Caffè Zanarini

Caffè Zanarini is at 1 Piazza Galvani, beneath the Pavaglione porticoes and beside the former university palace of the Archiginnasio. The Biblioteca Salaborsa city chronology records that Enrico Zanarini signed the lease in 1929 and opened a café-pastry shop there in 1930; after the war it became one of the city’s fashionable meeting places. Today the business presents itself as a pastry shop, bar and restaurant, with indoor seating and outdoor tables on the square. The attraction is not only espresso: it is a place to watch Piazza Galvani and sit under the arcades after visiting the Anatomical Theatre.

The offer includes coffee, tea, hot chocolate, pastries, biscuits, cakes, sandwiches and aperitivo. The Antoniazzi group runs the venue and brings its pastry-making tradition; reviews mention croissants, display-case sweets, spritz and coffee served with dessert. Public feedback is more divided than at Caffè Terzi: several visitors enjoy the location, dining room and pastries, but recent comments describe burnt or inconsistent coffee, waiting times and high prices for some items. It is therefore better to choose Zanarini for a pause on the square and its pastries rather than assume it serves the city’s best coffee. Outdoor tables are also more sought after in good weather.

Bologna Welcome lists daily opening from 07:00 to 21:00, phone +39 051 275 0041 and the address beside the Archiginnasio. The tourism listing also mentions vegetarian choices, a children’s menu, accessibility and table service; a booking may help if you want a table for a group. The experience changes with the format: a quick drink at the bar is different from settling on the terrace or ordering a full aperitivo. Compared with Terzi’s specialist coffee, Zanarini offers history, pastry and an urban setting, although its guest score is more modest and criticism more noticeable. For readers prioritising espresso flavour, Terzi is the clearer choice; for a break overlooking the square, Zanarini has a hard-to-match address.