Trattoria Alla Madonna with its traditional Venetian flavours
The Trattoria Alla Madonna is like an old-fashioned place: fresh fish, traditional cuisine and a convivial atmosphere. The sixty years of tradition make this a historic landmark that has been able to link different generations of Venetians, tourists and personalities of the whole world. On the menu the food is the typical one of Venice: the Granseola is memorable, the risotto with seafood is highly recommended, without forgetting the award-winning ‘Seppie in Tecia’ (squids in a pan).
In 1954, Alla Madonna restaurant, an idea by Fulvio Rado, opened its doors; he had taken over the ownership of an old Venetian tavern characterized by the presence of an ancient vineyard.
Over the years the restaurant has maintained its style and its traditions: a simple and informal environment, without frills, with a wide range of traditional dishes. The restaurant has now been handed over to Fulvio’s son, Lucio and this has not at all affected the soul of the place, which still remains a firm point of reference for the area of San Polo and Rialto.
The walls of the nine rooms, adorned with paintings by famous Italian painters and two reproductions of Canaletto, also tell us how Alla Madonna is the ideal meeting place for the Venetian artistic circles: in the past Guido Guidi, Emilio Vedova and Giorgio De Chirico loved to spend here their evenings.
The service and atmosphere are also appreciated by personalities from the world of entertainment and culture, who love to dive into the most authentic and hidden Venice, surrounded by an attentive but never intrusive service.
The attention and care of Lucio Rado does not only show in the perfect management of the restaurant but also in a series of initiatives taken to enhance the historical heritage of the city.
After promoting various local youth sport teams, the Rado family has chosen to join the ‘Veneziani for Venezia’ project, financing the restoration of the popular Campo San Giacometto’s fountain, in the heart of the Rialto Market.
The specialties prepared by the chef are mainly based on fish, cooked in a natural way not to affect the traditional flavours of each dish and freshly purchased daily in the nearby Rialto fish market.
When we have dinner at Alla Madonna, we trust Lucio Rado and his staff’s recommendations on the dishes. The restaurant’s specialties? Do not miss the mixed fish starter (canoce, prawns, baby octopus, garusoli, latticini), the risotto with seafood, the ‘seppie in tecia’, the vermicelli with squid ink, the legendary granseola in the shell, the timeless soups of fish and fried fish.
Not only fish of course: for those who prefer meat, try at least once the exquisite Venetian liver and beef fillet.
The winery, finally, is careful to connect the flavours of fish and meat with the most suitable wine to enhance the taste, starting from the Collio whites, to an interesting selection of Prosecco, continuing with Veneto region and national red wines such as Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti.
Photos are by Riccardo Rizzetto, @riccardorizz, for Venezia da Vivere.
Trattoria Alla Madonna
Calle della Madonna, 594
30125 Venice
Phone +39 041 5223824
trattoriamadonna@gmail.com
www.ristoranteallamadonna.com
How to get there
It takes 20 minutes by walk from Piazzale Roma, train station and San Marco; with line 1 of public transport, until Rialto stop.
Alla Madona is closed on Wednesdays, two weeks in August and the whole month of January. All credit cards are accepted, except Diners Club.
