Located within the beautiful Tenuta La Querciana estate in the Zelarino countryside, Ai Brillanti is an inn with a magical, convivial atmosphere reminiscent of times gone by, where you can taste the extraordinary products of the Bucci family's farm.
Ai Brillanti is located inside a dream come true: a 10-hectare farm, Tenuta La Querciana, created in the early 2000s by the Bucci family in the Zelarino countryside, between Treviso and Mestre, which has given life to a bucolic oasis dedicated to respecting rural tradition and the surrounding environment.
It is here, between the ranch where the Quarter Horses train in the summer and the Suffolk sheep graze freely, that the Bucci brothers – Alberto in charge of the kitchen and Nicola the resort hospitality manager – have created an osteria that uses almost exclusively raw materials, from vegetables to meats, produced on the family farm.
Ai Brillanti is a hymn to local traditions, to our history and to a nice chat over a good glass of wine.
(Bucci Family)
The name chosen for the restaurant is a tribute to the conviviality and friends of all ages who animate the osteria: “the brilliant ones” are, in fact, the people who love to laugh and enjoy life and who, with the spirit of the British gentlemen’s clubs that inspired the country resort, the Bucci family loves to pamper and make feel at home.
The direction of the kitchen of the entire resort – which also includes the nearby gourmet restaurant Al Segnavento and the Country Relais Fiori e Frutti – is entrusted to Alberto Bucci, with various “starred” and international experiences under his belt that has followed in the footsteps of her famous mother, Patrizia Delponte, known to all as Pattychef, winner of the eighth edition of “Cuochi d’Italia”.
The menu, respecting local farming traditions, showcases the region’s seasonal produce with appetizers designed to be shared, such as the Carosello dei Brillanti, a platter of delicious homemade cured meats, cheeses, and giardiniera (pickled vegetables), various “cicchetti” (small appetizers) such as meatballs and creamed chicken with crostini, and stuffed flaky breads.
These dishes are paired with excellent wines from small local wineries that embody the farm’s philosophy.
Everything, from the wooden paneling, to the checked tablecloths to the brazier lit outside the restaurant on cooler evenings, gives a sense of warmth and welcome, with country and recycled details inspired by English farms.
During the warmer months, you can enjoy lunch and dinner outdoors, at tables overlooking the large paddock where the horses train, with soothing jazz music in the background, immersed in the greenery of one of the most beautiful farms in the Veneto region. Meanwhile, during the winter months, from October to March, the osteria finds refuge in the dining rooms of the Al Segnavento bistro.
Inside the Osteria there is also a shop where you can buy the delicious products of the farm, such as honey, jams or sweet and sour vegetables, and of the wineries with which it collaborates.
And if have fallen in love with the world of Ai Brillanti, all you have to do is come back to try the other experiences offered by the resort, such as the nearby Al Segnavento restaurant and bistrot, the 14-room country relais Fiori e Frutti, or one of the many special events and cooking lessons organized at the educational farm Farm House.
Useful Info
Ai Brillanti
Via Gatta 76/c
30174 Zelarino, Venezia
Tel. +39 351 9152386
Starters/tapas: 8 — 16 euro
Second courses: 12 — 18 euro
