Venissa

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

On the small island of Mazzorbo, connected by a wooden bridge to Burano, Venissa occupies a walled estate that feels entirely apart from the tourist Venice most visitors know. The estate's tagline — Living the Native Venice — is not a slogan so much as a programme: everything here, from the vines growing inside the ancient walls to the fish on the plate, is rooted in the specific ecology and culture of the northern lagoon.

The Restaurant

The fine-dining heart of the estate is Ristorante Venissa, which holds a Michelin Star and a Michelin Green Star (2022) for its commitment to environmental cuisine — a cooking philosophy built around local ingredients and a genuine reflection on the surrounding landscape. Gambero Rosso has also recognised the restaurant with 2 Forks, confirming its standing among Italy's most considered dining addresses. The menu follows what the kitchen calls cucina ambientale: flavours drawn from the lagoon, the garden, and the islands, with the seasons setting the pace.

The Osteria

Alongside the flagship restaurant, Venissa runs an Osteria Contemporanea — a more convivial space serving cicchetti, vegetable-forward first courses, and shared fish plates that reflect the same lagoon-to-table sensibility in a relaxed register. It is a good entry point for guests who want the Venissa philosophy without the full tasting experience.

The Wine and the Vineyard

The estate produces its own wine from vines grown within the walled garden, and wine experiences — from vineyard visits to guided tastings — are a core part of what Venissa offers. A wine shop allows guests to take a piece of the lagoon home. The pairing between the estate's wines and the kitchen's environmental cuisine gives meals here a coherence that is hard to replicate elsewhere.

Staying on the Island

The Venissa Wine Resort offers five rooms — Comfort (15 m²) and Suite (25 m²) — decorated in the muted palette of the lagoon, with exposed beam ceilings, wooden floors, and private bathrooms. Breakfast is included. For those who want more space, Casa Burano extends the hospitality concept to five coloured houses across thirteen rooms on the neighbouring island of Burano.

Beyond the Table

Guests can arrange lagoon experiences directly through the estate: rowing lessons in the traditional voga alla veneta style with the Remiera di Burano, fishing trips with one of the last working fishermen of Burano, lace-making sessions at the Martina Vidal atelier, and visits to the Berta Battiloro workshop — the last family in Europe still beating gold by hand. The estate, which occupies a site that was a convent in the fourteenth century, also hosts yoga sessions on the grounds.