Introduction to Bologna’s Culinary Experience
Bologna, a city in Italy, has become the first in the country to offer a unique culinary experience where tourists can book lunches and dinners in citizens’ homes. This innovative project is the result of a collaboration between Cesarine, the Common of Bologna, and the Foundation Bologna Welcome. The goal is to provide an experiential and cultural experience, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the local cuisine and traditions.
The specialties of Bolognese cuisine are the protagonists of the gastronomic experiences in the Cesarine’s homes.
Gastronomic Experiences in Bolognese Homes
The project enables tourists to reserve lunches and dinners in private homes, transforming hospitality into a cultural experience tied to the territory. Bologna becomes a pioneer city in Italy, offering a structured and organized system of gastronomic experiences in private homes. The model focuses on experiential tourism linked to Bolognese cuisine, allowing travelers to discover traditional family recipes.
Tourists and residents share a home-made lunch during a gastronomic experience organized by the Cesarine in Bologna
Exemption from the Unesco Decree
The project obtained authorization from the Common of Bologna, which granted an exemption to the Unesco decree that rules the activity of administration in the historical center. The decision recognizes the cultural value of the initiative, which is not a traditional catering activity but an experience of encounter with the local culinary culture and people.
The home table becomes a meeting place: visitors and residents for lunch during an experience organized by the Cesarine community
Online Reservations and Tourist Infopoints
The experiences can be booked on the site bolognawelcome.com and at the main Tourist Infopoints and bookshops in Bologna, including Piazza Maggiore, Archiginnasio, Museo Civico Archeologico, and others. The system of reservation and availability is developed and updated in real-time by Cesarine in collaboration with the Foundation Bologna Welcome.
Gastronomic Experience Comprehension
The experience includes lunch or dinner in a private home in the center of Bologna with a menu of three courses from the local cuisine, accompanied by water, local drinks, and coffee. The encounter allows for a direct experience of the city’s culinary culture, entering into contact with the local traditions and people.
The conviviality of the domestic table at the center of dinner and lunch experiences in the homes of the Bolognese
Available Experiences in Bolognese Homes
Currently, diverse experiences are bookable in Bolognese homes, including authentic experiences of Bolognese cuisine with different Cesarine, such as Massimo, Oriana, Paola, Martina, Lisa, and Federica. Beyond these proposals, over 170 courses of cuisine and gastronomic experiences are organized by the Cesarine community in Bologna and its province, available online for reservation.
For more information, visit Here

