Glam

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Venetian Palace, Quietly Exceptional

Ristorante Glam occupies one of the most quietly remarkable addresses in Venice: a courtyard within Palazzo Venart, a luxury hotel on the Grand Canal in the San Stae sestiere. Shaded by magnolia trees, the setting seats no more than thirty guests in a room that is sober and refined without being cold — an atmosphere the team describes as evoking memories of a Venice long past. The garden, which opens directly onto the Canal Grande with a view across to the Casino at Palazzo Ca' Vendramin Calergi, is singular in the city.

The Kitchen Starts at the Market

Resident chef Donato Ascani anchors his cooking in a daily ritual: the morning market run. There, he builds what he calls deep relationships with suppliers, fishermen, and farmers — people he regards as his first customers. The result is a menu he describes as instinctive, shaped by whatever the day's shopping yields. Venice, in his words, is an exceptional stage for any cook: kitchen gardens, the lagoon, spectacular fish.

The cuisine is rooted in Venetian tradition, reinterpreted with a modern sensibility that draws out the flavours of the lagoon without erasing their origins. Inspiration can come from a memory of his mother's cooking, a conversation with a fisherman, or a recipe passed down by an elderly Venetian. That daily accumulation is where the dishes begin.

Recognition and the Room

Glam earned two forks from Gambero Rosso and, in 2023, the Michelin Italy Mentor Chef Award — recognition that places it firmly among Italy's most considered dining destinations. The front-of-house is led with equal intention: director and sommelier Ottavio Licitra Venditto speaks of guiding guests through a tailored experience of taste and the senses, making them feel at home. Restaurant manager Elena Lanza brings the same attention to detail.

Together, the kitchen and the room deliver what Venetian fine dining at its best should be — precise, personal, and unmistakably of its place.