El Venezia

El Venezia Review

Long before Bellavista became fashionable, this bare-bones picada was where movie stars and TV personalities rubbed elbows with the hoi polloi. Although gourmands now head a block or two in either direction to the latest hot spots, tacky El Venezia still fills to capacity each day at lunch. And what's not to like? The beer is icy, the waiters are efficient, and the food is abundant. The congrio frito (fried conger eel) is delicious, as are the costillar de chancho (pork ribs). As a nod to the name, there are also prodigious plates of pasta.