In Pellestrina, an island of Venice, a seaview restaurant that you will love at first sight for its excellent seafood cuisine, the hospitality of Cristina and Federico, and the original Tiffany blue that distinguishes the color of the typical lagoon house that hosts it.
Opened in 2024, Osteria Damare is located on the picturesque island of Pellestrina, a strip of land 11 km long and only 1 km wide famous for its slow-paced life, the colorful houses of the fishermen and uncontaminated nature.
The restaurant is located inside an old grocery store, in a building renovated by the entrepreneur Massimo Beltramin who had met the current hosts Cristina and Federico in the previous osteria they managed in Camponogara near Venice. Mutual esteem led them to start the Osteria Damare adventure together, which the couple has taken care of down to the smallest details.
For us it was a dream come true to be able to manage our “house on the sea” where we can spend special moments with our guests and friends.
(Cristina and Federico)
Starting from the color of the house, as per the tradition of those of the fishermen of the islands of the Venice Lagoon traditionally painted in bright nuances. For their Osteria, Cristina has chosen a beautiful shade of turquoise that recalls the famous “Tiffany blue” and stylish details such as the giant Bohemian glass chandelier and maritime objects, from the bollard of a waterbus used as a coat hanger to the rudder of a boat hung on the wall as decoration.
The dishes are the great fish classics, from the more “noble” ones such as the appetizers of raw fish, oysters and scallops, to the more “popular” ones such as polenta with schiette (Lagoon shrimps), fried calamari, pasta with clams or with gransoporro (crab), and the baked fish of the day up to the delicious grilled cuttlefish among the second courses.
Almost all the fish raw material of the osteria is practically “boat-to-table” given its proximity and collaboration with various fishing boats of the island.
Open all year round, one of the few restaurants on the island to do so, and kissed by the sun thanks to its position overlooking the Lagoon, Osteria Damare is a point of reference not only for lunches and dinners, but also for aperitifs with tapas. They can be enjoyed in the dedicated dehors on the side of the restaurant or, as the regulars do, sitting on the wall facing the sea to enjoy the magnificent panorama.
Cristina and Federico, passionate about good drinking, also produce their own gin, La Ginestrina, based on local botanicals and scented with Laguna honey, “drops for restless souls on a quiet island”, with which they delight their customers. The wine list is also very well stocked with a selection of Italian and French bubbles and many local labels.
To paraphrase what is written on the bottle of their gin, Osteria Damare “if taken at sunset it can be addictive”. Pellestrina is, in fact, famous for its sunsets that on the clearest days take on all the shades ranging from orange to magenta.
Pellestrina, reachable by waterbus or even a convenient car ferry (which leaves from Tronchetto) is a truly suggestive destination for all year periods. Osteria Damare is there waiting for you, peacefully looking out to sea.
The Secret
The Tiffany color was born in New York in 1945 when Charles Lewis Tiffany wanted it for the Blue Book that collected the most beautiful jewels created that year by his company. It is not known exactly why he chose this shade of blue, certainly it was already in vogue in the Victorian era in jewelry, a fashion encouraged by Queen Victoria who was a great lover of it.
Useful Info
Osteria Damare
Località Pellestrina 833
30126 Venezia
Tel. +39 041 5756094
Starters: from 25 euro
First courses: 18 euro
Second courses: from 28 euro
