Venissa

Far away from the tourist hordes, Venissa is situated in a small walled vineyard dating back to the Middle Ages – complete with 14C belltower – on the small island of Mazzorbo, a magical setting which is perfect for a short stroll before settling down to eat. In addition to the Dorona di Venezia vineyard, the restaurant also has a kitchen garden which provides most of its vegetables, including unusual varieties such as “castraure”, a type of local artichoke. Once out of the garden, you come to a small wooden bridge which links Mazzorbo to neighbouring Burano, where you can complete your visit to the lagoon by exploring the lacemakers’ shops and admiring the colourful local houses. The main focus here, however, is the cuisine – and excellent cuisine it is too! Chefs Chiara Pavan and Francesco Brutto describe their dishes as “ambientale” (environmental) because of the close connection between the lagoon and the Upper Adriatic: the menu features plenty of fish and vegetables and almost no meat. Guests choose their number of courses and the dishes come as a surprise, accompanied by organic wine pairings. At the Osteria Contemporanea next door the dishes are simpler but still full of flavour.