Ai Brillanti is located inside a dream come true: a 9-hectare farm 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, Nicola and Giacomo responsible for managing Al Segnavento country resort of which Ai Brillanti is part – 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 & Frutti – is entrusted to Alberto Bucci, with various “starred” experiences under his belt, supported by the resident chef of the Osteria Alessio Lombardo. In charge of the service we find Valentina Baratella, who combines her innate convivial warmth with the art of hospitality learned from the “masters” of the Alajmo group.

The menu, which respects the local rural traditions, enhances the territory following the seasons with appetizers designed to be shared such as the Carosello dei Brillanti, a plate of delicious homemade cured meats, cheeses and vegetables, the vegetable quiche, or stewed meatballs.

Among the main dishes, we find the great classics of Sunday cuisine, from musetto (local tender sausage style meat) with three sauces to pork loin with tuna sauce to beef tartare, to be paired with excellent wines from small local companies that embrace the same philosophy as the farm.

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 summer, you can have lunch and dinner outdoors, on the tables overlooking the large corral where the horses train with a relaxing background of jazz music, immersed in the greenery of one of the most beautiful farms in the Veneto.

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, the 14-room country relais with Fiori & Frutti swimming pool or one of the many special events, such as the swing jazz evenings in the winter or the open-air cinema in the summer.

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