Restaurant in Casalgrande, Italy
Traditional Emilian pasta, serious value, off the circuit.
Badessa earns its Michelin Plate recognition with house-made pasta and locally sourced Emilian cooking at an accessible €€ price point. Set in a 19th-century Parmigiano factory in Casalgrande, it delivers technically grounded regional food with a natural wine list to match. A practical, value-driven booking for anyone serious about the Emilian tradition without the €€€€ price tag.
At the €€ price point, Badessa is one of the more direct value cases in the Emilia-Romagna dining scene. You are paying for fresh pasta made in-house, sourced local ingredients, and a kitchen that treats the Emilian tradition as a serious discipline rather than a backdrop. For first-timers arriving from Modena or Reggio Emilia looking for an honest, technically grounded meal without a three-figure bill, this is a very sensible booking. The Michelin Plate recognition in both 2024 and 2025 confirms this is a kitchen working above the regional average, even if it is not chasing stars.
The setting itself is part of what makes Badessa worth understanding before you arrive. The building is a 19th-century cheese factory that once produced Parmigiano-Reggiano, and the transition from dairy production to dining room has not erased the building's identity. The connection to the region is not decorative — it shapes the kitchen's sourcing philosophy. The chef actively seeks out old Emilian recipes and local producers, and the pasta and other core preparations are made on site. This is the kind of cooking where the discipline shows in the details: texture in the pasta, accuracy in the seasoning, restraint in letting ingredients carry the work. For a first visit, that house-made pasta is the clearest signal of what this kitchen can do, and it is where you should pay attention.
The wine list leans into natural labels, which reflects a considered point of view rather than a generic wine programme. If you have preferences around natural wine or want to explore producers from the area, the list will reward some attention. If natural wine is not your format, the list is still focused and purposeful rather than simply broad.
Practically, Badessa sits in San Donnino di Liguria, a frazione of Casalgrande in the province of Reggio Emilia. This is not a city-centre location, so you will need a car or a arranged transfer — it is not walkable from any major transport hub. That said, the address on Via Case Secchia places it within reach of the A1 motorway corridor, making it accessible as a standalone destination or as part of a wider Emilia-Romagna itinerary. Pairing it with a visit to a nearby Parmigiano-Reggiano producer or a stop in Casalgrande itself adds context to what you are eating.
Booking at Badessa is rated easy, and at the €€ price tier and with 1,236 Google reviews averaging 4.7, it is clearly not an obscure or difficult reservation. That Google score across a substantial review count is a meaningful signal: this is a restaurant that performs consistently for a wide range of diners, not just those already fluent in fine dining. If you are visiting the Emilia-Romagna region for the first time and want a grounding meal in the local cuisine before moving on to more formal or expensive options, Badessa is a practical first stop. Book ahead to be safe, particularly on weekends, but this is not a months-in-advance situation.
For context on how Emilian cuisine works at this level: the tradition is built on slow-cooked ragù, hand-rolled pasta like tagliatelle and tortellini, aged vinegars, and local pork products. Kitchens that do this well know their raw materials and do not cut corners on process. Badessa's combination of in-house production and recipe research suggests a kitchen that has thought carefully about where it sits in that tradition, rather than simply reproducing what sells. The modern twist the kitchen applies to old recipes is worth noting: this is not a museum-piece approach to Emilian food, but it is also not a kitchen trying to deconstruct the tradition for its own sake. The balance between respect for the source material and a current sensibility is where the kitchen's technical argument lives.
If you are building a broader Emilia-Romagna itinerary, Badessa pairs well with a visit to Arnaldo - Clinica Gastronomica in Rubiera or Osteria del Viandante in Rubiera, both of which sit in the same Emilian tradition and are close enough geographically to make a two-meal day viable. For the wider regional picture, our full Casalgrande restaurants guide covers the area in more depth, and our Casalgrande hotels guide will help you plan where to stay. You can also browse bars, wineries, and experiences in Casalgrande to round out your visit.
Badessa is at Via Case Secchia, 2/a, San Donnino di Liguria, 42013, Casalgrande, Reggio Emilia. A car is necessary , there is no practical public transport option to this address. Price range is €€, making it accessible for most budgets. Booking is easy relative to the Michelin-recognised competition in the region, but weekends fill reliably given the review volume, so book a few days ahead at minimum. No phone number or website is currently listed in our database; search locally or check current booking platforms for contact details.
Yes, clearly. At €€, Badessa delivers Michelin Plate-recognised Emilian cooking with house-made pasta and locally sourced ingredients. Compared to the €€€€ restaurants in the region such as Osteria Francescana in Modena or Dal Pescatore in Runate, the value gap is significant. You are not getting the same level of ambition or theatre, but for honest, technically grounded regional cooking, the price-to-quality ratio is hard to argue with.
The database does not confirm a seat count or private dining option. Given the location in a former 19th-century cheese factory, there is likely enough space for mid-sized groups, but you should contact the restaurant directly to confirm capacity and any group-booking requirements. At the €€ price range, group meals here are financially direct.
No specific information is available in our current data. Emilian cuisine is heavily built around pasta, pork, and dairy, so vegetarian or vegan diners should contact the restaurant ahead of arrival to confirm what is available. Calling or emailing in advance is the most reliable approach; the kitchen's sourcing philosophy suggests flexibility is possible, but do not assume.
Booking is rated easy, but with a 4.7 score across over 1,200 Google reviews, weekend tables do fill. A few days ahead is typically sufficient for weekday visits; aim for a week ahead if you have a specific weekend date in mind. This is not a months-in-advance situation like Osteria Francescana, which books out far in advance.
It works well for a relaxed special occasion where the setting and food quality matter more than formal service theatre. The 19th-century cheese factory building gives it genuine character, and the Michelin Plate recognition means the kitchen is performing at a level that will feel considered and intentional. It is a better fit for a celebratory dinner for two or a small group than for a corporate event or a high-ceremony occasion. If you want more formal occasion dining at a higher price point, Dal Pescatore is the regional benchmark.
The database does not confirm whether Badessa offers a formal tasting menu. Given the €€ price range and the kitchen's focus on traditional Emilian dishes with modern interpretation, the cooking philosophy is consistent with a menu format that showcases local and seasonal produce. Confirm the current format when booking. At this price tier, even a multi-course experience is likely to represent strong value relative to comparable kitchens in the region.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Badessa | Emilian | This restaurant has a surprising location in a 19C cheese factory which once produced parmesan. Although the purpose of the building has changed, the love of the region remains the same – the chef goes out of his way to source local ingredients and search out old recipes, serving traditional Emilian dishes often with a modern twist. The fresh pasta and other ingredients are produced by the restaurant, while the carefully chosen wine list focuses on natural labels in particular.; Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | Easy | — |
| Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler | Italian, Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Dal Pescatore | Italian, Italian Contemporary | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Osteria Francescana | Progressive Italian, Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Quattro Passi | Italian, Mediterranean Cuisine | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Reale | Progressive Italian, Modern Cuisine | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
At €€, yes — this is one of the cleaner value cases in the Emilia-Romagna region. You are paying for house-made fresh pasta, locally sourced ingredients, and a kitchen that works from old Emilian recipes rather than a modernised menu built for tourists. Two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025) confirm the cooking is consistent. For this price bracket, it outperforms most comparable regional trattorias in terms of ingredient sourcing and culinary focus.
The venue data does not include confirmed group booking details or capacity figures. Given the setting — a converted 19th-century cheese factory in a rural Reggio Emilia location — this is likely a smaller, intimate operation rather than a large-format dining room. check the venue's official channels before planning a group visit of six or more, and book well in advance regardless of party size.
No specific dietary accommodation policies are confirmed in the available data. The menu is rooted in traditional Emilian cooking — which means fresh pasta, regional meats, and dairy feature prominently. Guests with gluten, dairy, or meat restrictions should call ahead, as the kitchen's identity is built around these ingredients and substitutions may be limited.
Booking one to two weeks ahead is a reasonable baseline for a weeknight visit; weekends and public holidays in a Michelin-recognised venue at €€ pricing in a region with serious food tourism will fill faster. The location in San Donnino di Liguria means walk-in attempts are a poor bet — a car trip out here without a confirmed table is not worth the risk.
It works well for a low-key, food-focused occasion where the cooking is the centrepiece rather than the setting or service spectacle. The 19th-century cheese factory space gives it character without pretension, and the €€ price point means you are not paying a ceremony premium. If you want a grander dining room or a longer tasting format for a milestone celebration, Osteria Francescana in Modena is the regional reference point — but Badessa suits someone who wants a genuinely personal, ingredient-driven meal over theatre.
No tasting menu format is confirmed in the venue data, so this cannot be verified. What is documented is a kitchen that makes its own fresh pasta, sources local ingredients with deliberate care, and draws on traditional Emilian recipes with occasional modern adjustments. If a tasting option exists, the €€ price range suggests it would represent strong value by regional standards — but confirm directly with the restaurant before building an itinerary around it.
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