Hotels near Mercato di Mezzo

Mercato di Mezzo is a covered food hall occupying a medieval building on Via Clavature, one block south of Piazza Maggiore. It opened in its current form in 2014 as a multi-vendor market with stalls covering Bolognese specialities: fresh pasta, mortadella, tigelle (small flatbreads), craft beer, natural wine, and local charcuterie. Unlike tourist-focused food halls in other Italian cities, Mercato di Mezzo draws a genuine local crowd, particularly for the aperitivo hour between 5:30 PM and 8 PM.

The building dates to the 15th century and the ground floor stalls sell to take away as well as in-house. The Enoteca Italiana (wine shop) at the back of the market has one of the best selections of Emilia-Romagna wines by the glass - Lambrusco Grasparossa, Pignoletto, Sangiovese di Romagna.

Pro Tip: Visit at 6 PM on a weekday - the aperitivo hour in Mercato di Mezzo is genuinely atmospheric (standing room, busy, cheap wine by the glass) and gives you access to the food culture that most tourists miss by eating sit-down dinners. A glass of Pignoletto and a plate of mortadella and crescentine costs about 8-10 EUR.