A mix between a New York speakeasy and a Barbados distillery, La Gineria is the temple of top spirits from all over the world, an absolute must for food&drink lovers.

With its wonderful garden open all year round, it is the perfect destination to savor an artfully prepared “Ginetto” among flowers, vintage touches and a thousand light bulb filaments.

We only use pure tonic so that the unique botanicals of the gins are not covered by other aromas.

(Diego, owner and bar-tender)

Located in a former rural building in Santa Maria di Sala, in the countryside near Venice, the original restaurant is the result of the great passion of Diego, owner and “genius loci”, constantly looking for the best gin and spirits worldwide.

His love for gin-based drinks was born in 2003 during a sommelier course and, in a few years, led him to inaugurate his first venture: the Number 4 in Mirano. From here to La Gineria the step was short, and in 2015, his new restaurant was born, then to settle, after a few years, in its current location.

The interior design, colorful and lively, fully reflects the spirit of its creator, Diego himself, who with great dedication has collected vintage furniture and decorative objects during his traveling. Among them, we find also an original Rosenbach grand piano that he found in the building at the time he moved in. He then decided to restore it in order to make it usable by guests in the mood to improvise a song.

The restaurant, which moves to the outdoor pavilion in summer, is perfect both for a lunch with friends and a romantic dinner for two. The menu conquers all for the variety of the proposals and the quality of the raw materials, always fresh and carefully selected. Do not miss the Sorana tartare, served with croutons of hot bread and butter of own production, or the very best European meats to be cooked on the grill. From the Finnish Sashi to the Red Cattle from the Danish fjords, they are stored and aged in a special dry-aging machine. Vegetarian options are also excellent.
The menu changes every 3 months according to the seasons and a special gin is paired with each recipe in order to give customers a truly unique taste experience. For those who prefer to stick to tradition, the wine list includes over 200 labels to choose from.

The cocktail bar boasts a collection of more than 1000 varieties of gin, including real rarities, dating back to the early twentieth century. Here you can find gems such as the Tanqueray Malacca, now out of production, the hard-to-find limited edition of Sipsmith, produced on the occasion of Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday, and the exceptional Befeater Crown, the company’s flagship.

But the king of La Gineria is undoubtedly Ginetto, to be enjoyed at any time of day, as an aperitif, or perhaps after dinner as a refreshing drink. From an alcoholic base of dry gin infused with spices, fruit, roots and aromatic plants, 11 recipes are created to truly conquer all palates!

The Secret

Many years ago, in the same area where La Gineria is located today, there was a monastery that fell into disrepair and them demolished. It is said that in those years, by decision of the Count, the entrance to the nearby Villa Farsetti was moved from East to South and, with the leftover stones, was built a house for the servants, lately used as a farm. Nowadays La Gineria is located exactly in that building.

Useful Info

La Gineria
Via Luxore 1
30036 Santa Maria di Sala, Venezia
Tel. +39 041 8770789

Starters: 10 — 16 euro
First courses: 10 — 14 euro
Second courses: 16 — 18 euro
Meat cuts (min. 1 kg) from 6 euro
Paired Gin: 5 euro/cad

“Ginetto” drink: 5 euro
Super Premium Drinks: 8/10 euro
Cocktails: from 10 euro