Trattoria da Me

 Classic for a reason

Egg-pasta with bolognese sauce

I have been to Italy a few times, but I am fully aware that Italian cuisine is much more complex and each 20 regions of Italy offer something unique. My recent trip to Bologna, which is supposed to be Italy's food capital, is famous for its pasta, along with Parmigiano Reggiano and prosciutto. For my first stop, of course, I got to sample the traditional cuisine of Bologna. Trattoria da Me is highly rated by the locals and on my evening visit, it is already flooded with people even before it is open. Opened in 1937, it has become one of the most iconic restaurants in the city.

Fried veal sweetbreads, chicken liver and Mortadella

Egg with smoked tea, fried porcini mushrooms

Whipped codfish, tomato gazpacho, balsamic-glazed onion

I embraced the tradition and ordered some fried offals, the sweetbread was creamy and not too bold in taste, just how I like it. The tagliatelle with bolognese sauce was simply perfect. The meat blend of beef ribs, pork sausages, and ham offered a lovely meaty and fatty umami taste, the flavour of the bolognese was like nothing I have encountered before, it was exceptional. For the main, I opted for the Veal shank and which presented like a plate of fine dining dish, with a big pool of saffron sauce, which had a lovely sweet seafood-like taste to it. The bone marrow was lacking despite it being served with a giant bone, it would be my only criticism.

Tortellini with broth

Slow-cooked ossobuco veal shank with crunchy vegetables, saffron

Slow-cooked veal tongue, Russian salad, green sauce and anchovy

Trattoria da Me was a lovely start for my Bologna trip, and it gave me an idea of what traditional food from Bologna is all about. The pasta was especially wonderful, most of the dishes are simple, and they are classic for a reason. With 2 bottles of wine to share between 3 people, the meal came to only £55 per person, amazing value considering you would easily pay double in London for decent Italian food, yet nothing comes close to Trattoria da Me.

Food 3.5/5

What I paid: 
£55 with wine

Average cost without drinks and services:
£40

Via S. Felice, 50a, 40122 Bologna BO, Italy

https://www.trattoriadame.it/