Osteria del Sole

Bologna


The sign outside this ancient Quadrilatero dive bar tells you all you need to know – ‘vino’. Bring in your own food, and elbow past the alley-filling cacophony of smashed students, mildly inebriated grandpas and the occasional Anglo tourist for a sloppily poured glass of chianti, Sangiovese or Lambrusco. It’s a spot-on formula that’s been working since 1465.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Bologna attractions

1. Santuario di Santa Maria della Vita

0.04 MILES

In the heart of the Quadrilatero, this 17th-century shrine is one of Bologna's most beautiful and important, not only for its 13th-century foundation by…

2. Quadrilatero

0.05 MILES

To the east of Piazza Maggiore, the grid of streets around Via Clavature (Street of Locksmiths) sits on what was once Roman Bologna. Known as the…

3. Palazzo del Podestà

0.05 MILES

Dating to the 13th century, the Palazzo del Podestà was the original residence of Bologna's chief magistrate. Beneath the palazzo there's a whispering…

4. Piazza Maggiore

0.06 MILES

All roads lead to pivotal 13th-century Piazza Maggiore, flanked by Basilica di San Petronio, Europe's sixth-largest basilica, and a series of impressive…

5. Basilica di San Petronio

0.06 MILES

Bologna's hulking Gothic basilica is Europe's sixth-largest church, measuring 132m by 66m by 47m. Work began on it in 1390, but it was never finished, and…

6. Palazzo del Re Enzo

0.07 MILES

This 13th-century palace is named after King Enzo, the illegitimate son of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, who was held here by papal forces between 1249…

7. Museo Civico Archeologico

0.08 MILES

Impressive in its breadth of coverage of historical eras, this museum displays well-documented Egyptian and Roman artefacts along with one of Italy's best…

8. Fontana del Nettuno

0.09 MILES

Adjacent to Piazza Maggiore, Piazza del Nettuno owes its name to this explicit bronze statue sculpted by Giambologna in 1566. Beneath the muscled sea god,…