Restaurant in Parma, Italy
Parma's oldest osteria, still worth it.
Parma's oldest osteria in the town centre, Osteria del 36 has been serving regional Emilian cooking since 1880 and holds a Michelin Plate for 2024 and 2025. At €, it delivers fresh pasta, house-made ice cream, and a signature duck dish at a price point well below what the quality warrants. Book here for an authentic, affordable local meal rather than a formal dining experience.
A Google rating of 4.4 across 486 reviews is the first number worth paying attention to here. For a restaurant operating since 1880, that kind of sustained approval is harder to fake than a flashy debut. Osteria del 36, on Strada Aurelio Saffi, has been feeding Parma from the same address across generations of diners, two world wars, and the rise and fall of every food trend the city has seen. That continuity is not nostalgia — it is a practical signal about what you will find when you sit down: Emilian cooking done in the regional register, without pretension, at a single-euro price point.
The Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025 is the trust signal that matters most here. A Plate is Michelin's marker for kitchens producing food of consistent quality, below the star tier but above the noise. For a casual osteria priced at €, that recognition is meaningful , it tells you the cooking clears a professional bar that the price tag does not require it to clear. If you are travelling through the Emilia-Romagna region and comparing notes with meals at places like Osteria Francescana in Modena or Arnaldo - Clinica Gastronomica in Rubiera, Osteria del 36 sits at a completely different price and formality level , but it belongs in the same regional conversation about what Emilian food actually tastes like without ceremony.
Two simple, convivial dining rooms. That description from Michelin is accurate and worth holding onto when you are deciding whether to book. This is not a destination restaurant built around theatre or tasting menus. The rooms are functional and social, the kind of space where the ambient energy comes from other tables eating well rather than from interior design choices. If you want atmosphere generated by design and service choreography, look at Inkiostro instead. If you want to eat the way Parma eats, this is closer to the source.
The cuisine is Emilian in the strictest sense: pasta freshly prepared, regional dishes, and at least one signature that illustrates exactly how the kitchen thinks. Duck breast in a raspberry sauce with a parmesan cheese flan is the dish the record highlights , a combination that only makes sense in a city where Parmigiano-Reggiano is a local product rather than a premium import, and where a kitchen has had 140-plus years to settle on what works. The house-made ice cream is also cited specifically, which is worth noting because dessert is rarely the reason anyone comes to an osteria.
For the food and travel enthusiast moving through Emilia-Romagna with genuine curiosity about the regional table, Osteria del 36 delivers something that newer openings cannot manufacture: a track record that predates living memory and a neighbourhood relationship with Parma that has been tested across generations. The address on Strada Aurelio Saffi is central, making it practical for anyone already spending time in the city. If your itinerary includes other stops in the region, you can use this as a comparative baseline , a reference point for what Emilian cooking looks like when it is not trying to impress anyone. Consider also pairing your visit with broader regional context through our full Parma restaurants guide.
Book here if your priority is authentic, affordable, regionally specific food in a room that feels genuinely local. At €, this is one of the most cost-effective ways to eat well in Parma. It works for solo diners, couples, and small groups who want substance over spectacle. The convivial format and the long-standing local following mean the room tends to have real energy , not the manufactured kind.
Look elsewhere if you want a tasting menu format, wine programme depth, or creative cooking with modern technique. For that, Parizzi at €€€ offers creative cooking at a mid-high price point, and Inkiostro at €€€€ is the serious destination choice. For grilled meat rather than pasta-led Emilian cooking, Parma Rotta at €€ is worth considering. And for other osteria-format options at a comparable register, I Tri Siochètt and Cocchi are both relevant alternatives covered in our Parma guides.
If you are building a wider regional itinerary, the Emilian tradition runs deep across nearby towns. Osteria del Viandante in Rubiera and Arnaldo - Clinica Gastronomica in the same town offer regional cooking with their own long track records. For higher-end reference points elsewhere in northern Italy, Dal Pescatore in Runate is worth knowing about. And for the Parma experience beyond the plate, our guides to hotels, bars, wineries, and experiences in the city are practical starting points.
Address: Strada Aurelio Saffi 26/A, Parma. Price range: €. Google rating: 4.4 (486 reviews). Awards: Michelin Plate 2024 and 2025. Booking difficulty: Easy. Phone and online booking details are not listed in our current data , check Google or walk in, as the casual osteria format typically accommodates drop-ins more readily than formal restaurants.
Quick reference: Parma's oldest central osteria, Emilian cuisine, €, Michelin Plate 2024–2025, easy to book, central address on Strada Aurelio Saffi.
See below for how Osteria del 36 sits against its Parma peers.
Osteria del 36 is not a tasting menu restaurant. It operates as a traditional osteria at the € price point, where you order from a regional Emilian menu. The value question here is different: at € per head with a Michelin Plate recognition, the cooking consistently exceeds what the price requires. If a tasting menu format is what you want, Inkiostro at €€€€ or Parizzi at €€€ are the relevant alternatives in Parma.
Our data does not include specific information about dietary accommodation at Osteria del 36. As a traditional Emilian osteria, the menu is centred on fresh pasta, meat dishes, and dairy , Parmigiano-Reggiano appears even in signature dishes. If you have significant dietary restrictions, contact the restaurant directly before booking. Phone details are not in our current record; checking Google or arriving in person are the most reliable options.
The duck breast in raspberry sauce with parmesan cheese flan is the dish specifically flagged by Michelin and is the clearest expression of the kitchen's regional sensibility. Beyond that, the fresh pasta and house-made ice cream are both cited as highlights. At an osteria that has been operating since 1880, the dishes that have stayed on the menu are generally the ones worth ordering , ask the staff what is made fresh that day.
Yes. The convivial two-room format and the affordable € price point make it a practical solo option in Parma. Eating alone at a traditional osteria in Italy is common and unremarkable , no awkwardness, no pressure. For solo diners interested in the wider Parma food scene, Brisla is another local option worth considering, and our Parma restaurants guide covers the full range.
It depends on what registers as special to you. If the occasion calls for a historic room, genuinely local atmosphere, and the oldest osteria in Parma's town centre, this works well , and the Michelin Plate means the food will not let you down. If you need formal service, an extensive wine list, or a modern tasting menu format, Parizzi or Inkiostro are better fits for a celebratory dinner.
At the same price tier and Emilian register, I Tri Siochètt and Cocchi are the closest comparisons. For grilled meat rather than pasta-forward cooking, Parma Rotta at €€ is worth considering. If you want to spend more for creative cooking, Parizzi at €€€ is the mid-range step up, and Inkiostro at €€€€ is the serious destination choice. For seafood in Parma, Meltemi covers that category. Our full Parma restaurants guide covers all of these with full profiles.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Osteria del 36 | € | — |
| Inkiostro | €€€€ | — |
| Cocchi | €€ | — |
| I Tri Siochètt | €€ | — |
| Parizzi | €€€ | — |
| Parma Rotta | €€ | — |
A quick look at how Osteria del 36 measures up.
Osteria del 36 is not a tasting-menu restaurant. It operates as a traditional osteria with à la carte Emilian cooking at € price points, which is part of the appeal. If a structured multi-course format is what you want, Parizzi or Inkiostro are the better options in Parma for that experience.
The menu is rooted in traditional Emilian cooking, meaning pasta, meat, and dairy feature heavily. The kitchen prepares many dishes fresh, which gives some flexibility, but this is not a venue built around dietary customisation. Vegetarians and those avoiding gluten should confirm options before booking, as the regional cuisine here is not especially accommodating by default.
The pasta is the starting point — freshly made and the thing Michelin specifically calls out in its Plate recognition for 2024 and 2025. The duck breast in raspberry sauce with parmesan cheese flan is the listed signature dish and worth ordering if available. The house-made ice cream is also noted as a highlight, so leave room.
Yes. Two convivial dining rooms, a local crowd, and a € price range make this a low-pressure solo option. The osteria format traditionally accommodates single diners without awkwardness, and at this price point there is no financial penalty for eating alone.
It depends on what the occasion calls for. If you want a genuinely historic setting — the oldest osteria in the Parma town centre, operating since 1880 — and authentic regional food without a large bill, it works well. For something more formal or with a longer tasting format, Parizzi or Inkiostro are better suited to a celebratory dinner.
Cocchi and I Tri Siochètt are the closest alternatives for traditional Emilian food at accessible prices. Parizzi steps up in formality and price if you want a more composed dining experience. Inkiostro is the choice for contemporary technique applied to local ingredients. Parma Rotta suits groups or outdoor dining in a different part of the city.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
