Feastio
menu icon
subscribe
search icon
×

I Portici Restaurant in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna

Updated by | 3 minute read | May contain affiliate links

Following a fantastic food and Ferrari tour of Emilia-Romagna, I turned my attention to dinner at I Portici Restaurant in Bologna.

I Portici is a Michelin star restaurant and a part of the luxury I Portici Hotel Bologna.

It's in the Eden Theater, a former cafe chantant (French-style cafe where live music is performed), near Montagnola Park, a short walk from the train station and Piazza Maggiore.

I Portici Restaurant in the former Eden Theater
I Portici Restaurant in the former Eden Theater.

The old theater, complete with Art Nouveau ceiling frescoes, has been fully renovated. The dining room feels spacious, elegant, and bright.

The stage features a piano and harp, though neither was played during my visit.

In the kitchen, I Portici Restaurant is in the capable hands of the talented chef Gianluca Renzi.

He has continued to uphold the one Michelin star rating of his predecessors.

Welcome snacks
Welcome snacks

Tasting Menu

I Portici Restaurant offers an a la carte menu plus three tasting menus:

  • Wandering through Emilia, five courses, $97 (€85)
  • Into the Blue (seafood focus), five courses, $105 (€92)
  • 2019, seven courses, $128 (€112)

While I only ordered still water, The Michelin Guide 2019 states the restaurant has an "excellent wine list."

These photos are from the 5-course Wandering through Emilia tasting menu I had on October 23, 2018. Not pictured: the freshly baked tomato and black olive bread.

Prosciutto and fried dough at I Portici Restaurant
Prosciutto on fried bread with Persimmon ice cream
Salad
1. Salad
Marchigiani beef
2. Marchigiani beef
Egg pasta stuffed with 36-month old Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, beans, endive, and "cruschi" peppers
3. Egg pasta stuffed with 36-month-old Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, beans, endive, and "cruschi" peppers
Mora Romagnola piglet, millefeuil of potatoes and "friarielli" broccoli
4. Mora Romagnola piglet, millefeuille of potatoes and "friarielli" broccoli
Pre-dessert with fruits and vegetables, topped with melon foam
Pre-dessert with fruits and vegetables, topped with melon foam
Interpretations of ice cream, sorbet, and fruit at I Portici Restaurant
5. Interpretations of ice cream, sorbet, and fruit

This was my favorite course of the meal. Beautiful presentation, colorful, inventive, and fun to eat.

Everything on the plate was edible, even though some of it looked like it could be made of plastic.

Assorted pastries
Assorted pastries
Japanese green tea and black licorice at I Portici Restaurant in Bologna, Italy
Japanese green tea and black licorice

As I was wrapping up dinner a little after 10 pm, I didn't want to finish with espresso, as Italians like to do.

The Japanese green tea I ordered was a subtler way to end the meal, and the offering of black licorice was a nice touch.

My dinner cost $116 (€102), including bread, a tasting menu, bottled water, and tea.

Beyond the theater-style ambiance and delicious food, the service was top-notch, making it easy for me to recommend I Portici Restaurant to anyone visiting or living in Bologna.

Related: La Leggenda dei Frati in Florence

Visit I Portici Restaurant

  • Address: I Portici Hotel Bologna, Via dell'Indipendenza 69, 40121 Bologna, Italy
  • Dress: None mentioned, but this is a fine dining experience.
  • Reservations: Recommend. Visit the website.

More Italy