Ristorante Villa Cipriani is located in Asolo in one of the most romantic hotels in the world, elevated to a “cultural salon” by the English gentlemen Robert Browning and Lord Rupert Guinness, made a center of international gastronomy with Giuseppe Cipriani, and today returned to its splendor thanks to its hostess Sigrid Guillion-Mangilli Zanetti.

The restaurant is immersed in the splendid garden of the Villa, included in the Garden of Excellence circuit of the American Horticultural Society since the 1990s, awarded the Top 10 Magnificent Gardens prize by Historic Hotels Worldwide in 2019, and famous for its floral decorations that change with each season, giving exceptional blooms.

I care about carrying on the tradition of this magical place: from Cipriani’s historic recipes to porcelain and silverware, every detail must inspire beauty and elegance.

(Sigrid Guillion-Mangilli Zanetti)

This year will see the debut of many news, including a completely renovated kitchen entrusted to chef Marco Pinelli, with a long experience in 5-star restaurants worldwide, from London to Cortina, who interprets the classic flavors of Giuseppe Cipriani with contemporary elegance.

As desired by the owners, passionate preservers of the timeless charm of the Hotel, the gastronomic offering of the Villa Cipriani Restaurant is, in fact, partly a tribute to its founder, Giuseppe Cipriani who managed the structure from 1964. Cipriani was also the “inventor” of Harry’s Bar in Venice whose jet-setter customers were the first to attend Villa Cipriani.

Among them, many international celebrities, members of royal families, artists invited to the Biennale d’Arte and the Mostra del Cinema. Such as Marcello Mastroianni who had become friends with the restaurant staff so much so that, when he arrived, the first thing he did was go to the kitchen to greet the Chef and the Brigade who affectionately called him “Don Pasquale”, from the name of the character he played in the film Giorni d’amore.

This and many other anecdotes are jealously guarded by Giampaolo Burattin, historic director of Cipriani in the 90s, and today the Hotel’s Events Manager, and by the maître and sommelier Cristiano Disogus, exceptional in pampering guests with exceptional savoir-faire and elegance.

The menu offers some of the most iconic dishes of Harry’s Bar and Locanda Cipriani in Venice, such as beef carpaccio with universal sauce (a 1950 dish invented by Giuseppe Cipriani in homage to the exhibition of the painter Vittore Carpaccio held in Venice), creamed cod, the very famous tagliolini au gratin, curry scampi with pilaf rice, Venetian-style liver and crepes with flambé service at the table and, reintroduced this year by chef Pinelli, the legendary “risotto all’asolana”, a special version of the famous “risotto primavera” based on all the vegetables of the season.

In addition to the historic recipes, the restaurant also offers other dishes that follow the chef’s inspiration and the availability of local raw materials such as Bassano-style white asparagus, bigoli with duck sauce, soft-boiled egg with potato and truffle foam, turbot with artichokes and confit guinea fowl leg, green asparagus and sweet and sour currant sauce, and the plateau of mountain Venetian cheeses with homemade fruit compotes. There is also no shortage of international Grand Hotel specialties, such as caviar produced in the Treviso area, the Vichyssoise soup and desserts such as Île flottante and Pavlova.

Everything is homemade, from the fresh pasta to the bread and breadsticks, from the ice creams to the sorbets and biscuits and petit fours that accompany the coffee.

Both from the outdoor terrace and from the two rooms of the restaurant, the Contarini and the Veranda, you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the Asolo valley and Monte Grappa, one of the most romantic in Veneto.

The gastronomic offer of Hotel Villa Cipriani is completed by the Bistrot Rosmarino – also open to external customers from May to September – which overlooks the infinity pool with an incomparable view of the valley. The Hotel also includes a wonderful American Bar with walls covered in striped cherry and walnut boiserie, Scottish tartan carpeting and leather armchairs for an English Gentlemen’s Club atmosphere. Here expert bartenders prepare cocktails such as the Tom Collins, the Hugo and the signature Cocktail Duse based on Gin, Cointreau and Creme de Violette with a characteristic light purple color, created especially by Villa Cipriani in homage to Eleonora Duse.

The ideal experience? Order a Bellini, another historic recipe invented by Giuseppe Cipriani, based on peaches and Prosecco with a characteristic pale pink color dedicated to the Venetian Renaissance painter Giovanni Bellini, and let yourself be enchanted by the unique charm of one of the most beautiful towns in Italy.

The Secret

Many films have been shot in Asolo, including Dreaming of Africa (2000) by Hugh Hudson with Kim Basinger inspired by the life of Kuki Galmann, an illustrious citizen of Treviso, Ripley’s Game (2002) by Liliana Cavani with John Malkovich, and Necessary Love (1991) with Ben Kingsley by Fabio Carpi.

Useful Info

Ristorante Villa Cipriani
Via Canova 298
31011 Asolo, Treviso
Tel. +39 0423 523411

Starters: from 23 euro
First courses: from 23 euro
Second courses: from 30 euro
Cocktails: from 16 euro