A memorable lunch in Venice
A tucked-away locale to bookmark for your next visit
Dear reader,
Though Venice is not particularly known for its food like Naples or Bologna, I still can’t stop thinking about a lunch I had there last November. The food and dining experience were 10/10, and I’m excited to share the details with you in case you’re planning a trip to Venice in the near future.
Spoiler alert: you have to take a boat to get to the restaurant, so plan accordingly.
The departure
10:30 a.m. Our friends graciously arranged transport for the day with Davide de Giorgi from the boat tour company, Veneziamare. Davide picked us up at Ponte Valeria Solesin, a short walk from the Santa Lucia train station.
We zoomed off in Davide’s expertly restored boat, formerly used as a mail-delivery vessel for the postal service, with views of the Venetian cityscape falling behind us.
First stop: Burano
11:30 a.m. We docked for a quick visit to the island of Burano, which is perhaps best known for its candy-colored houses and tradition of handmade lace. Davide guided us on foot around the city. We stopped to admire the beautiful textiles at La Perla Gallery, a family-owned lace shop, and wandered into a small pasticceria, wafting aromas of vanilla and butter, where we bought a sack of freshly baked buranelli (also known as bussolà), the signature cookie of Burano.
Davide explained that the houses of the Burano were painted in bright, rainbow colors so that sailors returning home after long voyages, or a drunken night out, could make their way home. As we continued to walk the small island, Davide reminded us how tourism has fundamentally changed Venice and its surrounding islands. Davide spent much of his childhood in Burano, staying at his grandmother’s house during the summer months. He said that back in the day, there was no need for the houses to have doors; it was an open community where everyone was treated like extended family. Today, very few Venetians live in Burano, often commuting in from the mainland to open their shops to tourists.
12:15 p.m. We stopped at a small bar near the Chiesa San Martino with its crooked bell tower to have an aperitivo to “aprire” or “open” our appetites before lunch. We ordered spritz al campari and cicchetti (small snacks) to enjoy al fresco. The cicchetti were nothing much to write home about, but the beautiful views, perfect weather, and great company were thoroughly satisfying.
Lunch at Villa Seicento in Torcello
1:15 p.m. After aperitivo, we hopped back on the boat to make our way to our final destination: the island of Torcello, where we would have lunch at Villa Seicento. Its name a reference to its 17th century construction date, the villa can only be reached by private boat or ferry. From the moment we arrived, Villa Seicento felt like a hidden gem of a location, well outside the tourist hubbub of Venice.
We were seated in the outdoor terrace with views of the villa’s lush gardens. We started off by ordering a bottle of Manzoni Bianco, a crossing between Pinot Bianco and Riesling that was created in the 1920s by a professor of enology in Conegliano. Villa Seicento’s menu is heavily fish-based and seasonal, focusing on local ingredients that can be sourced from the lagoon.
Our lunch order
These dishes are some of the best representations of Venetian food that I’ve ever had, combining historically important ingredients like polenta with 0 km, locally sourced fish and produce from the surrounding lagoon.
Homemade bread served in a cestino, a little box.
Cappelunghe or razor clams with herbs and olive oil.
Polenta bianca with crispy schia. Schia are small shrimps that are typical of the lagoon. The white polenta was a revelation; it was so flavorful and had a pearly texture compared to the sandier, yellow polentas that I’ve tried. The crunchy, salty fried shrimps (shell on) provided contrast.
Grilled polenta with sfogetti, or a local type of sole. This dish was served “in saor,” meaning heaped with marinated onions. Each portion was finished with a crispy polenta hat for good measure.
Risotto al brodo di Gò, a typical risotto with Gò broth. This historical Venetian dish was the centerpiece of our lunch. Gò, or goby, is a small, spiny fish native to the muddy parts of the lagoon. It is notoriously time-intensive to prepare due to its many finicky little bones, but it creates an incredibly flavored broth. Every bite of this risotto was filled with the refined umami richness of the Gò, enhanced by lemon, parsley, and white pepper.
Spaghetti di moeche, spaghetti served with a type of soft shell crab that is very special, as it is only available during certain times of the year.
We ended the meal with a round of espresso before downing a taster of the obligatory post-meal spirit that was offered to us as we were leaving. This one was an “acquavite d’uva” from Bepi Tosolini and was distilled from whole grapes and then aged in used Amarone barriques.
Return to the Venetian mainland
3:30 p.m. With stomachs full, we cruised back to our starting point in Venice, breaking out a few of the buranelli cookies that we had purchased earlier to end our meal on a sweet note.
About an hour later, we were waving goodbye to Captain Davide, with the sun setting on a lunch I will not soon forget.
- Emma from La Nonna Vita
Thank you for introducing us to this wonderful restaurant and its food. Your descriptions are so vivid and precise.