The Beppino Restaurant was a pleasant treat in the beautiful city of Venice in Italy. After an exhausting tour of the magical city, and digesting all the historical significance of the city, it was time to refuel. I wanted to try a place which would serve food made from locally sourced products.
There are plenty of options within the tiny passways of Venice. However, after short chats with multiple Maitre D', The host of Beppino told me that they source all of the fish from local waters and are served on a daily basis, and the vegetables come from local suppliers.
The restaurants here attract tourists from all around the globe that come to visit the city. Hence, the Maitre spoke a bit of Arabic, Russian, and perfect English among many other languages.
Outside, slightly hidden from the entrance of the restaurant, stood a cooler with freshly caught assortments of local fish. Are all of them local? I do not know of the local sea fauna so maybe someone else can enlighten me here. It is also possible to have the exact fish from the cooler that you point at.
Like most establishments in the city, this restaurant also, is in an old building. Tiny staircases, uneven walls, slightly slanted floors, tiny light holes, and large doors that lead to balconies. Most of these buildings have gone through some extent of refurbishment without losing too much authenticity and identity.
It is not too difficult to recognize how much of this place has been renovated, especially on the second floor. There is also a part of the wall exposed on the second floor,the tiles seem pretty old, there are contemporary decorations that are all modern but put in a way to match the vintage look.
The booth downstairs was packed and likely is like that always. I couldn't figure out why the second floor booth was completely empty. The lower floor also has air-conditioning, false ceiling, and laminated floors making it very comfortable to dine.
It is just as loud inside as it is outside in the bustling streets of Venice as all sorts of tourists dine in. The service is pretty quick but the food does take some time to come through.
I had a mission to strike off all the Italian food recommendations I had got from my friends. I was told, multiple times, that the price don't do justice in Italy. Albeit that only proved to be true in a tiny family owned pizzeria I would go to eat at the next day. More about that in a different post.
I started with the bruschetta. Chopped fresh tomatoes with basil and oregano. Served on toasted slices of Italian bread and topped with olive oil and choice of vinegar. Immediately I recognised the difference I have always heard of. The tomato tastes so different. Incredibly flavorful and oozes freshness.
Fun fact, tomato is rather a new addition to Italian cuisine. Afaik, it was only introduced some 500 years ago. But it was so popular and added so much to the cuisine that it has taken its place as some sort of a staple.
Frittura Mista Con Polenta
Mixed fried seafood with polenta. The restaurant changes a lot of what is served based on their internal data. I was expecting a polenta plate, but when this platter was served I realised it was instead a polenta bread. Even better!
The restaurant doesn't have a tasting menu, which is why it makes sense that this seafood platter is a very popular choice.
It comes with squid, shrimp, fresh fish of paranza depending on whats caught.
And finally the baked sea bass.
As sea bass should be, without all the fancy dandy extras. A plate of delicious protein with an acceptable amount of eye candy with greens, grilled zucchini, and carrot.
The dining experience here was different. It is more intimate as the servers take their time with you. The food is food, not an elaborate show of art. It is made to please the taste buds as much as the eye. Simple and delicious. Throughout Italy I found the same experience. It is hard to say if the fish are truly locally sourced, but it makes sense to be. I have to take the word of the servers. But it is irrefutable that the food is incredibly delicious.
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