Where to eat in Bolzano: canederli, speck and Tyrolean flavours
Guide to the flavours of Bolzano: canederli, Alto Adige speck IGP, apple strudel and the best Stuben, restaurants and markets among medieval arcades and urban vineyards.
Bolzano: where Italian cuisine meets Tyrol
Bolzano is the only city in Italy where you can start lunch with canederli in broth and finish with apple strudel, all in the same trattoria. South Tyrolean cuisine bridges the Mediterranean and Central European worlds, and in Bolzano this fusion reaches its most natural expression.
Must-try dishes
Canederli (Knödel)
Large dumplings of stale bread, speck and cheese, served in broth or dry with butter and sage. Dozens of variations exist: speck, spinach, grey cheese, sweet apricot. The ultimate Alto Adige comfort food.
Speck Alto Adige IGP
Not simply smoked ham: Alto Adige speck is aged at least 22 weeks with light cold smoking that gives it a unique flavour. Cut it by hand, thick, and pair it with rye bread and a glass of Lagrein.
Schlutzkrapfen
Half-moon pasta filled with ricotta and spinach, dressed with brown butter and Parmesan. The Sunday pasta in every South Tyrolean family.
Apple strudel
The pastry must be paper-thin, the filling must have Renette apples, raisins, pine nuts and cinnamon. Served warm with vanilla custard or whipped cream.
Where to eat
The Arcades (Laubengasse)
The covered central street is Bolzano's commercial and gastronomic heart. Under the arcades you find elegant restaurants, historic cafés and Stuben with centuries of history.
Piazza delle Erbe (Obstplatz)
The daily fruit, vegetable, cheese and speck market is a gastronomic attraction in itself.
Gries quarter
West of the centre, with neighbourhood trattorias and some of the city's best pastry shops.
Rencio area and vineyards
Climbing toward the urban vineyards of Santa Maddalena you find Buschenschank and Törggelekeller: rustic seasonal venues for new wine with speck and cheeses.
Budget tips
- Canederli in a trattoria cost 9-14 euros
- A speck board with cheeses costs 10-16 euros
- Stuben offer lunch menus at 13-18 euros
- Market lunch at Piazza delle Erbe costs 6-10 euros
- Buschenschank have very low prices: cold plates at 8-14 euros including wine