Bistrot de Venise
Bistrot de Venise is one of Venice’s premier wine restaurants. Bistrot de Venise, located a few blocks north of Saint Marks square is a favourite for both well informed tourists and the dwindling local population of Venice and the wider Venice area. The restaurant is run by Sergio Fragiacomo, energetic and generous I met him of Wednesday night and found one of the most passionate people on Veneto wines I’ve ever met. Not satisfied with offering one of the most complete and eclectic range of wines from the region, Sergio also runs a busy events calender showcasing the finest of the areas wines, literature, poetry, cuisine, art and photography.
Myself and four friends completed a wine bar crawl of Venice ending up at this fabulous restaurant around 9pm. The restaurant is the epitome of Venetian elegance with a warm and charming interior, lots of dark wood, tiled floors and photography of Venice adorning the walls, you may also be tempted by the attractive young men serving up the vino.
This was a surprising night for two reasons, not only did I spend my first evening in this atmospheric wine bar and get treated to some fabulous local wines gratis but, I was recognised by the lovely sommelier at the restaurant to the delight of my friends and the beetroot red embarrassment of myself. Sergio was generous enough to offer us all samples from 3 of his favourite local wines and the reviews are below.
So a little more about the restaurant. Bistrot de Venise is ideal for those travellers who love to try the best of the local produce, of course, the majority of the wines are from the area but there are wines from the Piedmont and the Alto Adige too. On the food side, the menu offers food you’ll recognise as well as staple Venetian cuisine from centuries ago. The menu, like most menu’s in Venice is fish heavy, though a few meat dishes are offered as well as pasta of course. The Bistrot de Venise is Venice’s restaurant. No restaurant encapsulates the rich history of Venice like this one.So, yeah, yeah, I went to the Bistrot de Venise but who won the competition? Well, my personal lucky number (27) was pre-chosen to be the winner of the 6 bottles and the comment maker for that was….. *drum roll* Andrew (wine.scribbler AT gmail dot com). I’ve emailed him and will send over those bottles next week.
So back to the vino. Sergio kindly let myself (and 4 friends so this was very generous) try 3 different wines, the first white I didn’t get the name of so will email Sergio today and get it! Whoops. The wines we tried are from the area, very small production and rare, I can not find an online seller for either of these wines, you’ll have to get yourself down to the Bistro to try them, or you can try the producer. Bistro de Venise also allow you a 20% discount on buying wine at the restaurant to take home.
Giancarlo Stecca Turchetta Luisa – BUY – €25
Unlike anything I’ve seen or tasted! Dark ruby red in the glass and sparkling, exceptionally fizzy. The bouquet is a bit off putting, a little barnyard, a little dirty but with some flowers in the dirt. On the palate, super refreshing, mid bodied and really enjoyable. Fruits and cherries on the mid palate, to be served chilled. Very interesting. 89 Points
Emilio Bulfon Pecol Ros La Santissima – BUY – €30
Dark rub red in the glass this is a serious wine. Great nose, full of blackberries, violets and earth, a nutty character too. On the palate the wine has a great smooth mouth feel, kind of extracted the flavours are so intense, the finish is long and pure. Grape Variety – Piculit Neri! 91 Points
I am encouraging you to buy these wines, not because the QPR is excellent but because these are made from rare grapes, have a tiny production, attention to detail wines. Only 6000 bottles of the Pecol Ros and 600 of the Turchetta are produced a year.
Where can I buy this wine?
Don’t cha listen?!
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Give us your restaurant recommendations in your city. Which restaurant in your area carries a great wine list to accompany the super food?
I love that photograph.In my hometown of Edinburgh the Atrium is a great place for both food and drink. Its rather famous, you will find it on the net.
Glad you asked! http://www.biteclub.com/bc/index.cfm/profiles/sonny-mayugba/blog/my-hometown-heroes/
In DC Urbana is a top bet
In Barcelona (Spain) the best restaurant, for me, is OT http://www.otrestaurant.netBest
Best restaurant in Boston right now is, No. 9 Park. Beautiful, something truly special.
in petaluma, ca:1) Central Market (california style / slow food)2) cucina paradiso (italian) 3) tea room cafe (breakfast joint)
Well, I live in the states – but Walla Walla, WA is a burgeoning wine region and there is a fabulous restaurant called Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen. Most incredible food ever; the wine list has great local wines, and fantastic imports (but nothing from CA) hmmm. I love the Kobe Beef Cheeks, and pasta courses. . .
Sacramento is a hidden treasure:– The Kitchen– Ella– 55 Degrees– L Wine Bar & Lounge Just to name a few…
Orfeo in Gatteo A Mare, Italy. Good people – good food!
Well … not local (for me at least!), but I really enjoyed my dinner at Alle Testiere in Venezia! I was able to order Valentini Trebbiano d’Abruzzo 2001 off their list for a very reasonable price. Excellent after being decanted for an hour and a bit, but such a baby!
In Portland, Oregon, USA top restaurants are:Le PigeonBeastSel GrisBut we have so many to choose from – it’s tough to make the selection.
Perth, Western Australia:1. Jackson’s2. Balthazar3. Duende4. Must5. Il Lido
San Francisco CA has many, many amazing restaurants. But Quince is my favorite, for imagination, unpretentious elegance and a respect for the purity of its ingredients. And the service is knowledgeable, friendly and unobtrusive.