La Piazzetta in Bologna, review: a top-notch (and off-the-radar) seafood restaurant
Via del Pratello is best known as Bologna's nightlife hub. This narrow pedestrian street is constantly busy with outdoor dining areas that welcome patrons until late at night, especially young people and university students.
Perhaps its original sin is that it's a seafood restaurant, a genre that everyone in Bologna seeks out but few frequent. In any case, it's rather inexplicable why this little place isn't consistently recommended to those seeking seafood specialties in the city.
The environment, the menu
You may have already guessed (spoiler alert) that La Piazzetta is confidently a candidate for a spot on the podium of the best seafood restaurants in Bologna and the surrounding area.
The outdoor terrace is nestled under the restaurant's portico, and while it's not a historic Bolognese building, it has the great advantage of being in a very quiet location where you can dine without the hustle and bustle of city traffic. Inside, it features a single, intimate and welcoming room with five or six tables served by owner Andrea Zappi. In the kitchen, the talented Gianluca Leoni (brother of the brilliant Marcello), demonstrates great inventiveness in his dishes and absolute mastery of technique, which he applies especially to the blue fish from our coasts to maximize its potential.
The wine list is not particularly extensive and, beyond the obligatory French labels, is built on Italian wines with a selection of regional bottles from recognized wineries.
How you eat, how much you spend
We begin with magnificent, fragrant grilled mackerel fillets served with pecorino cheese and caramelized pears, and that alone would be enough to draw you in. If you're one of those who thinks fish and cheese are a no-no, this will be your chance to redeem yourself. The seared tuna is flavorful and spectacular, lightly breaded, with bottarga mayonnaise and a touch of caper: a light foam with evanescent aromas that decorates the dish. The creamed cod, with its smooth texture, is delightful and served in a toasted sandwich accompanied by a refined shellfish bisque. Also worthy of mention are the delicate gazpacho with marinated shrimp and zucchini, and the bold, yet original, Chioggia sea bream served with crispy bacon on a persimmon and lime sauce and chestnut puree.
It's truly difficult to choose the best among the first courses listed on the menu. Their most famous dish is the cacio e pepe with raw prawns, a sort of revisited gricia where the freshness of the raw fish stands out against the savory creaminess of the sauce. But for my personal taste, the tagliatelle with chopped sardines, dried tomatoes, and pecorino cheese wins, with its rustic, timeless flavor. The passatelli with foie gras, prawns, and broccoli are truly acrobatic and definitely worth a try, as is the calamarata with clams generously doused with bottarga.
Among the main courses, the most mainstream are the grilled prawns with citrus notes, a choice for those who don't want to venture into the more original combinations proposed by the chef, including the sardines stuffed with bread, raisins, and Parmesan (a sort of Emilian-style beccafico) paired with the sweet-spicy notes of fruit chutney, exceptional in their simplicity, or the sea bass (catch of the day) served with burrata and sun-dried tomatoes, but the umbina with crispy green beans, tomato, and grapefruit also deserves a mention.
At the end of the meal, the cheesecake, deconstructed by spoon, is convincing, fresh and aromatic, as is the zabaglione with peaches and it's a shame that it's no longer apricot season because I'm sure it would have had an even more marked impact.
La Piazzetta confirms itself as a little gem nestled in a city rich in tradition, which struggles to focus on anything beyond its impressive traditional cuisine and to recognize a restaurant that isn't at least a couple of generations old. Leoni's cuisine is worth trying if you're looking for a delicious seafood dish that breaks the mold, yet always respects the ingredients and masters the kitchen. The bill is absolutely in line with the city average, another plus for a restaurant we recommend.
Opinion
La piazzetta is a solid yet imaginative establishment that masterfully uses excellent seafood ingredients and deserves to be discovered by all Bolognese (and non-Bolognese) seeking a seafood restaurant in the city that can also satisfy those seeking a touch of novelty.
PRO
- excellent raw material, well processed
- creative ideas that are always measured and up to the standard of the dishes
AGAINST
- few things are not perfectly centered
- welcoming place, but this kitchen deserves a more spacious place
