After together lamenting the fact that much of Venice's restaurant stock is geared solely towards…read morethe tourist trade, my hotel concierge recommended two places. Both of those places certainly get their share of tourists but one look at the menu at Birraria La Corte, one of the spots he recommended, made clear that this was quite an elevated offering.
Here, the pasta is homemade and the menu descriptions read like poetry. To wit, our orders:
* Mezze maniche with nettle pesto, goat cheese "Gran Cao" & cardamom (20€); and
* Homemade ravioli stuffed with lamb, fresh peas, yogurt and chive (22€)
Both dishes were fresh, creative, and made with care but about nettle pesto I'll admit I've no desire to sample it again. The ravioli, shared a similar consensus. Both dishes were listed as "first courses" and would benefit from being shared and accompanied by, say, the glazed short ribs listed as a "second course".
Birraria La Corte accepts reservations and those who fail to secure them will likely be seated in the stone-enclosed patio, open to the sky.
It was from this location that I watched many diners settle into their pizza orders, as elevated an offering as the pastas.
I think the optimal experience here would be to come with a group and advance reservations, and sample widely from the menu offerings. As a party of two we were unable to fulfill that mission, but if you're in Venice and looking for a menu that feels creative and different than most every place else, Birraria La Corte is a good choice.
