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Eating in Verona
Verona has had always a famous culinary tradition. In fact, the local noblemen, right from the very beginning, had achieved great fame for their splendid, convivial hospitality and the meals they knew how to offer during remarkable receptions. At present, this tradition is in the hands of the restaurant owners and inn-keepers of the province.
Also, the Veronese cuisine has had influences from north of the Alps, it is mostly rich and heavy, with large quantities of polenta and horsemeat on most menus. Bigoli, a sort of thick spaghetti, is the most common type of pasta, and pearà (a sauce made of bone marrow, bread and pepper) is, presumably, a Veronese delicacy.
A full meal will consist of a starter (antipasto), a first course (generally pasta) and a second (generally meat or fish). Nobody will object if you choose only one or two parts of this, however. It's normal to drink wine with a meal. Pizzas are not a local tradition, and it's worth shopping around for a good one. Local produce you might find on menus includes kiwi fruit, radicchio, melons and chestnuts.
Some Restaurants and Bars in Verona:
- Arena: Vicolo Tre Marchetti 1. Good pizzeria for a late-night bite, as it's open till 1am. Situated in a tiny alley between Via Mazzini and Via Anfiteatro off the northeast side of the Arena. Closed Mon.
- Bella Napoli: via Marconi 14. The best pizzas in Verona, in a distinctly Neapolitan atmosphere. Closed Mon.
- Trattoria da Barca: Vicolo Tre Marchette 19b (tel 045.803.0463). A couple of steps north of the Arena, with a deeply classy ambience, this is the perfect spot for a pre- or post-opera meal of Veronese specialities. Closed Sun.
- Bottega dei Vini: Vicolo Scudo di Francia 3a. Just off the north end of Via Mazzini, this is simply the best restaurant in Verona and has one of the largest selections of wines you'll find anywhere in Italy, though it's slightly touristy as a result. Open until midnight. Closed Tues.
- Maffei: Piazza dell' Erbe 38 (tel 045.801.015). Superb restaurant in a lovely Baroque palazzo, complete with courtyard. You can eat superbly for around 30.99, not including wine. Closed July & Aug, plus Sun (and Mon in winter).
- Osteria La Fontanina: Piazzetta Fontanina. One of the best old-world osterie on the left (west) bank of the Adige, with restaurant-style atmosphere and prices.
- Osteria Perbacco: Via Carducci 48. Moderately priced Veronetta restaurant with a very attractive garden. Especially good fish and vegetarian dishes. Closed Wed.
- Osteria alla Pigna: Via Pigna 4. Elegant traditional restaurant in between the duomo and Piazza dell' Erbe. Easily among the top five of the thirty or so osterie tipiche dotted around the historic centre. A main course will set you back around L25,000/?12.91. Closed Sun & Mon lunch.
- Pero d'Oro: Via Ponte Pignolo 25. Another good Veronetta trattoria, with a family atmosphere. Serves inexpensive but genuine Veronese dishes. Closed Mon.
- San Giovanni in Foro: Corte San Giovanni in Foro 4. Pizzas to rival Bella Napoli with outside seating in a courtyard just off Corso Porta Borsari. Closed Tues.
- Al Carro Armato: Vicolo Gatto 2a. One of the most atmospheric bars in the city, with live music on Sunday evenings in winter. Open until 2am. Closed Wed.
- Caffe dell' Erbe: Piazza dell' Erbe 32. Known universally as Mazzanti, this is the loudest, youngest and coolest of the late-opening bars on the square.
- Al Mascaron: Piazza San Zeno 16. A five-minute walk west from Castelvecchio takes you beyond the bustle to a quiet square where you'll find a crowd of young Veronese. Fine wines and an urbane atmosphere earlier on, popular disco-bar later. Closed Mon.
- Osteria al Duomo: Via Duomo 7a. Best of the city's bars, little changed by twentieth-century fashion, and enlivened on Wednesday afternoons (5-8pm) and Friday nights in winter by a traditional singalong. Open 4pm-midnight. Closed Thurs.
- Osteria al Vino: Via Sottoriva 9. Rumbustious and full of locals: Verona's traditional osterie don't come much more authentic than this.
- Al Ponte: Via Ponte Pietra. Sip a glass in the garden here and enjoy a marvellous view of Ponte Pietra and the Teatro Romano. Open till 3am. Closed Wed.
- Ai Preti: Via Acqua Morta 27. Popular osteria over in the Veronetta district; the pasta and wine are cheap, and musicians often drop by to play. Closes 8pm.
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