15 Best Restaurants in The Veneto and Friuli–Venezia Giulia, Italy

This side-street eatery, lined with old wood paneling and decked out with musical instruments, serves traditional Veronese classics, like bigoli (thick whole wheat spaghetti) with donkey ragù and pastissada con polenta (horsemeat stew with polenta). Don't be deterred by the unconventional meats—they're tender and delicious, and this is probably the best place in town to sample them. This first-rate home cooking is reasonably priced and served by helpful, efficient staff. It's popular, so arrive early. Reservations are not always taken.

This bustling café-bar is famed for its excellent creamy coffee and freshly made brioche—it's cheek by jowl al banco (at the counter/bar), with Veronese patrons spilling outside. The narrow space with star-vaulted ceiling on the charming Corso Borsari cobbles is packed with coffee- and tea-making pots and cups, as are its walls with colorful gifts and oddities according to the time of year.

Under the porticoes of gorgeous Piazza Matteoti, with its vibrant student and dialect-speaking locals, Grosmi is a reliable choice for excellent coffee, pastries, and people-watching. Although the brioche filled with chocolate, custard, or fruit jam are staples, some opt for a small cake or macaroon to accompany their caffeine fix.

Nestled under the porticoes of Piazzetta Palladio, the historic Pasticceria Sorarù occupies the former Cafeteria Palladio (1870) and is an ever-reliable spot for the freshest breakfast brioche with cappuccino, and a cornucopia of pastry delights. Inside, you can lean on the handsome old wooden counter and sample a pastry or three while admiring the glass jars filled with colorful candies. 

An easy trip just outside town, this landmark trattoria—serving Triestino food with Slovene, Hungarian, and Austrian accents—has been in business since 1865. Sit by the dining room fire or relax on a huge terrace with a pergola, watching the sun set as you tuck into rich soups and roasts spiced with rosemary, thyme, and sweet paprika. Portions tend to be small, so if you're hungry, order at least a first and second course with a side dish.

For over a decade the Cusma family have been serving Triestini regulars beautifully crafted seafood, alongside a few seasonal meat and vegetarian dishes. Dining in warm, modern interiors under the arches of a refurbished storehouse, choose from Giulio's exquisite but small seafood plates like fish carpaccio, spaghetti con bottarga e tonno (cured fish roe and tuna), and fritto misto (fried seafood medley).

This well-thought-of osteria-trattoria lands the freshest seafood and creates exquisite, beautifully presented plates; the chefs constantly delight with new things to try such as homemade spirulina grissini, unusual flavor combos, and vibrant garnishes. Dine in the rustic yet refined dining room with its exposed stone, wooden beams, and coved ceilings, or outside on the gorgeous terrace with piazza views. 

Deep in the atmospheric Sotto Salone market, this busy bar does a fab selection of filled tramezzini (triangular sandwiches), panini, and other snacks. It's a great place to hear the local dialect and mingle with the market workers and shoppers any time of day; grab a breakfast coffee and brioche, a glass of Falanghina, or a bit later—after 11 am perhaps—an apertivo with snacks. Ask behind the bar or one of the locals about the various wines and snacks chalked on the board.

Serving delicious and generous portions of traditional Triestino buffet fare, such as boiled pork and sausages with savory sauerkraut, Siora Rosa is a bit more comfortable than many buffets. In addition to ample seating in the simple dining room, there are tables outside for when the weather is good. The restaurant is frequented mainly by Triestini, including students and faculty from the nearby university. You may be the only tourist in the place, but the helpful staff generally speak English.  This buffet closes for a brief time between lunch and dinner.

A Triestino institution, this is the oldest and most esteemed of the many "buffet" restaurants serving pork and sausages around town, with a wood-paneled interior and seating outside. It specializes in bollito di maiale, a dish of boiled pork and pork sausages accompanied by delicately flavored sauerkraut, mustard, and grated horseradish. Unlike other Italian restaurants, buffets don't close between lunch and dinner, and tap beer is the drink of choice. For what seems to be a "fast food" restaurant, the service is surprisingly friendly and helpful.

Il Magazzino is a great spot to grab a snack any time of day, as this well-run, modern place covers all the bases, from coffee and brioche breakfast fixes, to brunch panini and plates of pasta or risotto with a glass of wine later. Check out their fab selection of brioche pastries with novel fruit and nutty fillings, as well as heaped salads.

Dine in the atmospheric arcaded canal-side vicolo on Odeon's superb-value pasta, meat, and seafood dishes, or amid the columns in the high-ceiling salone. As befits the intriguing historic setting and interiors, the menu showcases traditional Trevisano ingredients with the occasional flavorsome twist.

This cozy 19th-century locale storico (historic hostelry) is steeped in Vicentina atmosphere, from the bar serving local wines and sopressa (premium salami) to the intimate dark-wood restaurant serving hearty classics. Grab a table out back for a sit-down meal of robust dishes like bigoli (thick, egg-enriched spaghetti) with duck, spaghetti with baccalà (cod), and, in spring, risi e bisi (rice with peas). Desserts include fruit tarts and the ubiquitous tiramisu.

Many of Vicenza's wealthier residents spend at least part of the summer in the Alps to escape the heat, and the dishes of this popular and friendly trattoria reflect the hearty  influences of neighboring Alpine areas of the Trentino and Tyrol on local cuisine. The house specialty, stinco di maiale al forno (roast pork shank), is wonderfully fragrant, with herbs and aromatic vegetables and roast potatoes. Game dishes include venison with blueberries, and guinea fowl roasted with white grapes.

Drop into this busy locals favorite for panini bulging with the prized porchetta Trevigiana (roast pork) or mortadella with gorgonzola amid a rustic room crammed with fragrant hanging salami, cheese wheels, wine bottles and assorted ephemera. It's a fab spot from morning to mid evening, fulfilling all quick bite and cheeky drink needs from on the hoof-snacks and picnic provisions to laid-back lunches and aperitivo sessions.