San Giorgio Cafe Review Venice, Italy
Location
San Giorgio Cafe is in a prime location near the San Giorgio Maggiore Church and Museums. Being the only cafe on the island it is the perfect place to relax, grab a bite, and enjoy the boats motoring by in the Venice canals. San Giorgio Cafe is open Thursday through Tuesday from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
Type of Restaurant + Menu
San Giorgio Cafe is a small restaurant on the touristy island of Maggiore in Venice, Italy. The cafe has a large outdoor patio that overlooks the Giudecca Canal and fancy boats resting at the harbor. Moving inside and upstairs the cafe turns into a contemporary dining area. There is a refined a la carte menu available that focuses on quality ingredients that are in season and local. While you enjoy your fine Venetian meal take in the stunning views of the water.
“An area dedicated to the art of cooking and Mediterranean gastronomical culture on an island rich in history, art, architecture and landscape.”
– San Giorgio Cafe
San Giorgio Tour – €14.00
Before enjoying lunch we joined one of San Giorgio’s 45-minute tours. Our first stop, the “New Manica Lunga”. Once an old dormitory transformed into a modern private library. We all received an audio guide that gave us detailed information and enhanced the experience. The Michele De Lucchi-designed library is something special to see with coved ceilings, 1400 linear meters of shelving, and narrow second-floor landings filled with books. This is the most important private library in the world, according to our audio guide!
Next, we saw The Borges Labyrinth from a birds-eye view. This is an amazing piece of work done by Jorge Luis Borges. Our audio guide showed us the different symbols replicated into the maze; the hourglass, question mark, and the word B-O-R-G-E-S. We set foot into the maze while listening to the beautiful orchestra piece by Teatro La Fenice. I may have ended up getting a bit lost and was the last one out…oops. It was a brief tour that was very informative and fun to see.
After getting lost and working my way through the endless maze, I had worked up quite an appetite. I could not wait for a yummy lunch at the San Giorgio Cafe.
What we Ordered
Omina Cesanese 2016 – €7.00/glass
Our lovely server suggested the Omina red wine and it was the perfect accompaniment to our Venetian meal. The Cesanese Roman Omina 2016 is a full-bodied red with a pronounced fruity flavor and a smooth texture. I loved the dry finish and how bold it was. The gorgeous wine glasses were unique with a faint spiral design in the bowl of the glass.
Burrata – €18.00
To start our meal we got the burrata appetizer with olives, grape tomatoes, greens, and olive oil. The burrata oozed with creamy fresh mozzarella cheese. Fresh black pepper was cracked on top and added the perfect spice to the delicate cheese. The juicy grape tomatoes bursted with freshness and paired well with the salty olives and creamy burrata.
Pasta E Fasoi Con Gamberi – €16.00
Next was the pasta dish of fresh Italian pasta with a white bean sauce (Fagioli) and prawns. This was a unique dish and something I had never tried before. The white bean sauce was filling and encapsulated each small noodle. The prawns were tender and paired well with the creamy almost nutty white beans. My one recommendation to really take this dish to the next level is adding a hint of flakey salt on top. Overall it was a very enjoyable dish and something new.
Baccala Fish – €24.00
Baccala is a locally caught fish in Venice. This simple dish lets the fish shine with a bed of lettuce, fried onions, and olives. Fresh lettuce added a nice base to the dish, while the olives added great acidity. The fish was cooked well with a meaty texture. My favorite bite was the lightly breaded and fried onion layers. They were soft and offered notes of nuttiness. This was quite a simple dish that reflects Venice’s unique Italian cuisine.
Dessert
For dessert, we ordered the chocolate and espresso housemade gelato. It was everything gelato should be, velvety, soft, and silky. Coffee and chocolate are a match made in heaven, they bounce off each other in the greatest way possible.
The pastry chef at San Giorgio was trying out some new creations so we got to try one possible menu addition. The vanilla frozen mouse tart was refreshing and indulgent all in one bite. The nutty and buttery base has a nice soft crumbly texture. The frozen dome had a lovely silky texture and was filled with spiced apples. I loved the surprise of cooked apples! Thinly sliced apples garnish the shining sphere adding freshness and a subtle pop of color. My one recommendation would be to add a hint of vanilla to the frozen mouse. I think it would pair well with the warm spiced apples.
Rating
Thank you for the amazing afternoon. San Giorgio
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