Bologna Bar Guide
30+ bars across Bologna's drinking neighbourhoods, curated by editors who know the city.
Bologna drinks like a student city with a chef's palate. The Quadrilatero medieval market district fills with aperitivo crowds at 7pm — twenty bars in five blocks, spritzes pouring nonstop until 9pm. Camera a Sud has held an Italy 50 Best position multiple years. The Bolognese spritz comes with the city's signature mortadella crostini.
Five neighbourhoods cluster the action. The Quadrilatero is the aperitivo spine. Via del Pratello runs the late-night dive-bar strip. The Centro covers the polished restaurant bars. Bolognina is the new creative-class quarter. Santo Stefano holds the residential cocktail-room district.
Spritzes run €4 to €7. Cocktails €8 to €11. Aperitivo runs 6pm to 9pm with cicchetti included. Tipping is not expected. Most bars run to 1am, weekend bars to 2am. Reserve Camera a Sud on weekends.
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Cocktail Bars in Bologna
World-class cocktail rooms
Rooftop Bars in Bologna
Skyline drinks
Date Night in Bologna
Romantic spots
After Work in Bologna
Apéro-hour bars
Live Music in Bologna
Bands and DJs
Craft Beer in Bologna
Microbreweries and taprooms
Hidden Gems in Bologna
Unmarked doors
Sports Bars in Bologna
Watch parties
Top Picks This Week
Camera a Sud
Bologna's most awarded cocktail bar. Italy 50 Best regular. Speakeasy aesthetic, classic-cocktail menu, and a tight Italian-spirits programme. Reserve.
Nu Lounge Bar
Italy 50 Best regular. Long marble counter, leather banquettes, and a tropical-leaning cocktail menu. Reservations recommended.
Cantina Bentivoglio
Live-jazz wine cellar from 1987. Italian wine list and a serious cocktail menu. Live jazz every night. The Bologna jazz institution.
Le Stanze
Cocktail bar inside a sixteenth-century chapel. Frescoed ceilings, candle-lit interior, and the most photogenic Bologna drinking room.
Osteria del Sole
Heritage Italian wine tavern from 1465. Bring your own food, drink the wine they pour. The oldest active wine tavern in Italy. Cash only.
Mercato delle Erbe
Heritage market hall converted into a multi-bar evening venue. Multiple counters, communal tables, and the most communal Bolognese aperitivo crowd.
Neighbourhood Guide
Quadrilatero
The aperitivo spine. Twenty bars in five medieval blocks. The densest Italian aperitivo culture you can experience in a single evening.
Via del Pratello
The late-night dive-bar strip west of the centre. Cheap drinks, college-town energy, and the loudest Bologna weekend nights.
Centro
The polished restaurant-bar core. Cocktail rooms inside Renaissance buildings, hotel bars, and a dressed-up evening crowd.
Bolognina
The new creative-class quarter north of the station. Indie cocktail rooms, restaurant-bars, and a younger crowd.
Santo Stefano
The residential cocktail-room district east of the centre. Wine bars, neighbourhood pubs, and a thirty-something local crowd.
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