Olivanera — Venice’s Secret Garden of Taste

In Venice, the best secrets don’t shout. They whisper — through candlelight, conversation, and a glass of wine that tastes like sunshine. Hidden in the calm of Cannaregio, Olivanera is one of those secrets. A sanctuary where design meets gastronomy, where olive oil becomes poetry, and where every plate tells the story of Italy’s terroir. 🫒🍷

🌱 A Modern Venetian Love Letter to Olive Oil

Step through Olivanera’s discreet doorway and you step into a different rhythm. It’s not a restaurant in the traditional sense; it’s an experience built around a single element — the olive tree. Its oil, its fruit, its scent. The name itself, *Olivanera*, evokes the black olive, intense and timeless, symbol of Mediterranean elegance.

Created by two friends united by a passion for gastronomy and sustainability, Olivanera fuses Venetian conviviality with Italian craftsmanship. Every dish, every bottle, every object on the table has a traceable story — from small oil producers in Puglia to fishermen in Chioggia and cheese artisans from the Venetian hinterland.

🫒 The Concept — Where Oil Becomes Art

At Olivanera, extra-virgin olive oil isn’t a condiment — it’s the protagonist. Guests are guided through tasting flights of premium oils sourced from Italy’s finest groves: grassy Tuscan blends, golden oils from Sicily, and the peppery monocultivar from Lake Garda. Each one paired with a matching cicchetto or small plate.

It’s a multi-sensory journey — sight, smell, touch, taste — designed to awaken memory and mood. The staff explains how harvest, altitude, and olive variety shape each flavour, but always with warmth, never pretension. You feel as though you’ve joined a secret dinner among friends who know the good things in life.

🍷 The Food — Cicchetti Reinvented

Venetian cicchetti — those small, irresistible bites found in traditional bacari — are the soul of Olivanera. But here, they’re reimagined with elegance and modern simplicity.

• 🥖 Bruschetta con Burrata e Olio al Basilico — creamy burrata drizzled with emerald basil oil and Sicilian sea salt.
• 🐟 Tartare di Tonno con Olio di Coratina — tuna tartare balanced by the peppery intensity of Puglian olive oil.
• 🍋 Insalata di Polpo e Limone — octopus salad dressed in citrus oil from the Amalfi coast, bright as Venetian morning light.
• 🧀 Cacio e Pepe Veneziano — handmade pasta with aged pecorino and a drizzle of golden Tuscan oil that turns simplicity into silk.
• 🍫 Chocolate & Oil — a daring dessert of dark cocoa mousse finished with a few drops of smoked olive oil — an unforgettable Venetian finale.

Menus change seasonally. In spring, asparagus from Sant’Erasmo takes the spotlight; in autumn, truffle and chestnut oils steal the show. Every plate is a dialogue between land and lagoon.

🎨 The Atmosphere — Venice, Redefined

Olivanera is small — a handful of tables, minimalist interiors, and a scent of wood and rosemary in the air. The design is clean but soulful: pale stone walls, soft lighting, handcrafted ceramics, and bottles lined like artworks. The effect is timeless luxury, without noise or flash.

It’s the kind of place you discover by accident and never forget — part bistro, part atelier, part dream.

🍾 The Wine Cellar — Boutique and Bold

The wine list mirrors the philosophy: small producers, big character. Expect biodynamic proseccos from Asolo, Friulian whites full of minerality, and velvety Amarones from Valpolicella. Every glass feels like a personal recommendation — because it is. The owners pour wines they love, and that sincerity fills the room.

Ask for pairings: the sommelier might surprise you with a southern rosé or a glass of Grillo from Sicily that sings with olive oil’s fruity notes.

📍 Location — Hidden in Plain Sight

Address: Fondamenta della Misericordia, Cannaregio, Venice 30121
Open: Usually Tuesday–Sunday, lunch & dinner (verify hours seasonally).
Phone: +39 041 XXXXXXX
Website: www.olivanera.com

Found on one of Venice’s most charming canals, surrounded by small art studios and wine bars, Olivanera is both accessible and discreet. It’s a short walk from Strada Nova, yet it feels like a different world — quieter, more reflective, more Venetian.

🌿 Sustainability & Craftsmanship

Olivanera belongs to a new generation of Venetian restaurants that treat food as culture. The team works with certified organic suppliers, minimizes waste, and recycles olive oil residues for artisanal soap production in collaboration with local craftspeople. Even the ceramics on the table are handmade by Venetian artisans — an ode to the city’s living traditions.

The message is clear: luxury today means respect — for flavour, for nature, for time.

🌅 When to Visit

• Lunch: Ideal for travellers seeking a relaxed, sunlit meal between canal walks.
• Aperitivo: Come at golden hour for cicchetti and a glass of prosecco — the light on the canal is pure cinema.
• Dinner: Candlelit and calm, perfect for couples or anyone wanting to taste modern Venice at its finest.

🪶 The Experience — A Story in Every Drop

Dining at Olivanera feels less like eating out and more like attending a private salon dedicated to taste. The staff guide you through olive-oil nuances the way a sommelier would describe wine: floral, bitter, peppery, delicate. You begin to realize how this golden liquid connects everything — the fields, the kitchen, the lagoon, even your own memories of Italy.

When you leave, the night air smells faintly of salt and citrus, and the city feels softer. That’s what a truly Venetian evening does — it slows you down until you feel part of its rhythm again.

💎 Why Olivanera Defines Contemporary Venetian Luxury

True luxury in Venice isn’t about chandeliers or velvet. It’s about intimacy, purity, and craftsmanship. Olivanera distills all three. It’s the future of Venetian dining — rooted in the past, sustainable in the present, and endlessly inspired by the land and sea that surround it.

Come for the olive oil. Stay for the serenity.

✨ Make It Part of Your Journey

Before or after dining at Olivanera, join our Cicchetti & Wine Tour to explore the neighbourhood’s authentic food culture. Or discover local artisans who supply Venice’s top chefs through our Hands-On Workshops. Prefer a slow evening? Pair dinner with a Venice Sunset Boat Tour — the perfect way to digest beauty and flavour alike.