secret ingredient in a restaurant bolognese I have dabbled with almost every ingredient I can think of in varying amount to get my Bolognese to taste similar to a restaurant made Bolognese in the italian alps. 

Including:
Pepper
Sugar
Salt
Tomatos and tomato puree, tinned and chopped tomatos
garlic
lea &amp; perrins / Worcester sauce
Onions &amp; onion gravy granules
different meats, pork, beef and veal
Herbs Basil, greek basil, thyme and oregano
red wine
and most recently balsamic vinegar

These all get close and do make a nice Bolognese. However the secret ingredient is still missing!
If you are missing an umami note, it's possible you are missing a very common ingredient in bolognese - chicken livers. These give a meaty, almost sweet flavour. Soak them in water for a few minutes, then finely chop or pulse in a food processor. I use minced (ground) pork, beef and chicken livers.

You might also try adding pancetta, to add a smoky tinge.