncello! Can't say enough about how good all the staff was. Towards the end of our meal they were getting ready to close between lunch and dinner, however one of the staff members was celebrating a birthday and they all sat and ate together and had a cake and offered us some as well. Would highly recommend dining here during your stay, or even taking a day trip to Modena from Florence/Tuscany!

Someone found out about this little place. Arrived before they opened. I sat outside in a small chair, but they noticed me out there and invited me inside to sit at a table. Very welcoming. And brought me some antipasti of salumi and bread and then some veg. When they open, they fill the tables, so I had 3 ladies from a nearby town who came for lunch. They only spoke Italian, of course, so had fun there. The place was all locals, no tourists. Was craving pasta, so had 2 courses from the "prime piatti" instead of one also from the "Secondi piatti". Look at the delicious pasta en brodo and the RAGU (we know it as Bolognese sauce). Then, a little lemoncello and biscotti with coffee. All for a ridiculously low price. I'll go back when I'm in Modena next.