Restaurant in Reggio Emilia, Italy
Michelin-recognised value in Reggio Emilia's centre.
A Mangiare holds a Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025 and scores 4.4 across 519 Google reviews — making it the strongest value option for Michelin-recognised regional cooking in Reggio Emilia at €€ pricing. The kitchen runs both a tasting menu and à la carte, with traditional and creative dishes generously portioned and carefully presented. Book for a special occasion dinner when Enigma's €€€ prices are more than you want to spend.
With a 4.4 rating across 519 Google reviews and a Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025, A Mangiare is the most reliably satisfying mid-range restaurant at the entrance to Reggio Emilia's historic centre. At €€ pricing, it sits in a rare position: Michelin-recognised quality without the €€€ outlay of competitors like Enigma Restaurant. Book it for a special dinner when you want something more considered than a trattoria but don't want to commit to a full splurge.
A Mangiare changed hands recently, and that transition is the most important thing to understand before booking. The new ownership brought in a young female chef, while retaining the original front-of-house team. That continuity matters for the experience: service familiarity combined with a kitchen that is working with both traditional and creative registers. The Michelin Plate recognition in consecutive years — including the year following the ownership change — suggests the transition has held up technically, which is not a given when a restaurant changes hands in Emilia-Romagna, a region where diners hold regional cooking to a demanding standard.
The cuisine runs across both a tasting menu and an à la carte selection, with generously portioned dishes that are described by Michelin inspectors as carefully presented. The guiding principles, per the same source, are care and simplicity , a framing that positions this kitchen closer to disciplined regional cooking than to the kind of technique-for-its-own-sake creativity you see at Italy's top-end addresses like Osteria Francescana in Modena or Reale in Castel di Sangro. A few fish options round out a menu that is otherwise rooted in the land-based traditions of Emilia. For the region's most technically ambitious cooking at higher price points, look instead to Dal Pescatore in Runate or Uliassi in Senigallia. A Mangiare is not competing in that bracket , and it doesn't need to.
The address itself frames the experience before you walk through the door. Sitting at the entrance to the historic centre, the location makes A Mangiare a natural choice for a dinner that begins or ends with a walk through Reggio Emilia's medieval streets. The visual impression of the plates , carefully arranged, per Michelin's own language , signals that this kitchen is working with intention, not just volume. For a special occasion dinner at this price tier, that attention to presentation matters: it communicates respect for the occasion without requiring the full ceremonial weight of a tasting-menu-only format.
A Mangiare works leading for two specific diner profiles. First, couples or small groups planning a celebratory dinner who want the quality signal of a Michelin-recognised restaurant without a bill that tips into €€€ territory. Second, visitors to Reggio Emilia who want to eat regional cuisine at a higher standard than the city's many trattorias but are not chasing a destination-dining experience. If you are travelling from outside Emilia-Romagna specifically for a high-level Italian meal, this is a solid stop, but you should be clear that the ambition level sits below starred restaurants like Piazza Duomo in Alba or Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence. A Mangiare earns its Michelin Plate; it is not reaching for stars. That is a strength, not a weakness, at this price point.
For groups with mixed appetites , some wanting to commit to a tasting menu, others preferring to order freely , the dual format of tasting menu plus à la carte is a practical advantage. You are not locked into a single structure, which makes the restaurant more useful for mixed-preference tables than venues that enforce a single format.
See the full comparison below, and explore more options in our full Reggio Emilia restaurants guide. You can also browse our Reggio Emilia hotels guide, bars guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide for the full picture.
For regional Italian cooking at a comparable or higher level elsewhere in Italy, consider Trattoria al Cacciatore - La Subida in Cormons or Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler in Brunico if you are travelling more broadly. In the Alpine-adjacent regional tradition, Thaller Gasthaus in Sankt Veit am Vogau and Quattro Passi in Marina del Cantone offer useful reference points for understanding where A Mangiare sits in the broader Italian regional dining picture.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Mangiare | Regional Cuisine | €€ | Situated at the entrance to the historic centre, this restaurant now has a new owner, who is nonetheless assisted by the old management team front of house. The cuisine here includes traditional and creative fare, both on the tasting menu and the à la carte, in dishes that are generously portioned and beautifully presented – you’ll also find a few fish options. Care and simplicity are the principles that guide the young female chef who arrived here with the new owners.; Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | Easy | — |
| Enigma Restaurant | Regional Cuisine | €€€ | Unknown | — | |
| Il Pozzo | Traditional Cuisine | €€ | Unknown | — | |
| Piccola Piedigrotta | Unknown | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Book at least a week in advance for weekday dinners; two weeks for Friday or Saturday. A Mangiare holds a Michelin Plate for 2024 and 2025, which drives reliable demand even at its €€ price point. If you're visiting for a special occasion, give yourself more lead time and confirm directly — walk-in availability at this level of recognition is unreliable.
The venue data does not confirm a bar-seating option at A Mangiare. Given its position as a sit-down restaurant with both tasting menu and à la carte formats, counter dining is unlikely to be a standard offer. check the venue's official channels via the address at Viale Monte Grappa, 3, Reggio Emilia to check current arrangements.
At €€ pricing with a Michelin Plate behind it, the tasting menu represents one of the better-value structured dining options in Reggio Emilia. The kitchen combines traditional and creative dishes with generous portions, which matters at this price tier. If you prefer flexibility, the à la carte is a legitimate alternative — A Mangiare runs both formats seriously.
The menu spans traditional regional cuisine, creative dishes, and a selection of fish options. The kitchen's stated principles are care and simplicity, so the most confident orders are likely to be the less fussy, regionally-rooted plates rather than experimental detours. Specific dish recommendations require checking the current menu directly with the restaurant.
Yes, particularly for couples or small groups who want Michelin-recognised quality without a high-end price tag. The Michelin Plate gives it a credible quality signal for a celebratory dinner, and the generously portioned, well-presented dishes suit the occasion. It sits at the entrance to Reggio Emilia's historic centre, which adds a practical location advantage for a night out.
At €€, A Mangiare is well-priced relative to its Michelin Plate recognition in both 2024 and 2025. You are getting tasting menu and à la carte options, generous portions, and a kitchen guided by a young chef under the new ownership — all without the premium cost of Michelin-starred dining. For Reggio Emilia specifically, this is a strong value position.
Il Pozzo is the most direct comparison for traditional regional cooking in the area. Piccola Piedigrotta is worth considering if you want a more casual, neighbourhood-focused alternative. Enigma Restaurant suits diners who want a more contemporary or experimental format. A Mangiare is the only one of the three with consecutive Michelin Plate recognition, which matters if the quality signal is part of your decision.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
