Birthday dinner in Venice

CoVino was excellent when I went in 2019.

Tiny, tiny place, great wine list, small food menu but everything was delicious. I believe it was a 3 course menu with something like 3 choices per course. Off the beaten path, a little different than other places in Venice - more contemporary, nice and classy but not “formal” in the way of some of the places one might choose for a celebration.

My hidden gem and it is a bit difficult to find but it’s Venice, who cares....

La Boggeta Ai Promessi Sposi

Believe it’s closed on Sundays.

Michelle. Happy 50th. Venice is a great place to celebrate a milestone birthday. In 2109, we celebrated my friend’s 60th birthday at Al Covo, a family owned restaurant. The food was delicious and we had some of the best service of any place we have eaten (Italy and beyond). In fact, after dinner in early 2020 at a 3-star Michelin restaurant, my friend commented the service at Al Covo and how much our dinner at the 3-star reminder her of the service at Al Covo.

Sandy

Thanks, everyone! I am looking these up right now!

I love your plan to celebrate your 50th in Venice!

The most memorable meals we've had in Venice were all at Trattoria da Romano on the island of Burano. I highly recommend it if you like fresh fish, preferably cooked over wood embers - as that, along with their famous "risotto di Gò" (heavenly!), is a specialty of the house, and they are the only restaurant in Venice to have a wood fired oven. The historic interior of the restaurant is lovely: tables spaced well apart, and walls lined with original artwork. The restaurant is family owned and the service is impeccable; they truly enjoy what they do, and care about the food they serve.

We've actually had four wonderfully memorable meals - all leisurely lunches - at da Romano: twice during a week long visit to Venice in November 2011, and twice more during a ten day visit in November, 2012. Each time, we made reservations in advance; I'd recommend you do the same. The rides, there and back, on the vaporetto are all part of the experience; make an afternoon of it - a celebratory lunch followed by a walk around the little island.

On our first visit, we knew we wanted to try their famous risotto, but asked our waiter what else he'd recommend. He asked if we liked grilled fish (yes!), and if we had ever had razor clams (no, but we were eager to try) or cuttlefish (yes, love them!). Thrilled with our enthusiasm, he proposed a little sampling of what was freshly caught from the lagoon, all grilled over wood embers - it was superb! He also suggested a side of grilled mixed vegetables - perfect! Then came the risotto - lovely, especially with a bottle of dry white wine. If asked, they'll make wine recommendations according to your budget. We ended with homemade dessert and coffee. It was such a lovely meal, we made reservations to return six days later. In November, the restaurant wasn't crowded or busy so our waiter was more than happy to chat as we finished our coffee. He asked where we were from and how we were enjoying Venice. We asked about the acqua alta and he told us how the restaurant owners and staff pulled together to protect the restaurant during the worst floods. Then the owner introduced himself and briefly joined the conversation. We went home with happy memories. When we returned a year later, our waiter remembered us and invited us into the kitchen to meet "mama" and watch the chef prepare our risotto. Honestly, it was such a kind, thoughtful gesture. And once again, our entire meal was mouthwateringly delectable. Although we sadly haven't been back since, those four visits are some of our fondest memories to this day. You can be sure when we are once again able to travel, da Romano is at the top of our list of places we hope to return.

I'll close with this: friends who've visited more recently have reported that the restaurant hadn't changed at all, and their visit was a highlight of their trip.