Veneto, Italy - Wine Bars & Restaurants Guide

This guide covers the cities of Venice, Verona & Vicenza. I find myself coming to this region frequently usually as a result of visiting the EICMA bike show or the VinItaly wine vair in Verona.

Verona

Viewpoint looking down on the Ponte Pietra bridge, Verona

Wine Bars

1. Dal Zovo Cantina & Bistrot | View Location This wine bar and bistrot is a great place to visit if you're coming or going to the train station. It's adjacent to the river, the Castelvecchio castle & bridge and a large marble arch, so grab a glass of wine and sit out and enjoy the view. I find it's particularly good for sparkling wine (they usually have about 8 on by the glass) - Champagne, Franciacorta, Alta Langa & Trento DOC all usually available.
   

2. Antica Bottega del Vino | View Location This 15th century wine bar (they also do food) is the oldest in Verona and is a must visit. They've a large chalk board of wines by the glass including a large number of Amarone and Champagne, as well as a dense bible of wines by the bottle. If you ask nicely they may show you their vast cellar of treasures downstairs. At meal times it can be full so if you're only after a drink then come between lunch and dinner.

Cocktail Bars

These suggestions are the best cocktail bars in Verona (after I'd visited them we asked in bars in other cities and the same ones were suggested).

1. Archivio | View Location A great cosy little cocktail bar that I visit every time I visit Verona and the perfect place to finish up the night. Friendly staff with some well priced and interesting cocktails including a few made with Sherry. It's tiny so it can fill up fast.
   

2. Amaro / Green Room | View Location Looking to go on a bit of an adventure then seek out the Green Room. One time we were in Archivio with found a cryptic business card for cocktails and cigars, seeing as I love both we set off to find Green Room. Arriving at the address we found the bar Amaro which looks out on a pretty church but no sign of Green Room. I asked in Amaro and it turned out the Green Room was a speakeasy for those in the know in the basement of Amaro. Green Room makes mad experimental cocktails and they've a cigar smoking room in the basement (not the sexiest of rooms truth be told but was an experience).

Restaurants

1. Il Vicoletto Trattoria | View Location This is probably my go to restaurant in Verona. Simple local food done well and reasonably priced. Try the fried chickpea balls and Bigoli (pasta) with duck ragout.
   

2. Caffè Monte Baldo | View Location Downstairs is more of a bar serving excellent Cicchetti, then upstairs through a maze of little stairways is a nice restaurant. Lot's of character. It. can get very busy so best to book.
   

3. Osteria Ponte Pietra | View Location This Michelin guide restaurant is in a fantastic location adjoining the famous Ponte Pietra bridge (see photo above). Normally I'd be put off by the location as being too touristy but the Michelin guide stickers on the window going back 10 years was a good sign. The small restaurant has a lot of character, we had great service and the food was excellent - we ate things like snail strew, spider crab pasta, scallops, lobster with truffles. This place isn't cheap and is more of a place if you're going all out.

There are plenty of other restaurants in the Michelin guide in Verona and two others I want to try are Trattoria al Pompiere and Greppia (recommended to my by other in the wine trade).

Vicenza

Coming soon...

Venice

Coming soon...