"Run by the Tapparini family since 1984, this antique-filled Verona osteria serves Amarone-braised beef and fresh seafood — romantic for an anniversary."
Osteria La Fontanina is one of Verona's most atmospheric tables, tucked into the Portichetti Fontanelle Santo Stefano a few steps from the Roman Theatre and the Ponte Pietra. The Tapparini family has run it since 1984, and it is listed in the MICHELIN Guide for its richly worked Venetian and Italian cooking.
It stands among the most romantic rooms in Verona, alongside the historic Antica Bottega del Vino and Giancarlo Perbellini's Casa Perbellini 12 Apostoli.
The kitchen leans to fish and seafood — the menu shifts with the catch — but a defining Italian meat dish is the brasato all'Amarone, beef braised in Verona's great red wine. Expect generous antipasti, house-made pasta and a deep regional wine list.
For a more contemporary tasting menu in the city, Il Desco is a short walk across the river.
The dining room is famously over-dressed in the best way: every surface is crowded with antique mirrors, prints, silverware and curios, lit low and warm. The effect is intimate and theatrical, and service from the family is attentive and old-school.
The candlelit, antique-filled rooms and attentive family service make La Fontanina a romantic anniversary table in Verona, and the intimacy also suits a proposal.
Not for a quick or casual bite — La Fontanina is a richly decorated, sit-down osteria with destination-dinner prices, not a place to drop in for a light lunch.
The Tapparini family has run La Fontanina since 1984. It is a family-led osteria rather than a celebrity-chef kitchen, and is listed in the MICHELIN Guide for its Venetian and Italian cooking.
Richly worked Venetian and Italian dishes that lean toward fish and seafood, with the menu changing by the catch, plus a signature brasato all'Amarone — beef braised in Amarone wine — and house-made pasta.
On the Portichetti Fontanelle Santo Stefano, a few steps from the Roman Theatre and the Ponte Pietra in central Verona, across the Adige from the main historic centre.
Yes. It is a small, popular and atmospheric room, so reservations are recommended, especially for dinner and at weekends or during Verona's opera season.
Reservations recommended, especially for dinner.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
La Fontanina leads our Verona picks for atmospheric, Michelin-listed Venetian dining.
Read the Verona guide →