The best panettone in Bologna

The challenge for the best panettone in Bologna raises its level from year to year. Classic or gourmet, with candied fruits or exotic spices, all the bakeries and pastry chefs have their own recipe.

Curious to see who makes the best one?

What is an Italian panettone?

Panettone is a baked cake typical of Christmas time in Italy.
Its origins are from the north of Italy, from Milan. The classic version has raisin and candied fruits inside, and a glaze of sugar and almonds on top.

You can find many different variations, also gluten-free or even vegan.

Italians eat panettone as a dessert, after lunch or dinner. It's common to have it also for breakfast, paired with coffee or cappuccino.

A common alternative to panettone is pandoro, another baked and simpler cake loved by kids.

Panettone is an expensive food because it takes time to prepare and includes premium ingredients like vanilla, almonds, and candied fruits.

The price of a panettone ranges from €5 per kg to as much as €50 or €60 per kg for those made by renowned pastry chefs like Carlo Cracco or Igino Massari.

How do you tell a good panettone?
It has to be soft inside and crunchy near the glaze. The list of ingredients should include just flour, eggs, butter, and yeast. The shape should be round and not too flat with holes inside not too large.

The best panettone in Bologna

Here's the list of the best bakeries and pastry chefs where you can buy an excellent panettone in Bologna.

Il Forno di Calzolari

The name of the panettone comes from bread.
So it's not a surprise to find Forno Calzolari bakery on this list.

This family business has its roots in the hills above Bologna, where Francone founded it in the 1960s. Now it's his son Matteo the king of bread.

At Calzolari it's Panettone season since November.
Try their Autumn Panettone with chestnuts, walnuts, and persimmon puree.

Are you late?
Not a big deal, they even make a New Year's Eve version with sour cherries and dark chocolate.

Price: €40 per kg

Info

Il Forno di Calzolari
Via Marchesana, 4/b, 40124 Bologna
Tel. +39 051 001 3858

www.fornocalzolari.it

Cremeria Santo Stefano

If I say Cremeria Santo Stefano and you've been on one of our Bologna food tours, your eyes should start to sparkle.

You're right, Cavallari's family makes one of the best gelato in Bologna.
But not only.

In the last years, the young owner Mattia improved his baking skills and now his panettone is top-notch.

At Cremeria you find the classic one, with raisins and candied fruit, and a special one for New Year's Eve that changes every year.

And if you combine it with his zabajone gelato, well you get my idea of heaven.

Price: €37 per kg

Info

Cremeria Santo Stefano
Via Santo Stefano, 70/c, 40125 Bologna
Tel. +39 051 227045

Forno Brisa

Forno Brisa is the Elon Musk of bakeries in Bologna: cool, young and crazy enough to look further.

This small bakery in Via Galliera is already a reference for bread and friends.

Their pizza is superb, the coffee they serve is surprisingly well made, making it the place to stay from breakfast in Bologna to aperitivo.

Since 2016 Forno Brisa's panettone is on the Christmas table of a lot of Bolognesi.

A cool packaging uncloses different versions like:
- Gianduia (with hazelnuts and chocolate)
- Apricot and chocolate
- Coffee (!)

In 2019 the guys of Brisa decided to bring it to Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana to hear his opinion. A selfie with his large smile is worth more than landing on Mars.

Price: €47 per kg

Info

Forno Brisa
Via Galliera, 34d, 40121 Bologna
Tel. +39 051 248556

fornobrisa.it

Regina di Quadri

Francesco Elmi is not just another pastry chef.

His curriculum began in 1988 and after travels and collaborations found a safe home at Regina di Quadri, his patisserie in Bologna.

His panettone is the classic Milan version: high and with prime ingredients like chosen butter, real vanilla, and candied fruit.

Small production and long rising, which takes up to 3 days, makes Regina di Quadri a must-go destination.

Price: €32 per kg

Info

Regina di Quadri
Via Castiglione, 73/A, 40124 Bologna
Tel. 39 051 644 6201

www.pasticceriareginadiquadri.it

Gino Fabbri

If you only have 1 move to make on your chessboard, get your horse and go to Gino Fabbri, in the countryside of Bologna.

You'll need a car, but there you meet THE master, as we call him.

At his elegant pastry shop, you'll find the perfect version of all the classic desserts of Bologna, from rice cake to fiordilatte.

His Panettone is a soft pillow of dough where you can only make nice dreams.
A crisp glaze made of sugar and almonds covers its top.
Inside small cubes of candied orange peel and raisins.

The only bad news?
They sold out quickly, so booking in advance is mandatory.

Price: €45 per kg (the classic)

Info

Gino Fabbri
Via Cadriano, 27/2a, 40127 Bologna
Tel. +39 051 505074

ginofabbri.com

Watch Gino Fabbri making panettone in this video (in Italian):

Pasticceria Beverara

How can you innovate food that seems perfect?
Ask Luca Porretto of Pasticceria Beverara in the countryside of Bologna.

At first, he tried to make a spherical panettone.
Then in 2021, he won the competition of the international federation of pastry chefs.

He called his panettone "Soppa", a local slang meaning "Wow!".
And "Wow!" should be your comment when you read how it's made.

With Soppa Luca mixes together panettone and a typical Bolognese dessert called Zuppa Inglese. So inside the soft dough, you find red alchermes liquor, jelly, and chocolate.

Merry Christmas diet, see you next year!

Info

Pasticceria Beverara
Via Giacomo Matteotti, 185, 40131 Sabbiuno
Tel. +39 051 634 5354

magodelletorte.it

Beyond the panettone

Now you know who makes the best panettone in Bologna.

But before getting to dessert it's time to eat the rest of Bologna's best food.

So join our Bologna food tour to get a deep introduction to coffee, gelato, mortadella, Parmigiano Reggiano, Balsamic, and much more. Enter the family shops, meet the people behind the food and save time and money in trial-end-error.