The Veneto & Venice Restaurant Guide

Ristorante da Riccardo

Via Val D'Assa 31/33 Carrè (Vicenza)

Il Ristorante da Riccardo has earned a reputation as one of the best restaurants in Vicenza and the surrounding area – in fact from Venice Italy all the way to Lake Garda you will be hard pressed to find a better restaurant.

Riccardo and Annalisa Giaretta have been running the restaurant, which is around the corner from the house of my mamma, for what seems like forever and the reputation of the restaurant continues to grow.

The atmosphere is a sort of refined rustic – like the food really. The best of Vicenza and Veneto countryside cooking, combined with the more sophisticated dishes of the cities.

Nowhere else can beat the Ristorante da Riccardo for fabulous Vicentine classics and the wine list includes some of the best Veneto wines. The sommelier offers expert advice on matching without any tiresome snobbishness.

There are about ten dishes that are truly superb so, unless you have an enormous appetite, you will need to visit at least twice. The other problem is that desserts are brilliant and you'll need to leave some space for these too.

Some of the top ten dishes include the Sorpressa, Baccala alla Vicentina, Branzino in Salt, Homemade Gnocchi and Gargati co'l consiero. Not all are always available – the menu changes regularly according to the seasons.

Service is impeccable and prices are very reasonable – three courses, with wine and coffee , shouldn’t cost you more than 35 Euros a head.

Out of all the restaurants I feature this is my favorite and though the food is amongst the best in the Veneto the restaurant is not at all pretentious and welcomes children - important for Andrew (my husband) and me.

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