Rimini sits at the heart of Emilia-Romagna — a region consistently rated among the finest food regions in Italy — and the local cooking reflects that position. It is not showy food. It is based on a small number of excellent ingredients: Romagnola piadina flatbread, hand-rolled pasta, Adriatic fish brought in daily from the port, local cured meats, and the squacquerone cheese that appears on almost every table. The beach resort side of the city can push visitors toward tourist-trap menus, but a short walk into the historic centre or toward the port area opens up a genuinely excellent food scene.
Piadina Romagnola
Piadina is the defining food of Rimini and the wider Romagna region. It is a simple flatbread — flour, lard or olive oil, bicarbonate of soda, salt — cooked on a flat terracotta or cast-iron disc (testo) until it bubbles and chars in spots. The result is soft and slightly crisp at the edges, with a faint savoury depth from the lard.
The classic filling is prosciutto crudo di Parma and squacquerone — a fresh, spreadable Romagnola cheese with a mild tang and a texture somewhere between ricotta and cream cheese. It is eaten folded in half. Other fillings include rucola and stracchino (a fresh cow’s milk cheese), salsiccia, or the Romagnola salumi trio of prosciutto, salame, and coppa.
Piadinerie range from simple kiosks to sit-down restaurants. At a kiosk or counter, a piadina runs approximately €3–5 depending on filling. At a sit-down place, expect to pay €6–9.
Where to eat: Look for a working testo visible from the counter — the best piadinerie have theirs in view. The streets immediately west of Piazza Tre Martiri in the historic centre have several reliable options. Avoid anywhere with photographs of the piadina on a laminated menu — these are usually made in advance and lack the characteristic freshness.
Cappelletti in Brodo
Cappelletti — small hat-shaped pasta, slightly larger than tortellini — are the celebratory pasta of Romagna. The filling is typically a blend of ricotta, parmigiano reggiano, and nutmeg, though some local versions include a small amount of pork or chicken. They are served in a clear capon or chicken broth that has been simmered for hours.
This is classic Sunday-lunch food and has been made in Romagnola households for centuries. In restaurants it appears on the menu as a primo throughout the year, though it is most common in autumn and winter when the broth feels appropriate.
A bowl of cappelletti in brodo costs approximately €10–14 in a mid-range trattoria. It is worth seeking out even in summer — eating it is a direct line into the domestic food culture of the region.
Strozzapreti — twisted hand-rolled pasta, the name translating roughly as “priest-chokers” — is another local staple. It pairs particularly well with a simple tomato and basil sauce or with sausage ragù and porcini. A good strozzapreti dish costs approximately €10–13.
Adriatic Seafood
The Rimini fishing port (Porto di Rimini) lands its catch daily, and the city’s best restaurants are supplied directly from it. The Adriatic here is relatively shallow and produces different fish from the deeper waters further south: sgombro (mackerel), orata (sea bream), branzino (sea bass), seppie (cuttlefish), and triglie (red mullet) are the local staples.
Sgombro alla griglia — grilled mackerel — is particularly good from late August to October when the fish are at their fattest after feeding through summer. It is typically served simply: grilled over charcoal, dressed with olive oil and lemon, with a side of grilled vegetables or white beans. A main-course portion costs approximately €14–18.
Frittura di paranza is a mixed fry of small Adriatic fish — whatever came in that day — lightly coated and fried until crisp. It is eaten with lemon and without ceremony. A good portion costs approximately €12–16.
Seppie in umido — cuttlefish braised slowly in their own ink with white wine, tomato, and herbs — is a dish deeply embedded in Adriatic coastal cooking and excellent here.
Avoid the tourist-facing restaurants directly on the beach promenade. The best seafood restaurants are in the side streets near the port, in the historic centre, and in the suburb of Borgo San Giuliano, a 5-minute walk from Ponte di Tiberio.
Restaurants Worth Seeking Out
Osteria de Borg — Borgo San Giuliano, the small neighbourhood across the Ponte di Tiberio. A compact room with handwritten menus and cooking that changes with what came in that morning. Strong on both fresh pasta and fish. Expect to spend approximately €30–40 per head with wine. Book ahead in summer.
Lo Squero — Near the port, focused on Adriatic fish. The frittura di paranza here is consistently good and the branzino all’acqua pazza (sea bass cooked in water, cherry tomatoes, and herbs) is a reliable choice. Approximately €35–50 per head.
La Marianna — A historic piadineria in the historic centre, open for decades, with a visible testo and a short menu of classic fillings. No booking needed. Piadina from €3.50.
Ristorante Al Gatto Verde — A mid-range trattoria in the historic centre where the focus is on land rather than sea — cappelletti in brodo, tagliatelle with ragù, and roast meats. Popular with locals on Sunday. Approximately €25–35 per head with house wine.
For the market: the Mercato Coperto (covered market) on Piazza Cavour sells local produce, cheese, and salumi and is the best place to buy squacquerone, local prosciutto, and Romagnola salame to eat in the park or take home.
Wine and Drinks
Emilia-Romagna produces a wide range of wines, and the local choices here lean toward Sangiovese di Romagna (a dry red, lighter than Tuscan Sangiovese, well-suited to grilled meat and pasta with ragù) and Albana di Romagna (a white ranging from dry to passito sweet, one of Italy’s oldest DOCG wines).
For aperitivo, Campari with prosecco or a simple Aperol spritz is the summer default. The Romagna region also produces Trebbiano Romagnolo — a straightforward dry white that pairs well with fried fish and grilled sea bream.
Piadina is commonly eaten with a glass of Sangiovese di Romagna, which cuts through the richness of the lard and the squacquerone.
For evenings out, see our Rimini nightlife guide. For the full city overview including beaches, Roman monuments, and how to get around, visit our Rimini city guide.