Trattoria Del Rosso, Bologna, Italy

Last week I was in Bologna for an afternoon. Of course I walked around the historical centre to see some of the sights and then hurried to get myself dinner. Bologna is of course famed for the wonderful food. I went to a place which was recommended by the hotel.

Easy to find, I walked in to a place full of locals. A good sign in my opinion. A casual and animated crowd, there to have some good food.  The decor was quite typical and well done. A big desk at the front which I later discovered is where the diners queue to pay their bill.  Huge mirrors making this place look quite grand. As it was full I was led to the back which was also very busy. I sat down to have a look at the menu. While I was waiting I ordered some house wine and studied the menu. Enough dishes to give a good selection. And cheap.

I had an antipasti of cod pate with grilled polenta (€5.50). This was an interesting dish, with a perfectly textured pate. As a Primo Piatti I had another traditional dish. Papardelle al Ragu di Agnello (€7)- think spaghetti bolognese. By the way if it could talk, it would be music to my ears. Papardelle is my favourite pasta! such a simple yet tasty dish. I would go back any day for more.

I didn't have to wait long for my meal. The service was pleasant and although they spoke no English and I don't speak Italian they were helpful enough, at the end trying to explain to me about the history of the place. From what I gathered this is an old institution. I'm not surprised. They know what they're doing.

It's also worth checking their website. It's all in Italian but for you Italian speaking foodies you'll be pleased to know they have some recipes also.

Trattoria del Rosso, Via Augusto Righi 30, Bologna, Tel +39 051 236730 http://www.trattoriadelrosso.com/