Watch out for the drinks at Bononia…they’re so good you might drink to excess and then start to become fuzzy…
Young Entrepreneur Succeeds
In 2014 an ambitious young man opened up Club Bononia to an eager public. Now, at only 32 years of age, Gian Marco is pleased with the traffic his club has been hosting for the past 5 years. And while Gianmarco is doing well in his business ventures, he didn’t start out with the idea of doing this for a living. Having studied law previously, he gave it up to pursue his hobbies of adolescence. At 17, he was an event organizer and party coordinator for nightclubs around Bologna. This was where his love of the nightlife began, and since then, he clearly hasn’t been able to get enough.
But the club has a bit of a history too, or at least the structure. Set out quite a ways from the city center, Club Bononia wasn’t always a club. Prior to its inception in 2014, it had been a bar for 6 years, but before that it had been a well-known gelateria for 10 years.
What’s All the Fuss?
So what makes Club Bononia so special? Well, for starters the draw for many a crowd is the fact that it isn’t right in the city center. This gives more privacy and less noise for patrons who may want to sit out in the club’s garden area. That’s right. They have a garden area. At night, the trees are lined with beautiful lights and because the property is surrounded by said trees, you feel calm and relaxed. Imagine sitting outside in the summertime with friends, drink in hand, in a tranquil environment before going inside and dancing the night away. The thought itself is enjoyable, let alone experiencing the reality.
But it’s not just the club’s exterior that give people a reason to party to all hours of the night here. They also come for the drinks. I do have to say that the three cocktails I had while at Club Bononia were absolutely fantastic. The Mimosa that I started off with was the best I’d ever had, and the Pina Colada was the same – the best ever.
When asked what their most popular cocktail is, the owner responds quickly with,
“Spritz.” Which I laugh at. The most common and typical drink in all of Italy is always a Spritz. But don’t be surprised if this ends up being the best Spritz you’ve ever had. Given that all of their other cocktails were so fantastic, I’m sure their Spritz is just as good, too. And as far as specialty cocktails go, they are coming up with some new stuff even as we speak. Using spices grown in their garden, they’ve concocted drinks not found anywhere else in Bologna. Coming soon also, they are planning on introducing a new one that should blow everyone away: an apple Mojito. Yum.
I wasn’t caught in the rain, and I’m not into yoga…but I did like this Piña Colada
Food and Cost
Prices? Glad you asked. They may be a bit higher than what you would expect to find in the city center, but that again has to do with location and quality. The city center might offer you a great discount on said Spritz, but you might not be getting a real Apperol, at least, that’s according to Gianmarco. The prices at Bononia vary when it comes to their cocktails, but you should expect to pay between 6-10 Euro a pop. Which, in reality, is pretty standard across western Europe.
Hungry? Yes, they have food at the club too, which I can’t say I’m accustomed to at a nightclub. They have a menu full of all the things you would like when drinking: hamburgers, pasta, sushi, piadini, salads, and the list goes on and on.
When I was at the club, I too got to partake in one of their buffets. They had everything from patate al forno, to tortellini, to pasta with pesto.
Events
While speaking with Gianmarco he boasts mostly about their versatility. He is proud of the fact that, unlike other nightclubs, they have different events every night.
“We don’t focu solely on one target. For example, some nights we might have a ’60s & ’80s’ night… those who would like to watch a soccer match… for those who would like to have an apperitivo with their friends,” he trails off and continues to list other evenings that they host. It’s true. When I visited Club Bononia, it was Women’s Day. The club was jam packed with people that night, and in honor of the international celebration, the club offered their female patrons some special treats…
When I first walked onto the property a nice gal was there ready to greet me and hand me a complimentary mimosa flower. She then presented me with a drink ticket, for a free Mimosa cocktail. Very clever. All the women were given the flower and the drink that night, and of course, offered “Auguri”, a term in Italian to offer “best wishes” to someone when celebrating a special event like a birthday or in this case, ‘women’s day’.
Dancing is also a must when at Club Bononia. With a DJ on staff, and lots of great music always on the speakers, you won’t want to miss out on the fun time you could be having there at the club.
Bring a friend, or three (like I did), and you’ll have even more of an enjoyable time while there. But make sure that when you go to Club Bononia, you let them know Lisa sent you!
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