Mouthwatering Ristorante Riviera in Venice

Walking around Venice all weekend has provided a truly one of a kind experience.

Every turn I made wandering the alleys of this mysterious Italian city made another opportunity to discover something new. Be it another charming Venetian bridge, delightful Murano glass shop, or exquisite live music performed by the locals… marvelous experiences are easily received.

I blissfully roamed past Ponte dell’Accademia, one of the four bridges in Venice that goes across the Grand Canal towards the south edge of Dorsoduro where I found another picturesque view. Surprisingly, I found occasional restaurants along the water, all filled with people! Fortunately I had a reservation at the Ristorante Riviera that evening. I’ve been told that you need to book a table here a month in advance as it is one of the most sought after restaurants in Venice.

Style Details
Outfit | H&M
Sandals | GUCCI
Handbag | GIVENCHY LUCREZIA
Sunglasses | CÉLINE

There may be only about 20 – 30 tables outside the restaurant where the servers and bussers were quickly moving around. The charismatic host was very welcoming and informational. We quickly noticed that the host didn’t just stand and wait for guests to come into the restaurant. Instead, he was actively engaged with each table’s dining experience. Once he came to our table, we found that he was actually the owner of the restaurant, GP Cremonini. We easily got into a wonderful conversation regarding the history and philosophy of the restaurant. I must say, one of the must do things whenever travelling the world is to converse with the locals.

Ristorante Riviera is approximately three years old. GP Cremonini and his 4 chefs collaborate together and create menus based on (in his words) “the very ground the natural produce are grown”. GP and his chefs spend anywhere between 1 hour to years when experimenting between the different types of ingredients available. The fascinating owner is very proud of his culinary philosophy. It is simple and, after eating here, I truly started to take it to heart. In his testimonial, he mentioned picking his produce and creating the menu based on the principle of appreciating oneself: “Respect the food you take in like you truly respect yourself”. This restaurant takes natural ingredients in cooking to another level. By collaborating the experiences of the chefs and the forward vision of GP, the menu concocted consists of very unique and modern dishes and flavors.

I can only describe and share so much in detail in regards to the dishes I got to enjoy since the cuisine themselves were both simple in its authenticity yet thoroughly cultivated and worldly. Also, since his menu changes as often as it is, there’s a good chance that the food I had will be different by the time you would have read this. I think pictures will tell this story the best.

Raw fish dish: Salmon with Ricola cheese, red snapper, sea bass with strawberry slice, sea bream with mint leaf, sea bass with olive oil, sword fish with vanilla, humber jack with mini seeds, and tuna with a small slice of orange. GP shared here that he loved the memory of Japanese food. He adores creating a fun contrast to it. When he executes a dish, he completes it with the help of his own memories traveling and sampling all that the world has to offer. He shared that the balance of the fresh fish with the other ingredients was very critical. He disapproves the use of marinades as it can distract the customer from the natural flavor of the fish. He was careful to balance the “natural with the natural”.

The second dish was another conglomeration of different dishes: Langoustine with tomato confit, shrimps and tuna (similar to tartare) with macadamia nuts. The scampi that was on this dish was captured just yesterday morning.

The third course was a wonderful blend of Venetian polenta with pilgrim scallops. The exceptional pilgrim scallops were hand-pick 35 miles north of Venice. It also had a light pesto olive oil and salt. It was served in a hot bowl. Although it had a polenta base, it felt very light with a crunchy texture. Surely, not one thing over powered the other. Evidently, this was another dish served with the most perfect balance.

The fourth to arrive was the black Cappelletti from the Italian word cappelletto meaning “little hat”, which this pasta resembled. The meal was black as a result of the squid ink. After a delectable bite, I discovered it filled with scallops, parsley, salt and lemon juice to taste.

The fifth course was sea bream from the nearby Venetian lagoon covered with pumpkin flower and cooked in a vacuum garnished with zucchini. The green parts of the dish was something I really didn’t expect and perhaps it is an acquired taste to be able to fully appreciate the role it plays on this dish. Together, I thought it was certainly superb.

Finally we reached our dessert. GP did not hold himself back when he said he had a lot to offer. Therefore he presented to us a platter each of his enticing desserts. We prefer it this way as we get to taste a lot of different heavenly desserts all at once! We relished the tiramisu, panna cotta, vanilla yogurt with berries, sakura cake, and hazelnut gelato. The essence was more flavorful than all the other gelato’s I had around Venice.

Ristorante Riviera focuses on a simple yet refined way of cooking upon which the number of ingredients used was utilized not to overwhelm but to serve as a balance between each ingredient – a skill that GP Cremonini and his team have truly carefully crafted. I can sincerely and certainly taste the passion and the effort that they’ve put perfecting their menu. GP very much cares about the experience of his customers. It is a common sight to see Mr. Cremonini often being approached by his customers to thank him graciously for their wonderful meal. Of all the restaurants I have been to, I rarely see the host be approached by each of their guests to express themselves with their contentment of the food. After having an amazing experience in Ristorante Riviera as well, I’m not surprised that so many people are grateful.

At the end of our meal, our accommodating host opened up a bottle of a very special handmade wine. It is so distinctive that only six bottles are made a year – even the label is homemade! This exclusive wine found only in Venice is made possible by the amazing works of “Laguna Nel Bicchiere”, a group devoted to the re-cultivation of the ancient traditions of wine-making in the Venetian lagoon.

So, when in the gorgeous city of Venice – treat yourself! If you want to experience Venetian ingredients used in a modern and truly innovative way, make sure to make a reservation in advanced and enjoy GP and his team of chef’s culinary art on a plate!

Special thanks to our awesome collaborators who made our visit truly worthwhile!