Aperitivo, the Veneto way
Don't rush straight from sightseeing to dinner (or lunch!).
Aperitivo - short history.
From the Latin verb "aperire" — “to open” - a drink (and the social ritual around it) taken before a meal.
It’s therefore related to English aperture, meaning “an opening,” which ultimately comes from the same Latin verb aperire.
Originally, aperitivo had a more medicinal sense: an aperitivo could be something thought to open the digestive passages or stimulate appetite. In Italian, the meaning gradually became associated with alcoholic drinks—often bitter or aromatic—taken before eating. From there it expanded into the modern cultural idea of “prendere un aperitivo”: having a pre-dinner drink, usually accompanied by small snacks.
So the underlying metaphor is quite elegant: an aperitivo “opens” the appetite before the meal.
Vicenza lends itself beautifully to the Veneto ritual of the aperitivo: wandering into an enoteca or wine bar, ordering a glass of wine or a spritz, and eating a few small things alongside it. (In Venice it's "de rigueur" to do a "cicchetti" tour, and we can suggest a list of good ones here!)
But Vicenza is no less rewarding and, in some cases, even better!
Late afternoon is the obvious time, although a late-morning aperitivo is an entirely respectable option too. In Veneto, the "cicchetto" represents hospitality, a love of flavour, a feast for the eyes, and an icon of the culture of conviviality, a sort of social ritual.
For a Venetian-style combination of wine and cicchetti, try Viniza – Vini & Cicchetti Veneti, close to Piazza dei Signori and the magnificent Basilica Palladiana.
Other enjoyable central options include the tiny Ciùcchetto and Bottega Faustino.
But, our favourite is: Fiaschetteria da Renzo - just “Renzo” to our friends!
If you only have time for one aperitivo in central Vicenza however, go straight to Renzo, at Contrà Frasche del Gambero 36.
Go for the tartine: little slices of delicate, soft white bread buns with wonderfully simple toppings, eaten with a glass of wine or a spritz. The tartine have barely change in the 40+ years we have been going there.
There is nothing elaborate about the formula, which is precisely its charm. It feels like a surviving piece of old Vicenza rather than somewhere designed around the latest food fashion.
For us, this is the definitive “aperitivo in centro” experience.
And what should you drink?
Don't automatically order Prosecco.
The countryside around Vicenza has interesting wines of its own, and discovering them is part of the pleasure of eating here.
Breganze is particularly worth remembering when you see it on a wine list, while the Colli Berici and the wider Veneto provide plenty of interesting whites and reds. Ask for something from the province and let the restaurant or enoteca recommend a bottle or glass.
And if wine is a particular interest, please speak to our Villa Manager. We can arrange visits to wineries in the surrounding countryside and, importantly, help organise transport so that everyone can enjoy the tasting and return safely to Villa San Bastiano Fogazzaro.
The Villa's perfect Vicenza food day?
If we were planning a food-focused day for guests, we would keep it very simple:
Start with coffee and a stroll through the historic centre. Visit the market if one is taking place - they do, twice a week - then explore Corso Palladio and the city's extraordinary Palladian architecture.
At lunchtime, stop at Il Ceppo and either eat there or choose a selection from the gastronomia and take it back to have on the terrace in view of the Valletta del Silenzio. Alternatively you can sit down at Righetti, in Piazza Duomo for an informal yet delicious lunch.
Spend the afternoon exploring Vicenza, then around aperitivo time head to Renzo for tartine and a glass of wine.
For dinner, make a reservation somewhere that takes bacalà alla vicentina seriously, order it with polenta, and ask for a local wine to accompany it.
Then return to the Villa having eaten something that could only really belong to Vicenza.
This is obviously only one food day suggestion, there's so much more that you can do in your quest for a Veneto culinary experience, so follow us for the next chapter here, from Villa San Bastiano Fogazzaro.
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