Pescheria I Masenini

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A square with history, a kitchen with purpose

Piazzetta Pescheria sits tight against the Adige river, one of Verona's quieter, less-trafficked corners — and the site of the city's old fish market. It is here, in September 2009, that Pescheria I Masenini opened, reclaiming that tradition by bringing fresh seafood back to Veronese tables. The restaurant earned recognition from Gambero Rosso, Italy's most authoritative food guide, confirming its place among the city's best addresses for fish.

Chef Michele Montolli and the philosophy of the plate

At the stove is Chef Michele Montolli, whose approach is described simply and precisely by the restaurant itself: a simple cuisine, interpreted with a creative touch, always built on raw ingredients of absolute quality and freshness. That balance — disciplined sourcing, then a moment of originality — runs through every section of the menu.

Starters set the tone: seabass carpaccio with mango, pine nuts and raspberry powder; tuna tartare with anchovy sauce; roasted octopus with anchovy escarole, burrata and 'nduja. The raw fish selection — scampi, red prawns, or the full mixed platter — signals confidence in the quality of what arrives each day from the market.

First courses follow the same logic. Squid ink gnocchi with lobster ragout and linguine with pistachio, crab and raw red prawns sit alongside the more classic spaghetti alle vongole. The spaghetti with angulas (baby eels) is a rare and considered choice that speaks to the kitchen's ambition. Among the mains, the mixed grilled fish and seafood — sourced according to the daily market, for a minimum of two — is the room's centrepiece, while the turbot fillet with sesame, chard and timut pepper shows how far the kitchen is willing to travel in flavour.

The room and the wine

Inside, wooden boiserie, warm wall colours and a small mezzanine combine with an open kitchen to create an atmosphere that is both classic and modern — informal enough to feel like a trattoria, refined enough to justify a long evening. In the dining room, Blendi Xhafa oversees service and a wine list that extends from Veronese whites — Pieropan, Prà, Anselmi — through Italian and French bottles to a serious Champagne selection including Krug, Bollinger and Dom Pérignon. The list is built explicitly to accompany seafood, and the sommelier is there to guide the pairing.

Lunch and dinner are both available, with table service and takeaway options. For anyone in Verona who takes fresh fish seriously, Piazzetta Pescheria 9 is the address.