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Food tours in Bergamo: what to eat and which tour to book
Bergamo sits at the foot of the Alps in Lombardy, and its food comes from the mountain valleys behind it: polenta in many forms, stuffed casoncelli pasta with butter, sage and pancetta, braised and roasted meats, and cheese. The province produces a long list of cheeses with protected status, including Taleggio, Strachitunt, Formai de Mut and Branzi, and the local wines include Valcalepio and the sweet red Moscato di Scanzo. The city has two parts: Città Alta, the walled upper town reached by funicular, with its busy main street Via Colleoni and Via Gombito; and Città Bassa, the lower, modern town, where many locals eat. Bergamo is also the home of stracciatella gelato and of the sweet 'polenta e osei' cake.
Use this page to know what to order and where, with rough 2026 prices in euros. The tours shown are real GetYourGuide listings, with prices as seen when we checked; confirm the price and meeting point on the booking page before you pay.
What to eat in Bergamo
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casoncelli casoncelli alla bergamasca (casonsèi) | Folded fresh pasta filled with meat, breadcrumbs, cheese and sometimes amaretti and raisins, served with melted butter, sage, pancetta and Grana. | Trattorias in Città Alta and Città Bassa. | roughly €11–16 a plate |
| Polenta taragna | Polenta made with maize and buckwheat flour, cooked with butter and cheese, served with braised meat, mushrooms or cheese. | Traditional restaurants and mountain-style trattorias. | roughly €12–18 with a main |
| Polenta e osei (sweet) polenta e osei | A dome-shaped sponge cake covered with yellow marzipan to look like polenta, topped with chocolate or marzipan birds. A playful version of an old savoury dish of polenta with small birds. | Pastry shops in Città Alta and Città Bassa. | roughly €3–5 for a small one |
| Stracciatella gelato stracciatella | Milk gelato with thin flakes of chocolate. The gelateria La Marianna in Città Alta says it created the flavour in the early 1960s. | Gelaterias in Città Alta, including La Marianna. | roughly €3–4.50 a cup or cone |
| Bergamo cheeses Taleggio, Strachitunt, Formai de Mut, Branzi | Soft washed-rind Taleggio, Strachitunt (a blue cheese from Val Taleggio), the mountain cheese Formai de Mut from Alta Val Brembana, and Branzi. Many are served as a cheese board with honey or mustards. | Cheese shops and wine bars in Città Alta; dairies in Val Taleggio and Val Brembana. | roughly €12–20 for a cheese board |
| Local wines Valcalepio, Moscato di Scanzo | Valcalepio reds and whites from the hills between Bergamo and Lake Iseo, and Moscato di Scanzo, a rare sweet red from Scanzorosciate near the city. | Wine bars in Città Alta and wineries in the surrounding hills. | roughly €5–8 a glass; Moscato di Scanzo more |
| Braised meats with polenta brasato / stracotto con polenta | Beef braised for hours in red wine, served with polenta. A winter staple. | Traditional restaurants. | roughly €16–24 |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Città Alta: Via Colleoni and Via Gombito
The main street through the upper town, lined with bakeries, pastry shops, cheese and salumi shops, gelaterias and restaurants. Busy with visitors.
Piazza Vecchia
The main square of Città Alta, with cafés and terraces. Atmospheric but more expensive.
Città Bassa
The lower town, with trattorias, pizzerias and aperitivo bars at lower prices and fewer crowds, especially around Via XX Settembre and Borgo Santa Caterina.
Val Taleggio and Val Brembana
Valleys north of the city where Taleggio, Strachitunt and Formai de Mut are made. Some dairies and farms sell directly and offer visits.
Weekly markets
Bergamo has weekly open-air markets in different neighbourhoods selling produce, cheese and salumi alongside other goods.
Food tours in Bergamo compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bergamo: Pasta & Tiramisu Cooking Class at a Local's Home | 3 hours | from €135 per person | — | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Bergamo Food Tour with Local & Full Meal | 3.5 hours | from €89 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Bergamo: Private Pasta-Making Class at a Local's Home | 3 hours | from €145 per person | private | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Bergamo Alta: Wine tasting with a platter of cold cuts in a wine bar in the town center | 1 - 1.5 hours | from €44 per person | max 10 | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Bergamo : Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide | 3 hours | from €85 per person | private | Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them. | Check dates |
| Bergamo: Cooking Class at a Local's Home | 3 hours | from €129 per person | private | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
Bergamo: Pasta & Tiramisu Cooking Class at a Local's Home
On GetYourGuide · run by Cesarine
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €135 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 14 reviews (on 4 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Pasta (2 iconic pasta types) and tiramisu-making class Italian Aperitivo: prosecco and nibbles Lunch/dinner of the 2 pasta recipes and tiramisu Beverages (water, wines and coffee)
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
- Starts
- This experience will be held in a local's home and for privacy reasons, you will only receive the full address of your host after you have booked.
Bergamo Food Tour with Local & Full Meal
On GetYourGuide · run by Do Eat Better Experience
- Length
- 3.5 hours
- Price
- from €89 per person
- Rating
- 4.7 ★ from 117 reviews (on 4 Oct 2026)
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Piazza Mercato delle Scarpe, 5, 24129 Bergamo BG, Italy
Bergamo: Private Pasta-Making Class at a Local's Home
On GetYourGuide · run by Cesarine
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €145 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 13 reviews (on 4 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- private
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
Bergamo Alta: Wine tasting with a platter of cold cuts in a wine bar in the town center
On GetYourGuide · run by Holidoit
- Length
- 1 - 1.5 hours
- Price
- from €44 per person
- Rating
- 4.0 ★ from 10 reviews (on 4 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 10
- Included
- Wine tasting (depending on the tour selected) Board of local cured meats Selection of local cheeses Children's option: platter and choice of drink (if option selected) Extra drinks
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- *
Bergamo : Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide
On GetYourGuide · run by Guydeez
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €85 per person
- Rating
- 3.8 ★ from 9 reviews (on 4 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- private
- Suits
- Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them.
- Starts
- Depends on the selected option ### Viale delle Mura
Bergamo: Cooking Class at a Local's Home
On GetYourGuide · run by Cesarine
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €129 per person
- Rating
- 3.7 ★ from 8 reviews (on 4 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- private
- Included
- Cooking class Tasting of three local dishes (starter, pasta and dessert) Beverages (water, wines, and coffee)
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
- Starts
- Bergamo BG, Italia
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Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
Street food is limited: focaccia and pizza by the slice, pastries and gelato in Città Alta. Cheese and salumi shops on Via Colleoni sell small portions you can eat on the go.
Sit-down meals
Sit-down eating is the norm: trattorias serving casoncelli and polenta dishes, and wine bars with cheese and salumi boards. Lunch is about 12:30–14:30 and dinner from about 19:30. Città Alta restaurants fill up at weekends, so book. Expect a cover charge (coperto) of roughly €2–4 per person.
Cooking classes
Cooking classes in Bergamo often teach casoncelli and other fresh pasta, sometimes with polenta and a dessert. Some include a cheese tasting or a walk through Città Alta's food shops.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | €30–40 (bar breakfast, pizza or focaccia lunch, simple trattoria dinner) |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | €55–75 (two sit-down meals with wine) |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | €110+ (a fine-dining restaurant with wine) |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Fairly easy. Polenta with cheese, cheese boards, risotto and pasta with butter and sage are common. Check casoncelli (usually meat-filled) and sauces; many polenta dishes come with meat or game.
Halal: Halal food is limited to kebab shops and some Middle Eastern and South Asian restaurants, mostly in Città Bassa. Pork appears in many traditional dishes, including the pancetta on casoncelli.
Gluten-free: Italy has good coeliac awareness, and polenta is naturally gluten-free. Many restaurants offer gluten-free pasta. Check for flour in sauces and breadcrumbs in fillings; polenta taragna is normally gluten-free but check how it is made.
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- Tourist-oriented restaurants on Via Colleoni and around Piazza Vecchia with higher prices and average food. Compare prices, look a few steps off the main street or eat in Città Bassa.
- Cheese and salumi shops in Città Alta selling vacuum-packed products at tourist prices. Compare with shops in Città Bassa or buy directly in the valleys.
- Being charged for bread, cover and water without knowing. Coperto is legal if listed on the menu; check before ordering.
Top tours & activities in Bergamo
Rent a car in Bergamo
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Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
What should I eat in Bergamo?
Start with casoncelli with butter, sage and pancetta, polenta taragna with cheese or braised meat, and a board of local cheeses such as Taleggio, Strachitunt and Formai de Mut. For dessert, try polenta e osei from a pastry shop and stracciatella gelato in Città Alta.
Is it better to eat in Città Alta or Città Bassa?
Città Alta has the atmosphere and the food shops on Via Colleoni, but restaurants are busier and pricier, especially at weekends. Città Bassa has more local trattorias and aperitivo bars at lower prices. Many visitors explore Città Alta by day and eat dinner in the lower town.
Do I need to tip in Bergamo?
Tipping is not expected in Italy. Most restaurants add a cover charge (coperto) of roughly €2–4 per person. Rounding up or leaving a few euros for good service is appreciated. On a food tour, about €5–10 per person for a good guide is a kind gesture.
How much should I budget for food per day?
About €30–40 covers a coffee and pastry, a cheap lunch and a simple dinner. Two sit-down meals with wine cost roughly €55–75. Restaurants on Piazza Vecchia and Via Colleoni cost more than those in Città Bassa.
Did Bergamo invent stracciatella gelato?
The gelateria La Marianna in Città Alta says its founder created stracciatella in the early 1960s, and it is widely credited as the flavour's birthplace. The gelateria still serves it, along with other flavours.
Can I visit cheese makers near Bergamo?
Yes. Val Taleggio and Val Brembana, north of the city, are home to dairies and farms making Taleggio, Strachitunt and Formai de Mut, and some sell directly or offer visits. Check opening hours and book ahead; a car is the easiest way to get there.
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.