Oh Bologna….what a city! It actually caught me off guard. I expected to like it enough or would not have planned a visit, but I thought it would just be okay. It was much more than okay. For someone who loves food – reading about it, seeing it, thinking about it and of course, eating it, Bologna is a perfect break. There is eye candy in the form of food on most corners.
Shop selling loads of prosciutto for those wanting to take a whole pig leg away
Shortly after arriving, we needed a quick bite. It was mid-afternoon and like many places in Italy, there is the ~3 hour lunch break. We strolled around getting a bit frustrated that our planned spots were closed for a few more hours when we happened upon Tamburini on Via Caprarie. This spot serves hundreds of wines by the glass and light food in the off-hours. We were given a menu but also asked to come and view a selection of open bottles. Most glasses were 4 euros or less, a real shock coming from London prices! We had several glasses between us, a (sparkling red) Lambrusco, a Sicilian white and a couple of local recommended wines. We ordered Parma ham with melon (9 euros) and Parma ham and parmesan (10 euros). As expected, both were divine. The melon was very sweet and as the Parma ham was draped over it, it was nice and salty when eaten alone. The Parmesan was perfectly aged and simply delicious. Even the bread basket was too good to pass on. (Sadly, I lost my photos of Tamburini so am sharing some of nearby spots.)
Tamburini has outside seating of barrels covered in a wooden top and bar stools and they also have inside seating with some small tables and a larger communal table. This is where some locals appeared to be having a mid-afternoon tipple.
Nearby buildings – beautiful architecture
Tamburini is part of a larger food shop where customers can select hot or cold food and wine from the counters and sit and eat it. On offer were items like cheese, meats, breads, and pastas which all looked tasty. It would be a good spot for an inexpensive lunch or a place to pick up supplies if in a self-catering facility.
We will go back to Bologna and will visit Tamburini again. It is the kind of spot that would be a local favourite if we lived there.
After filling up at lunch, pick up fresh fish for dinner at the nearby fishmonger
Via Caprarie, 1, 40124 Bologna, Italy
+39 051 234726
www.tamburini.com/
Note: For more information on Bologna, visit the official tourism site, http://www.bolognawelcome.com/en/
[contact-form]Tagged: Apertivo, Bologna, Bread, Favourite for Locals, Fish, Fishmonger, Italy, Lambrusco, Melon, Parma Ham, Parmesan, Proscuttio, Sicilian, Sicily, Tamburini, Wine Bar, Wine by the Glass
