Ristorante Diana

A Bologna classic since 1909

Diana was born in 1909 as a café on Via Indipendenza, the great arcaded street that runs down from the station to Piazza Maggiore. Today the entrance is at Via Volturno, 5, on the corner, about five minutes' walk from the square. Even then it had tables outside, on Via Indipendenza and Via Volturno, and the terrace is still set up, especially in summer. It is run by Eros Palmirani, in the dining room, and the kitchen has stayed true to Bolognese tradition.

It is the place for a meal of the old kind, with tablecloths and trolleys of meat wheeled to the table. If you want to eat well once in Bologna and without experiments, it is a good choice.

What to order

Start with the mortadella mousse or with tortellini in broth, the dish that defines the city. Green lasagne alla bolognese, with spinach pasta and ragù, is the other classic option. The house's most characteristic feature is the trolleys: one of roasts and another of boiled meats, the bollito misto, which are carved at your table. There is also cotoletta alla bolognese, the breaded cutlet with ham and Parmesan, and fritto alla bolognese. For dessert, crème caramel or ice cream.

There are vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes, and an extensive wine list, with Italian and French wines. The website does not publish prices in text: expect the bill of a classic restaurant, above that of a trattoria.

Booking and when to go

It is open Tuesday to Saturday at lunchtime, from 12:15 to 14:30, and in the evening, from 19:15 to 22:30; on Sunday, lunchtime only. It is closed on Mondays. Book online on its website, by phone or by email. Sunday lunchtime fills up with Bolognese families: book days ahead.

It is about ten minutes' walk from the central station and next to the bus stop on Via Indipendenza.