5 Best Restaurants in Emilia–Romagna, Italy

Just a handful of steps from Modena's beautiful cathedral, this lively place serves coffee, juices, fine wines by the glass, and lovely little sandwiches. But perhaps it's best to come here for a sweet, as they are luscious and delicious, and they're all made in-house.

Locals love this lively café because it does just about everything and does it well, beginning at 7 in the morning with excellent coffee and tasty breakfast pastries and ending long after dark with aperitivi (aperitifs), cocktails, and dinner. The fairly limited menu includes Italian tapas and starters and mains with vegetarian and fish options. The place comprises two rooms, showcasing temporary art enhanced by subtle lighting, and there are tables outside. The wine and cocktail list is winning, as is the service.

The beauty of TCafè is that it does just about everything: the festivities begin with breakfast and end with an evening aperitivo. Locals flock to this place, which once housed the aristocratic Dalla Rosa Prati's art collection, to catch up on gossip, and have lunch, which offers local specialties (among them plates of mortadella and culatello), a soup of the day, sandwiches, and tasty salads like the one with smoked duck breast. The lengthy wine list includes something for all tastes, as does the equally extensive list of artisanal beers.

Bibliophile proprietor (she named her establishment after a Henry James heroine) Marina Bersani presides over this sleek wine bar. High ceilings provide plenty of places to store her vast collection of unique wines, and the short-but-sweet menu offers lots of traditional classics like affettati misti (sliced, cured pork products), as well as cheese plates.

This former fruit and vegetable market, established in medieval times and transformed into a covered market after unification, has now morphed into a fancy gourmet food hall. Various outlets offer quality Bologna classics plus some innovations, including tortellini and tortelloni at DeGusto Coop; pizza at Rossopmodoro; panini, pasta, and cold cuts at L'Antica Bottega; and fried fish and quirky fish hamburgers at Pescheria del Pavaglione.