Rustic

Liberàl Trattoria (TV)

by Lavinia Colonna Preti
Liberàl Trattoria (TV) — Veneto Secrets

In an ancient trattoria in Selva del Montello, Sara and Enrico have given life to their realm of good cuisine made up of the precious convivial atmospheres of the taverns of the past, genuine products, and a fairy-tale decor created using reclaimed wood and flowers from the “Foresta dei Dogi".

When you reach the Trattoria along a picturesque road bordered by the Canale del Bosco, the first thought that springs to mind is rejoicing in the fact that places like this still exist. Immersed in the woods of Montello, the restaurant in fact welcomes guests with a romantic portico full of flowers and candles, the scent of wood and freshly made bread, and the open smile of those who really enjoy making us feel good at the table.

Trattoria Liberàl is the result of a generous design of fate: Sara and Enrico, both chefs, met each other at work, fell in love and shortly after started to look for a place to give life to the restaurant of their dreams. After two years of unlucky research, the spaces of the eatery where Sara had worked years before, the Antico Liberal, from the name of the first owner called Liberale, are offered to the couple: finally they have found the the perfect place for them.

Liberàl Trattoria (TV) — Veneto Secrets
Liberàl Trattoria (TV) — Veneto Secrets

Liberàl Trattoria gives life to all our passions: from cooking to good wine, from the cultivation of vegetables and flowers, up to the art of do-it-yourself and the reuse of recycled objects.

(Sara and Enrico)

Thus, in 2019 they open their first restaurant, keeping in part its original name to pay homage to its long history, with an idea of cuisine that starts from the Venetian tradition to embrace fusion touches born from the previous experiences that Sara has made around the world, between London and New York, before returning to her homeland to work at the renowned Osteria della Vittoria.

It is here, thanks to the great trust and synergy with the owner Marco, that Sara’s culinary genius starts to shape up, an “ethnic-Venetian” food approach that brings her ever greater approval. Sara’s dishes have their roots in the Montello area, such as the Tortelli del plin filled with wild boar, brown source, Parmesan cream and wild garlic oil or the Roasted rabbit with thyme and vegetable caponata, yet boasting original forays into other gastronomic traditions, above all Japanese cuisine, as in the recipe for steam bun, pork ribs, pepper chutney, salad and port onion.

Liberàl Trattoria (TV) — Veneto Secrets

When you taste the dishes, you will be struck by the extraordinary quality of the raw material. It is no coincidence that Sara’s first “supplier” is her mother, to whom she owes the art of cooking, who supplies the restaurant with what she prepares and grows at home, especially poultry meat, fruit and vegetables. Other ingredients come from small local producers, such as the cheeses from Fattoria Moma in Giavera del Montello, the Oro del Montello berries or the meat cuts from the famous BDL butcher’s shop in Pederobba.

Leaving Sara more and more space in the kitchen, Enrico, in the meantime, has refined two other great passions: wine and do-it-yourself. Thanks to continuous research, the wine list of Liberàl Trattoria is, in fact, another highlight of the place. Over 600 labels chosen with the same approach as the raw material, thus preferring local “artisan” realities, as well as from other Italian and foreign regions.

Liberàl Trattoria (TV) — Veneto Secrets
Liberàl Trattoria (TV) — Veneto Secrets

Even the decor of the restaurant is in continuous evolution thanks to Enrico’s skills as a carpenter and decorator. He created by hand the air-conditioned cellar as well as the many style details of the various rooms, such as the flowers and the recycled objects that adorn the magnificent portico, wonderful by candlelight in the summer evenings, or the large shelves filled with bottles of wine that decorate the main area of the restaurant. Touches that are alternated with furnishings found in the Badoere antique market and various works created by local artists.

On the other hand, Sara and Enrico’s love for the art of “making” seems to never stop, so much so that they have already announced their next innovations, including a Vermouth label and a farm with B&B that they are setting up not far from the Trattoria. We are looking forward to those!

The Secret

Even the furniture is a tribute to Montello: Sara and Enrico, during a walk, in fact, found a fallen branch with the shape they liked and, once they brought it home, they transformed it into an original chandelier that today makes a beautiful view above the bar counter.

Useful Info

Liberal Trattoria
Via Eligio Porcu 2
31040 Selva del Montello, Treviso
Tel. +39 0423 764232

Starters: 10 — 13 euro
First courses: 13 — 15 euro
Second courses: 16 — 20 euro

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