Bologna, a city famous for its infamous food, is actually a pretty average place to have a drink.
For most tourists sitting in Piazza Santo Stefano with an Aperol Spritz, it is a dream come true. For me it’s a living nightmare, sitting on that square with an industrial orange drink, watching the Bolognese walk their ridiculous pedigree dogs that they refuse to pick up after. La Grassa has a population that is made up of students and Champagne socialists that wear their heart on the left and their wallet on the right, they’re absolutely terrified of looking bourgeois in public. Outsiders seeking an “authentic” experience in Bologna, drinking out involves going to unspectacular yet affordable bars in residential neighbourhoods, not because they are good, but because they are convenient. Like any non-descript English pub, bars in Italy are largely the same everywhere. In both countries, the loyalty of customers to their local is often based on geography and nothing more.
As Italy catches up on the food and drink trends from the last decade, I want to drink in bars where cocktails aren’t served in brass pineapple, there are absolutely no smoke machines and entering is through a normal door and not a fake refrigerator. The majority of this list is convenient for me because I live in Santo Stefano. I am not a beer drinker either, so don’t expect an encyclopaedia, however at the end I have added some of my favourite spots across Italy as a peace offering for the partial rant you are about to read.
Italy is the largest producer of wine in the world, and this might be an unpopular opinion, I think most of it is pretty mediocre. The key problem is production across Italy is heavily subsidised by the government and the EU and as a result producers are paid whether the wine is good or not.
When I studied my WSET in Sicily, my Italian classmates would interrupt Enrico our teacher to reel off facts about Italian wines (see my previous post about fascist school children). “We produce the most of this variety” or “Franciacorta is much better than Champagne!” and lots of patting themselves on the back. China produces the most microwaves in the world, but it doesn’t mean they’re the best microwaves now does it Iacopo? Sit down and listen.
Of course there are great and interesting wines produced in Italy, but they make up such a tiny percentage of production and are usually eye-watering prices, so much that it’s a running joke amongst producers to have a viral wine they can price over 300 euros. For the majority of the bulk wine market, their product finds parity with coffee, it is functional or habitual, defined by utility with less focus on quality but a greater focus on price. The ritual of taking an espresso at the bar or a glass of wine for lunch is intangible cultural heritage and must be protected at all cost, literally and monetarily. As costs increase, the quality inevitably goes down.
Historically, the wines of the peninsula, from all their separate pockets and republics were crafted to be paired with the local foods, like lambrusco and mortadella, it offers an acidic cut to the fattiness and outside of this context, can taste unbalanced. In Veneto wines were produced so alcoholic they needed a splash of water to make them drinkable, giving birth to spritz culture. The wines of Sicily have only been bottled in the last thirty to forty years, previously considered only useful to bulk out production from other regions.
In Bologna you have two key wines that are peddled in every trattoria and bar. I insist that you try them both and make your own judgement. Pignoletto, a lacklustre white that can also be sparkling and Lambrusco, a chilled fizzy red that made in the same volume as Coca-Cola. It was surely a terrible accident that went too far. I am not a fan of either and have tried enough to be sure of it. Whilst no one really cares for Pignoletto, there are some who are nuts for Lambrusco.
Two producers I greatly admire are Chiara Condello and Tenuta di Carleone who are changing perceptions and pushing for quality but remain affordable. I feel that consumers (and not just Italians) are overly focused on the DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) and IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) certifications whilst completely ignoring that those labels suffocate a lot of innovation, creativity and personality. Drink it because you like it, not because of what’s on the label, is an uneasy mantra for me to uphold mostly because many of the wines I enjoy are beyond my budget.
With cocktails, the preparation of something like a Negroni has two approaches. One is to treat it with respect, sometimes reverence using small batch or crafted products. Manifattura, a bar in Florence has thousands of permutations of Negroni using only Italian producers, switching out a gin from Puglia for one from Piedmont allows you to taste the nuances. The simple things are the most difficult to master, like scrambled eggs or apologising to a loved one. Fewer ingredients leaves greater probability things can go wrong and the logistical downside of this is the long wait time and the often higher price.
The alternative is the most common in practice, to see a negroni as a simple drink and prepare it with gusto but a lack of finesse. The person behind the bar sloshes random amounts into a plastic cup and sometimes its good and sometimes its not. But at least you got a drink, for a good price without having to wait around.
And in all that sloshing and gusto, there are wonderful accidents. A Negroni Sbagliato is a delicious error created at Bar Basso in Milan. It was finished with a topping of prosecco instead of gin by pure accident. It offers a glimmer of hope for a culture that is enraptured by tradition. It is a celebrated miscarriage of the rules and I see the term sbagliato as something of get out of jail free card. To acknowledge you have intentionally made a mistake, implies that you knew the rules in the first place. Only a master of their craft can rewrite the rule book and any other less adored establishment would not have been allowed to birth such an idea. If only someone would come up with a recipe for Carbonara Sbagliato then Italy could move forward into the future.
Eliminating all of the nonsense of modern, gentrified bar culture, the props, the overdesigned interiors, the paperstraws, can we return to the idea that a pub or a bar can be a public living room? A social space where we can meet friends and drown our sorrows, where the alcohol lubricates conversation rather than being the centre of attention. What would it look like if we had places to drink that were the medium and not the message? It would probably, look like any bar in Bologna.
The List
My personal favourite bar in Bologna. Probably the most extensive selection of wines in the city, this is a bar that can really hold its own against any list in London or Paris. You will squeal with delight at their wines by the glass and the wall of brandy, armagnac and or special Italian bitters will leave you deeply impressed. I certainly am everytime I go.
Via Zamboni, 57b, 40126 Bologna BO
In the corner of a building is an almost invisible door, leading to a bar specialising in classic wines made with organic and biodynamic methods. The staff are lovely if a bit full on. It’s like you’re shopping in Gap. They mean well though and the bar has a fabulous vibe.
Via Guglielmo Oberdan, 18a, 40126 Bologna
At Volare you can try drinks made with Biancosarti, a Bolognese drink that was once the favourite drink of the nation before Campari grew into the powerhouse it is today. Handsome barmen in old-fashioned uniforms, quirky nik-naks on the walls and Wes Anderson looking plates of hand carved mortadella. Lots of pink.
Via Belvedere, 10d, 40121 Bologna
I like this bar because it is very close to my house. On Via Santo Stefano away from the tourist spots but also opposite Cremeria Santo Stefano, very handy. They have a small but well selected wine list, with a mix of Etna and France. It’s just a really regular bar with virtually nothing special about it. Worth a visit.
Via Santo Stefano, 77, 40124 Bologna
Brand new to the wine scene in Bologna. It’s precariously positioned on a busy road junction. I tried three Sicilian wines that were interesting because they were paired against three dodgy Emilian ones. Its a place I would like to see the owners develop into something with their own voice and passion. At the moment its still a copy paste natural wine bar you could find anywhere in Europe, but I have faith it will grow into something great.
Via Santo Stefano, 77, 40124 Bologna
Serving wine since 1465. They sell the booze and you bring the food. Do not be afraid to chomp down on a packed lunch, pizza, chicken Madras or bucket of fried chicken. The wine list ranges from dangerously cheap to Cristal and everything in between. As a bonus, after Osteria del Sole closes, you can visit Bebi Bar next door, owned by the brother and drink yourself into a hole.
Vicolo Ranocchi, 1/d, 40124 Bologna
Where everybody knows your name...and your private business. Another spot opposite our house, oh Maurizio you crazy man. The bar is filled with junk that hasn’t been cleaned for decades that might excite those with asthma. Occasionally you can see live jazz here, Maurizio’s is a bar for everyone, anytime of the day.
Via Guerrazzi, 22a, 40125 Bologna
Elsewhere in Italy
The bar of legends that has inspired and continues to inspire. Home of the negroni sbagliato, which is proof that sometimes even an error can be delicious.
From the charming owner who remembers everyone, the dusty chandeliers and the diverse, international fashion and design crowd that it brings in. Possibly one of my favourite bars in the world.
Via Plinio, 39, 20020 Milano
Vino Vero is not hung up on labels like natural, raw or organic. Their list is simply excellent with something for everyone. On Sunday it gets incredibly busy so don’t expect to get a table without booking. The cicchetti are very good, but its not the focus of the bar unless you enjoy everything on bread. If you want delicious cicchetti my two favourites are Bar All’Arco and Cantina do Mori.
Fondamenta de la Misericordia, 2497, 30100 Venezia
The owner Camilla is a gorgeous host. Bellini has one of the most impressive lists of wines by the glass I have seen. It is effortless and chic with inventive small dishes. They stock a Tuscan wine here called Sambrena, a Sangiovese vinified as a white from Greve in Chianti. Brilliant stuff with affordable takeaway prices too.
Via della Spada, 52, 50123 Firenze FI
Whilst Ferrara boasts the oldest wine bar in the world, it is a sad a dingy place to drink. However, someone in Ferrara clearly loves Tupac and they decided to open an inspired bar of their own. If you’re younger than 30 you might not get all the references at Apelle. Cocktails with irreverent points of inspiration and a really impressive wine list with food that sounds odd when sober but wonderful when a bit drunk.
Via Carlo Mayr, 75, 44121 Ferrara
"If only someone would come up with a recipe for Carbonara Sbagliato then Italy could move forward into the future." Once again I have come for the recs but stayed for the hot takes! Plus I even learned something about Italian winemaking and classic cocktails. All around a great newsletter, thanks Michael!
A great read, Michael - thanks for sharing your recommended places - will make sure to try one or two next time I'm in town.
Cremeria Santo Stefano is my favourite gelato place in Bologna; I used to make sure I visited each time I was in Bologna for work. Their salted pistachio gelato is divine, as is their chocolate (these are the two flavours I order virtually every time, as a way to benchmark gelato establishments!)