Located in Corte Nova a Castello, right in front of the “red stone” (pietra rossa in Italian), one of the most fascinating legends of Venice from which it takes its name, the restaurant reopened in 2023 where, in 2010, the tradition of the historic Osteria Alle Alpi da Dante got interrupted.

It didn’t take long for Andrea Lorenzon, on the hunt for his dream venue, to fall in love with this charming little house with a red façade and its romantic courtyard. Right in front of the entrance, there is the portico where the plague stopped in 1630, sparing the inhabitants of the neighborhood, so much so that 2 altars were erected there to thank the Virgin Mary and characterized by a miraculous red stone, at the time the color of mourning, which according to the legend should never be stepped on to avoid misfortune.

We have a significant responsibility in reopening where the Alle Alpi da Dante tavern once stood: for this reason, we want to maintain its tradition as a social gathering point.

(Andrea Lorenzon)

In bringing this historic location back to life, Andrea completed a conservative restoration in which all the typical features of the ancient taverns of the past were maintained, such as the checkerboard floors and exposed wooden beams.

After the success of the Covino bistro, Pietra Rossa marks a new gastronomic evolution for Andrea, the host gourmand who plays with the typical products of the lagoon, ancestral cooking methods to guarantee a genuine flavor and some expertly dosed exotic touches.

The osteria is, in fact, part of Osti in Orto, an agricultural project thanks to which it supplies itself with organic vegetables from the island of Sant’Erasmo, and has chosen to work with meat from ethical farms, seasonal fish from the Adriatic Sea and Slow Food products that protect the traditional culinary culture and peasant practices of the past.

Fans of Andrea and his original gastronomic offer will find all its peculiarities here, such as the surprise menu “fà-ti”, (“it’s up to you” in Venetian), a menu of 3 dishes, the Kamado dish, fish or meat cooked with the egg-shaped ceramic barbecue of Japanese origin, and an original selection of spontaneous wines, produced sustainably.

Some examples? The roll of local prawns with homemade Mangalitza lard, pumpkin in saor and apricot kombucha gel or the Buttons stuffed with lamb with its stock, browned cream and tzatziki sauce.

Everything here is made with the heart, as suggested by the restaurant’s logo which recalls the red stone, also shown on the original recycled cotton placemats and in all its cool merchandise.

Pietra Rossa also hosts many events and tastings, especially in summer in its beautiful flowered outdoor terrace, just follow the venue’s social networks to stay updated.

The Secret

A legend tells that the Vergin Mary appeared to a woman who lived in Corte Nova, saying that, to avoid the plague, the inhabitants should paint a picture representing her image and that of Saints Rocco, Sebastiano and Giustina and hang it on the wall of the Sotoportego Zorzi. So they did, and the disease ‘fell to the ground’, between the slabs of the floor, right at the point where the red stone that symbolizes this event still appears today. The inhabitants of the neighborhood not only escaped the plague, but also two cholera epidemics and the bombings of the First World War.

Useful Info

Pietra Rossa
Sestiere di Castello 2877
30122 Venezia
Tel. +39 041 4067887

Tasting menu “fa ti”: 49 euro for 3 courses, wine excluded
First courses: 19 euro
Starters/Second courses: 18 euro – 28 euro