Dining and lodging in Piemonte, Portovenere, Florence, Bologna, Venice, Verona, and Lake Garda

[An_drew_Gelb]

Great notes! Glad you added Lake Garda to your itinerary. Thanks for the update on Lido 84. We had a magical dinner there in 2019, but I do ask myself if the setting influenced my opinion of the (very good) food. I look forward to trying the other places in Riviera Gardone next time we visit.

We are very glad we added it as well, and thanks for the recommendation for the area and Lido 84.

[F.Daner]

Great report Andrew. Thanks for taking the time to put it together. We’ll be in La Morra in a few weeks so very timely.

cheers

[Randy_Sanders]

Andrew, thanks.
We’re going to Lake Garda/Bologna etc. in October and will certainly take your reviews into consideration.
We’ll be staying on the East side of Lake Garda, in Bardolino (closer to Amarone), but will gladly drive around to the other side.

[Ian_Sutton]

Andrew, thanks.
We’re going to Lake Garda/Bologna etc. in October and will certainly take your reviews into consideration.
We’ll be staying on the East side of Lake Garda, in Bardolino (closer to Amarone), but will gladly drive around to the other side.

I rather like Bologna, even though our first visit (a day trip) was a bit of a write-off. We’ve since stayed in the city twice, and also a bus ride away in Rastignano. I’d definitely recommend apartments over hotels here, as there is some very high quality food grazing in the specialist food shops (which make the central Eataly store look very pedestrian - I’ve not been to their out of town experience).

p.s. if day-tripping to Modena, I spotted a recent thread on it in the food forum Eating and Drinking in Modena - Epicurean Exploits - Food and Recipes - WineBerserkers

[Randy_Sanders]

Thanks Ian, yes, we’re staying in VRBO type places in Bardolino, Bologna and Santa Margarita. Flying in and out of Milan. A grand circle, in a rented car.

[Barry_L_i_p_t_o_n]

A week in Venice:

Best meal: il Doge, on the terrace at the Grand Canal. Best food, service and view. Very pricey.

Sentimental favorite and Great food: Osteria da Fiore, fantastic seafood, pricey.

Il Ridotto, top quality but the food could have been zestier

Quadri- the one disappointment. Great venue but the conceptual riffs they tried were better thoughts than meals. Everything sounded better than it was.

Taverna San Trovasso. Two of three pizzas were among best ever. one was soggy ( asked for a margherita with Gorgonzola, somehow got a soggy Quattro formaggio). Ask for it bene cotto (well done). Squid ink pasta was good but too light in the cuttlefish.

Bistros de Venise- the surprise (to the upside). Great dishes from centuries ago. An old Jewish recipe for bigoli in anchovy sauce, and smoked elk were top choices. Very highly recommended, a top three meal of the week (excluding pizza)

Amazing breakfasts: Terrace at the Gritti Palace. Nothing unusual, just top quality and one of the best locations in Venice. Usually lingered for an hour.

Best chocolate : Virtu Vizu; been going for years. Best gelato as well, especially chocolate.

[An_drew_Gelb]

A week in Venice:

Best meal: il Doge, on the terrace at the Grand Canal. Best food, service and view. Very pricey.

Sentimental favorite and Great food: Osteria da Fiore, fantastic seafood, pricey.

Il Ridotto, top quality but the food could have been zestier

Quadri- the one disappointment. Great venue but the conceptual riffs they tried were better thoughts than meals. Everything sounded better than it was.

Taverna San Trovasso. Two of three pizzas were among best ever. one was soggy ( asked for a margherita with Gorgonzola, somehow got a soggy Quattro formaggio). Ask for it bene cotto (well done). Squid ink pasta was good but too light in the cuttlefish.

Bistros de Venise- the surprise (to the upside). Great dishes from centuries ago. An old Jewish recipe for bigoli in anchovy sauce, and smoked elk were top choices. Very highly recommended, a top three meal of the week (excluding pizza)

Amazing breakfasts: Terrace at the Gritti Palace. Nothing unusual, just top quality and one of the best locations in Venice. Usually lingered for an hour.

Best chocolate : Virtu Vizu; been going for years. Best gelato as well, especially chocolate.

Barry, glad to hear you had a great visit and thanks for the notes!

[Faryan_Amir-Ghassemi]

In the board’s humble opinion, how accurate are google maps time estimates for drives south of Florence?

We’re thinking of doing 3 tastings and a lunch one day in September, and I’m worried that the appointments might be tight given the 30-40 minute driving estimates between sites and the potential variance. Thanks!

[Greg_Kramer]

Thanks for the amazing trip report, Andrew. This is pretty close to my dream trip!

I’ve only been to one place on your list, L’Osteria del Vignaiolo, back in 2006. It was not only excellent food, but one of the most memorable wine days of my life. We had spent a couple of hours with Teobaldo and Augusto Cappellano at their winery and when we asked a good place for dinner, Teobaldo said “If you do not have reservations already then you will have dinner with us!” So we went to Vignaiolo and had a fantastic dinner there. At the end of the meal I pulled out my credit card, and Teobaldo laughed and told me that they bought his wine at Vignaiolo and that my money was no good there. Despite my protests, he wouldn’t let me pay.

Nice story Marshall. I also had a memorable experience at Vignaiolo. On my first professional trip to the area, I had appointments with 5 very small producers in Barolo/Barbaresco (all of whom I work or worked with since). I saw their wines on none of the wine lists of the restaurants/wine bars…until dinner at Vignaiolo, where all 5 appeared. How to choose? Well, during our visit with Osvaldo Viberti he mentioned that he was able to acquire Nebbiolo from Cannubi just once - in the 2010 vintage. He told me he only had magnums remaining but offered me a taste. I politely but reluctantly declined . Sure enough Vignaiolo had 750’s of it. The next morning I called Osvaldo and told him I wanted all of his remaining magnums. (Footnote: since then, he acquired Cannubi grapes again only in 2017).

Anyway, its a very warm, comfortable place with gracious service and excellent cucina. Thank your for rekindling the experience.

[An_drew_Gelb]

In the board’s humble opinion, how accurate are google maps time estimates for drives south of Florence?

We’re thinking of doing 3 tastings and a lunch one day in September, and I’m worried that the appointments might be tight given the 30-40 minute driving estimates between sites and the potential variance. Thanks!

Hello! In my humble opinion, when I am the one doing the driving in the Chianti region, I add another 15-30 thirty minutes to account for sometimes getting a little lost, missing the correct turn off road or the roundabout, not seeing the estate’s or road’s signage, as well as getting stuck behind local traffic on the narrow and windy roads, which can really slow things down. I generally try to be early rather than late and from experience need the extra time. But, that’s just me. Have a great time in one of our favorite parts of the world!

[An_drew_Gelb]

Thanks for the amazing trip report, Andrew. This is pretty close to my dream trip!

I’ve only been to one place on your list, L’Osteria del Vignaiolo, back in 2006. It was not only excellent food, but one of the most memorable wine days of my life. We had spent a couple of hours with Teobaldo and Augusto Cappellano at their winery and when we asked a good place for dinner, Teobaldo said “If you do not have reservations already then you will have dinner with us!” So we went to Vignaiolo and had a fantastic dinner there. At the end of the meal I pulled out my credit card, and Teobaldo laughed and told me that they bought his wine at Vignaiolo and that my money was no good there. Despite my protests, he wouldn’t let me pay.

Nice story Marshall. I also had a memorable experience at Vignaiolo. On my first professional trip to the area, I had appointments with 5 very small producers in Barolo/Barbaresco (all of whom I work or worked with since). I saw their wines on none of the wine lists of the restaurants/wine bars…until dinner at Vignaiolo, where all 5 appeared. How to choose? Well, during our visit with Osvaldo Viberti he mentioned that he was able to acquire Nebbiolo from Cannubi just once - in the 2010 vintage. He told me he only had magnums remaining but offered me a taste. I politely but reluctantly declined . Sure enough Vignaiolo had 750’s of it. The next morning I called Osvaldo and told him I wanted all of his remaining magnums. (Footnote: since then, he acquired Cannubi grapes again only in 2017).

Anyway, its a very warm, comfortable place with gracious service and excellent cucina. Thank your for rekindling the experience.

Another great story about a place we really enjoyed! I have no idea when we’ll return to the region, but I know when we do we will dine there again!

[A_Mishaan]

As an initial matter, other than some rides arranged by our first stop, the wonderful Hotel Castello di Sinio, we used “Daytrip” (https://mydaytrip.com/) for our city-to-city transportation throughout Northern Italy. We found it to be a very good and comfortable service. This was our first trip for which we did not rent our own car and did not get on any trains and instead relied upon the Daytrip network of very good, safe, friendly, and knowledgeable local drivers and their luxury cars. We prepaid for all of the rides, and everything worked very well. While I generally enjoy driving, we found it eliminated the stress one occasionally encounters on vacation when renting, driving, getting lost while driving, or trying to find your hotels in the crowded and ofttimes bewildering historic centers where they inevitably are located; not to mention the waste of then parking and storing the rented vehicle in each city until you head out for the next destination. In addition, we actually made friends of a few of our drivers. We highly recommend this service and will use it again.

Andrew, in addition to all the other great info in your posts, this is interesting to me. For our fall Milan-Bologna-Venice jaunt we would also like to avoid renting a car. I’m curious, did you use daytrip for any “touring” daytrips or just city-to-city? Trying to figure out the best way to base from Bologna for 5 or 6 days, and cover visits to places like Modena, balsamico and Parmesan producers, maybe Ferrari, and perhaps some out-of town dining (still doing basic research at this point).

[Barry_L_i_p_t_o_n]

Train between the cities is a breeze. It’s only for outside that you will need transport.

I really enjoyed Ferrara, a good place for an easy trip from Bologna, with excellent restaurants.

[An_drew_Gelb]

As an initial matter, other than some rides arranged by our first stop, the wonderful Hotel Castello di Sinio, we used “Daytrip” (https://mydaytrip.com/) for our city-to-city transportation throughout Northern Italy. We found it to be a very good and comfortable service. This was our first trip for which we did not rent our own car and did not get on any trains and instead relied upon the Daytrip network of very good, safe, friendly, and knowledgeable local drivers and their luxury cars. We prepaid for all of the rides, and everything worked very well. While I generally enjoy driving, we found it eliminated the stress one occasionally encounters on vacation when renting, driving, getting lost while driving, or trying to find your hotels in the crowded and ofttimes bewildering historic centers where they inevitably are located; not to mention the waste of then parking and storing the rented vehicle in each city until you head out for the next destination. In addition, we actually made friends of a few of our drivers. We highly recommend this service and will use it again.

Andrew, in addition to all the other great info in your posts, this is interesting to me. For our fall Milan-Bologna-Venice jaunt we would also like to avoid renting a car. I’m curious, did you use daytrip for any “touring” daytrips or just city-to-city? Trying to figure out the best way to base from Bologna for 5 or 6 days, and cover visits to places like Modena, balsamico and Parmesan producers, maybe Ferrari, and perhaps some out-of town dining (still doing basic research at this point).

Hello A. We used Daytrip for city to city. However, I believe if you look at and play with their website you’ll see that, after you put in your to and from locations, stops in between and tours are suggested. So, they likely can provide what you seek. That being said, there are many companies that specialize in the food (and auto factory) touring business. In 2018, we used Parmalook (https://www.parmalook.it/en/), and the day we spent with them was really terrific! For dinners out of town, you might ask your hotel for drivers; I am sure that can be easily arranged, and it is what we did for dinners and some lunches while in Piemonte.

And may I add, here’s a specific fantastic driver we now consider a friend, with a great car and who knows very, very well the Bologna (and the Veneto) region. Paolo Pasin +39 329 276 9132

Salute!

[A_Mishaan]

As an initial matter, other than some rides arranged by our first stop, the wonderful Hotel Castello di Sinio, we used “Daytrip” (https://mydaytrip.com/) for our city-to-city transportation throughout Northern Italy. We found it to be a very good and comfortable service. This was our first trip for which we did not rent our own car and did not get on any trains and instead relied upon the Daytrip network of very good, safe, friendly, and knowledgeable local drivers and their luxury cars. We prepaid for all of the rides, and everything worked very well. While I generally enjoy driving, we found it eliminated the stress one occasionally encounters on vacation when renting, driving, getting lost while driving, or trying to find your hotels in the crowded and ofttimes bewildering historic centers where they inevitably are located; not to mention the waste of then parking and storing the rented vehicle in each city until you head out for the next destination. In addition, we actually made friends of a few of our drivers. We highly recommend this service and will use it again.

Andrew, in addition to all the other great info in your posts, this is interesting to me. For our fall Milan-Bologna-Venice jaunt we would also like to avoid renting a car. I’m curious, did you use daytrip for any “touring” daytrips or just city-to-city? Trying to figure out the best way to base from Bologna for 5 or 6 days, and cover visits to places like Modena, balsamico and Parmesan producers, maybe Ferrari, and perhaps some out-of town dining (still doing basic research at this point).

Hello A. We used Daytrip for city to city. However, I believe if you look at and play with their website you’ll see that, after you put in your to and from locations, stops in between and tours are suggested. So, they likely can provide what you seek. That being said, there are many companies that specialize in the food (and auto factory) touring business. In 2018, we used Parmalook (https://www.parmalook.it/en/), and the day we spent with them was really terrific! For dinners out of town, you might ask your hotel for drivers; I am sure that can be easily arranged, and it is what we did for dinners and some lunches while in Piemonte.

And may I add, here’s a specific fantastic driver we now consider a friend, with a great car and who knows very, very well the Bologna (and the Veneto) region. Paolo Pasin +39 329 276 9132

Salute!

Super helpful. Thanks again.

[Ian_Sutton]

I really enjoyed Ferrara, a good place for an easy trip from Bologna, with excellent restaurants.

It’s a charming city isn’t it, especially for anyone happy to jump on a bicycle to explore (it’s pretty flat), though walking also excellent. You can also drink wine in the same enoteca that Copernicus used to drink in, and it’s a good one, not the tourist trap it might be in a more touristic city.

[A_Mishaan]

Any sense of how far in advance we should be looking to book restaurants for an early November trip (Bologna, Milan, Venice)?

[Barry_L_i_p_t_o_n]

Venice in November I don’t know, but 5 weeks wasn’t enough for Alle Testiere in late spring. Unless you hate fish, book online as soon as reservations open.

[Ian_Sutton]

Any sense of how far in advance we should be looking to book restaurants for an early November trip (Bologna, Milan, Venice)?

I’ve heard Milan can be a place where advance booking is advisable, but that’s going to depend from place to place. Venice I don’t know, but of the places we went to in Bologna, we typically turned up without a reservation, or phoned earlier that day. That’s normal for us though, as we don’t like a set itinerary, and I usually go armed with ideas for many more restaurants than we’re likely to actually visit - but that’s good for impromptu decisions about (for example) somewhere good for a lighter meal in a particular district.

I guess if there are 1-2 restaurants that you feel are major reasons to go to that city, then that makes sense to book well in advance, as it might irritate to think you’re there but can’t go. It doesn’t feel unreasonably early to be booking for such places.

[A_Mishaan]

Venice in November I don’t know, but 5 weeks wasn’t enough for Alle Testiere in late spring. Unless you hate fish, book online as soon as reservations open.

Done! Thanks for that.