The interior of Trattoria Ermes in Modena.

IMAGE SOURCE: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cittadimodena/5059614302/in/photolist-8mfymU-8H6R4m-8H3GdZ-8H6RBq-8H3GoF-8H6QUq-8H6RWJ-8H3HzP-8H3H9e-8H3HKK-8H3Hsg-8H6Rub-8H6RRw-8H6SgA-8H6Rkf-8H3GC2-6ALKHj-6AGD2i-6AGGfr-3FHUKy-drckqD-bpvZk5-4bpr5Y-3FDzfD-3FHVim-6ALLHj-dWdgaC-dWdfXq-dWdgiC-dW7CVM-dWdgoU

© Courtesy of Città Di Modena

Trattoria Ermes

Top choice in Modena


In business since 1963, this fabulous, affordable little lunch spot is tucked into a single wood-panelled room at the northern edge of downtown Modena. Gregarious patron Ermes Rinaldi runs the place with his wife Bruna: she cooks, he juggles plates and orders while excessively bantering with the customers, though these days he often sits out for health reasons.

Regardless, this is authentic, daily-changing, unpretentious Emilian cuisine at its finest – proposals include lasagne on Monday, gramigna alla salsiccia (pasta with sausage) on Tuesday, passatelli in brodo on Thursday – and so on.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Modena attractions

1. Palazzo Ducale

0.2 MILES

Construction began in 1634 on this massive palace, a baroque masterpiece that absolutely dominates the northeast end of Modena's historic centre. Today,…

2. Musei del Duomo

0.21 MILES

Tucked down an alley along the left side of the cathedral, the duomo's side-by-side museums operate like two exhibitions within the same space. Musei del…

3. Torre Ghirlandina

0.22 MILES

Rising behind the cathedral is this early-13th-century 87m tower topped with a slender Gothic spire, named after Seville's famous 'Giralda' in the early…

4. Duomo

0.22 MILES

Modena's celebrated duomo combines the austerity of the Dark Ages with throwback traditions from the Romans in a style known as Romanesque. The church…

5. Biblioteca Estense

0.25 MILES

The Biblioteca Estense, inside the Palazzo dei Musei, holds one of Italy’s most valuable collections of books, letters and manuscripts, including the…

6. Museo Civico Archeologico Etnologico

0.25 MILES

Housed together with the jointly administered Museo Civico d'Arte inside the Palazzo dei Musei, this small museum has well-displayed local finds from…

7. Palazzo Comunale

0.25 MILES

Behind its elegant facade, Modena's 17th-century town hall offers several historic rooms for visitors to explore; in addition to incredible frescoed…

8. Galleria Estense

0.25 MILES

Reopened in 2015 after a three-year closure (due to earthquake damage), this delightful gallery features the Este family’s collection of northern Italian…