The Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia Restaurants

Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia Restaurant Reviews

With the decisive seasonal changes of the Venetian Arc, it's little wonder that many restaurants shun printed menus. Elements from field and forest define much of the region's cuisine, including white asparagus, wild herbs, chestnuts, radicchio, and mushrooms.

Restaurants of the Venetian Arc tend to cling to tradition, not only in the food they serve but how they serve it. This means that from 3 in the afternoon until 8 in the evening most places are closed tight (though you can pick up a snack at a bar during these hours), and on Sunday afternoon restaurants are packed with Italian families and friends indulging in a weekly ritual of lunching out.

Meals are still a sacred ritual for most Italians, so don't be surprised if you get disapproving looks when you gobble down a sandwich or a slice of pizza while seated on the church steps or a park bench. In many places it is actually illegal to do so. If you want to fit in with the locals, eat while standing at the bar and they may not even notice that you are a tourist.