On the right bank of the Piave river in Covolo di Pederobba, among the rows of lush vineyards from which Prosecco is born, La Ghiacciaia is one of the most unique places in Veneto as, just like in an adventure book, it is accessed through a cave just as magical as mysterious.
In this corner of the bucolic Venetian countryside, there was talk of a particular hill in the middle of the vineyards that once concealed a cave used as a war depot and closed by local farmers around the 1950s for safety reasons.
During recent works, the rediscovery of a tunnel leads to dig deeper, tens of meters underground, until ancient storage cells and a concrete bunker were brought to light.
Every detail is designed to make our guests feel good, from the landscape, to the comfortable seats up to the chill music that envelops you in every corner of the venue.
(Mauro Teso, owner)
These spaces, so fascinating and rich in history, conquer the heart of the new owner Mauro Teso, also patron of Da Jerry restaurant in Jesolo Cavallino, who decides to bring them back to life thanks to an incredible operation to recover the subsoil and the vineyards from which today his Prosecco DOC Alena is born.
From this vision and love for the territory and its enhancement, La Ghiacciaia was born, a wonderful design restaurant and bistro created by the landscape design studio MAO Architects. The historical research, advanced at the same time as the excavations and the restructuring, has made it possible to solve the mystery of the cave, revealing that the structure dates back to the end of the 17th century and served as a storage room for the ice (ghiacciaia in Italian) of the Palladian Villa Pola Neville that went destroyed during the Great War.
The restoration work transformed the old storage cells into restaurant rooms and the icehouse into an elegant bistro lit by a splendid winter garden that frames the open kitchen.
The entrance is located right between the rows of vineyards where, through the ancient cave illuminated by spectacular LED lights, you enter the bunker and then the heart of the restaurant. The design plays to emphasize strong contrasts: the essentiality of the rock is combined with the leather seats handcrafted in Mariano Comense, while the concrete is combined with cortèn steel, glass and Possagno clay, typical of these places.
Many the décor details chosen to tell the soul of these places, including the original bike of a Bersagliere from the First World War or the antique work tools placed under the glass floor of one of the rooms.
The fish menu offers delights such as Grand Crudo, lobster or carob gnocchi with spider crab, while the meat menu includes tartare and carpaccio, excellent first courses with seasonal products and delicious second courses such as fillet in crust or pork cooked low temperature.
Outside, a déhor has been created for having lunch or dinner al fresco and perhaps sipping a glass of Prosecco or a good cocktail surrounded by the lush nature. In summer, book a table under the panoramic green domes overlooking the vineyards from which to enjoy the quiet of the magnificent surrounding countryside in total privacy, just as the noble vacationers of the past loved to do.
The Secret
After the war, the beautiful fountain located in the center of the park of Villa Pola Neville was sold to the Municipality of Valdobbiadene. Today it makes a fine show of itself in the central square of the town, a silent witness to the magnificence of the splendid 17th-century Villa of which it was part.
Useful Info
La Ghiacciaia
Via Montello 27/d
31040 Covolo di Pederobba, Treviso
Tel. +39 0423 64085
Starters: 18 — 35 euro
First Courses: 18 — 20 euro
Second Courses: 20 — 50 euro
Tasting menu: 80 euro (wine excluded)
