Italy is a country of gastronomic adventures. Every town and village has its own unique delicacy. However, the northern city of Parma seems to have more than its fair share. Here are some of our favourite places to eat and drink in this foodie paradise.
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The neatly plated, bite-size city of Parma is home to some iconic Italian dishes and foods. Reggiano parmigiano and Parma di Prosciutto (world-famous parmesan cheese and Parma ham) both come from here.
And if you pull the camera back a little, the broader Emilia-Romagna region is where things like bolognese, balsamic vinegar, tagliatelle, tortellini, ragu and even mortadella all come from.
So it’s little wonder that Parma is full of bars and restaurants serving just the most delicious dishes.
Locals here know what good food and good produce means, and the high standards are set, met and respected everywhere you go in this gracious yet down-to-earth river city.
If you want to know exactly what to eat while you’re here, check out our story on 7 Things You Must Eat in Parma.
For the best activities and tours in the region, click here!
Find the best rates on accommodation in Parma here.
Our Top Picks on Where to Eat and Drink in Parma
Only a short train ride major travel hubs like Milan and Bologna, we’re surprised to find Parma quite unused to tourism. Locals are friendly enough, though they seem surprised to see visitors.
Once we’ve fulfilled our primary goal of visiting a parmesan factory and a prosciutto farm a little out of town (you have to do this tour by the way, it’s fascinating), we settle down to exploring the food offerings of the city.
Trattoria del Tribunale — authentic Parma-centric dishes in an old-school setting
Just off the main food street of Luigi Carlo Farini, this immense, Tardis-like old-school restaurant is packed with the charm of proper Italian hospitality.
The menu is full of Parma classics served with relish and pride. I came to Parma with a list of things I wanted to eat here; I tick most of them off in here!
Everything we order here is superb, and the service and atmosphere are impeccable. Get here early though as queues for tables build up fast.
Trattoria Corrieri — where the locals go for atmosphere and great food
A recommendation from another restaurant, Trattoria Corrieri snatched the crown from our favourite — Trattoria del Tribunale — on our very last night in Parma.
Down the side of the University of Parma, this wonderfully homely little trattoria is full of warmth and life. We walk into a dining room packed with laughter and happy voices, staff move with purpose and good manners, and the food is simply splendid.
Add to that the exposed brick, the gingham tablecloths, the waistcoated waiters and the ‘meat cellar’ full of prosciutto legs and all kinds of other salumi, and there’s nothing Corrieri doesn’t have.
Osteria Virgilio — a bright friendly lunch spot
On the western side of the Parma River, in amongst the alleys and once working class neighbourhoods of the Oltretorrente, the little Osteria Virgilio serves well-made Parma classics with a sense of flare that matches its wine lists.
We stopped in here for a spot of lunch and were impressed. They also had one of the dishes I was seeking: the caval pist — horse tartare. But this is so finely minced that it has almost a pesto smoothness.
We’re so comfortable in this little osteria that we find it hard to leave, especially with so many tempting bottles of wine around us.
Tabaccheria Caffetteria Giulia — drinks and snacks for aperitivo hour
On one of the main streets of the passeggiata through Parma, Giulia is a lively little cafe with street-side seating, a quick-serving bar and plenty of tempting snacks in the cabinet.
We stopped here for a couple of glasses of wine at aperitivo hour, where you can grab bites to eat with your drink at a nominal fee.
The service is friendly, the drinks are well-priced and the snacks are very tasty. Tick all those boxes!
Enoteca Tabarro — fantastic people-watching and pretty good wine too
Close to where we were staying in Parma, this funny little wine bar likes to take itself a bit seriously, but if you can overlook the man-splaining, you can score some excellent people-watching.
Order quickly so the guy who works here can’t get settled and grab an outdoor seat at one of the giant wine barrel tables. The wine, which is great by the way, will taste all the better.
Honorable Mentions
We didn’t get round to eating in these last few places, but they’re worth checking out. We’ll definitely try them the next time we’re here.
Osteria dei Servi — for meat grilled over coals and handmade pasta
At the edge of the markets by the river, this place was completely full when we were here (in winter), but they did recommend we go to Trattoria Corierri, so that deserves credit.
Focused on authentic, homely dishes from the region, this place specialises in house-made pasta and grilled meat that they cook on a huge round charcoal grill.
Da Pepen — for top-level panini
There’s nothing quite like a freshly made panino from a deli in Italy, and these guys are well-known for theirs. They do things like fresh fig, prosciutto and gorgonzola panini, but also horse meatballs in a sandwich if you’re game.
Ciacco Gelateria — for Parma’s best gelato
This is a big call — especially without having tried it — but this is apparently the best gelato in a town that knows good food. The website looks slick and the flavours on offer sound quite avant guard, but owner and food scientist Stefano Guizzetti seems to know what he’s doing. We’ll be back, Sefano.
