Bar Osteria Jolly

Bar Osteria Jolly offers a nostalgic, retro dive into the atmosphere of a traditional neighborhood bar, shaped by rituals, characters and scenery that recall another era—far removed from the polished bourgeois style that has become common in recent years.

The venue has a long and meaningful history: once a coffee roastery for the homonymous brand and later a grocery shop selling wine, candies and sweets, run by the deeply Bolognese Colli family. Since the summer of 2025, a new chapter began when Pietro Pasquariello and his partners, originally from Italy’s northeast, took over the space, reviving it with a strong focus on the social life of the neighborhood. Today the bar, open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., blends bar culture with a lively kitchen and a distinctly popular “groove.”

The atmosphere is pleasantly chaotic and almost always full: elderly locals playing cards mix with crowds of young people arriving from nearby apartments and from across the historic center. The new identity of Bar Jolly—its look, character and spirit—quickly built a loyal following.

The menu reflects the owners’ Venetian roots but goes beyond the typical bacaro style. Lunch features a daily blackboard menu with hearty, traditional dishes such as bigoli with donkey ragù, spaghetti all’amatriciana, seafood starters, Vicenza-style cod with polenta, cuttlefish in tomato sauce, grilled sausage, and desserts like angel cake with berry reduction.

From aperitivo time onward, the counter fills with an abundant selection of cicchetti topped with creative combinations—from anchovies with boiled egg, vegetable frittata, walnuts with gorgonzola, foie gras, and herring—alongside specialties like meatballs, fried cod, mozzarella in carrozza, and patatas bravas.

Behind the bar, service is fast-paced, pouring perfectly balanced spritz at remarkably accessible prices, alongside well-crafted cocktails and a curated selection of natural wines. For those not driving, there is also the Rebaltòn—a house “secret aperitivo” served in a carafe displayed on the counter.

Baccalà fritto