Where to eat in Ravenna: best restaurants, piadine and Romagnol cuisine guide

Ravenna, mosaics and piadine

Ravenna is known for its Byzantine mosaics but deserves equal fame for its cuisine. The Romagnol gastronomic tradition is one of Italy's most convivial: generous, frank, tied to the land and to company. Here everyone eats together, at large tables, with portions that never end and Sangiovese flowing freely.

Ravenna's cooking adds to the classic Romagnol repertoire the influences of the Adriatic coast and the Po delta wetlands, with fish and eel dishes you will not find inland.

Must-try specialities

Piadina romagnola is the identity dish: a flatbread of flour, lard and salt cooked on a stone plate (testo) and filled with squacquerone cheese, rocket, prosciutto crudo or sausage. In Ravenna the piadina is thinner than in the Rimini hinterland, almost crispy. Every kiosk has its own recipe and the differences are subtle but real.

Cappelletti in brodo is the celebration dish: cheese-filled pasta (in Ravenna without meat, unlike Bologna), served in a golden, fragrant broth. Passatelli in brodo, cylinders of breadcrumbs, eggs and Parmigiano pushed through a press, are the other unmissable first course.

Po delta eel is a local speciality: grilled, stewed or marinated. Sardoncini scottadito (grilled sardines) are the quintessential summer dish. The Ravenna-style fish brodetto, different from the Marche version, is rich and savoury. For desserts, ciambella romagnola dipped in Sangiovese is the perfect finale.

Best neighbourhoods for eating

Historic centre and Dante area

The streets around Dante's Tomb and Piazza del Popolo host the most traditional trattorias. Via Cavour and its side lanes hide osterias with handwritten menus and a family atmosphere. Ca' de Ven on Via Corrado Ricci is an institution: a 15th-century house turned osteria with exceptional piadine and Romagnol wines.

Darsena area

The old dock area is experiencing a revival with modern venues alongside traditional trattorias. Here you will also find fish cuisine, as proximity to the coast brings fresh catch daily.

Classe and the lidi

Toward the coast, the Classe district and Ravenna's seaside lidi host fish restaurants where the ingredients arrive straight from the boats. Prices are lower than on the Rimini riviera and quality is often higher.

Trattorias and osterias to try

Ca' de Ven is the essential address for piadina and passatelli, in a setting that is a monument to Romagnol identity. Osteria del Tempo Perso on Via Gamba offers updated Romagnol cuisine with respect for tradition and a bohemian atmosphere. Trattoria La Gardela on Via Ponte Marino serves cappelletti and passatelli the way grandmothers made them.

For fish, Ristorante La Bella Venezia on Via IV Novembre is a classic with brodetto and Adriatic fish grills. Osteria del Battibecco on Via della Tesoreria Vecchia offers daily specials with market ingredients at honest prices.

Street food and markets

Piadina kiosks are Ravenna's true street food. Piadina del Melarancio on Via IV Novembre and Chiosco della Piadina on Via Pasolini are among the best. A filled piadina costs 4 to 6 euros and is a complete meal. Crescioni (cassoni), closed piadine filled with herbs, spinach and mozzarella or pumpkin, are the vegetarian alternative.

The Mercato Coperto in Piazza Andrea Costa is the reference for shopping: Romagnol cured meats, Parmigiano, fresh pasta and fruit. On Saturdays the farmers' market in Piazza della Resistenza offers local zero-kilometre produce.

Budget tips

Ravenna is affordable for eating out. A filled piadina and a beer cost less than 8 euros. Daily menus at centre trattorias range from 10 to 15 euros. House Sangiovese at osterias costs 2 to 3 euros a glass and the quality is nearly always good.

For a seaside lunch without spending a fortune, skip the more touristy lidi (Marina di Ravenna) and head to Lido di Classe or Lido di Savio, where fish restaurants keep reasonable prices.

Unique food experiences

After visiting the mosaics of San Vitale and Galla Placidia, stop at Ca' de Ven for a piadina and a glass of Albana: it is the perfect way to unite art and gastronomy. In autumn, cappelletto festivals in villages around Ravenna are popular celebrations where sfogline make pasta by hand on enormous tables.

A trip to the Po delta with an eel lunch at one of the trattorias in Comacchio is an experience that combines nature and cuisine in a unique landscape.

Discover more

• Where to stay in Ravenna
• What to see in Ravenna in 2 days
• How to get to Ravenna