Those of you who follow me on Facebook know I discovered Caco Nero a couple of weeks ago. It opened in February in the quiet area of Angelo Raffaele, a couple of minutes from the more known (and crowded) Campo Santa Margherita.
Well...I have fallen in love with this place! Caco Nero is a corner of peace in a city that sometimes can be overly frenetic and chaotic. The area is very quiet, only the more curious travellers come this far, so here you will mainly find locals and university students. It reminds me of some places in Shoreditch (London) or in The Village (New York). In other words, it's cool without wanting to be cool. The staff is friendly and easy going and the food is really good. Plus...the music is FANTASTIC !!!! I've been listening to the remixes by The Avener -a French dj- since. (Want to listen to it too? Click here)
Two big windows illuminate the ambient, on the tables at the entrance you will find lots of fashion, art and design magazines and several supplements of different national papers. Here you can really take your time, no rush, just relaxation, sunshine and peace. Every corner is beautifully adorned with flowers, plants, tree trunks, small statues and objects of every kind.
For breakfast you can choose from an assortment of homemade cakes, croissants, savoury breads, muffins and panini. Obviously the cakes aren't always the same, but you can be sure you will always find some curious and exactly right combination. Today, for example, they had a chocolate and beetroot cake... irresistible! With regard to drinks, there is a good selection of teas, fresh juices, coffee and other soft drinks.
For lunch and dinner, instead, you can have a proper meal. The menu is simple and changes daily. The ingredients are fresh and the cooking style is what I would call international and contemporary, with a great attention to veggies!
The food is homely and the prices are very very fair!
We were hungry-as usual- so we wanted a proper meal! We first had a Campari spritz as an aperitif, which we enjoyed in the bench outside, kissed by the sun. Then we ordered a beer and a glass of red wine, a Venda by Vignalta (80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon), with a ruby colour and strong presence of tannins.
We started our lunch with a peperonata, which was sweet and saucy, with a lot of tomato and a sprinkle of parsley.
Vito had a first course: a plate of fresh pasta with ricotta and tomatoes garnished with some rosemary. Again, something extremely simple, thus -for me- good and comforting. The ingredients are fresh and you can taste love. I don't know what's the cook's name, but she is really cute and friendly, and her manners are mirrored in her dishes.
The portion was quite generous, so I got to taste it too. I don't know if you've read any of my recipes, but, if so, you will know by now that I love ricotta and use it practically everywhere. In fact it made this pasta creamy and perfectly balanced. Yum...
But it wasn't my dish, so I had to stop eating. I ordered chicken in milk with a side of boiled potatoes and more peperonata. I must say the chicken was really tasty, tender in the inside and crunchy in the outside. Anyway, I think it was the chicken itself that was of very good quality. Thumbs up.
As you can see, it was very difficult for me to take these photos because Vito kept asking when he could eat...in fact there he is, in the background, folding his fork around the pasta... not very patient, what do you think?
Oh well, after all he's right. You must eat pasta when it's hot and amalgamate it immediately, especially if it's fresh pasta. And, with that perfume of tomato and fresh herbs anyone would have been tempted to do the same.
We spent more than two hours here...chatting, drinking, eating... and to end this perfect lunch we treated ourselves to a glass of Lagavulin.
Caco Nero is perfect if you want to chill down, eat good food and want to escape from the crowds. I simply love it...and I really hope they like me too, 'cause I'll be coming very often!
Opening times:
Monday to Fridays from 9 am - 9 pm
Saturday 9 am - 5 pm
Address:
Dorsoduro 2344 I-1023, Venezia
Phone:
+39 0415246042