Ca' de Vèn — Restaurant in Ravenna

We are in Ravenna for one night, and we chose Ca De Ven for our evening meal.

We walked in without a reservation, and my Italian is limited, so I was trepidatious for the challenges we might face. I needed not worry, for the lady at the front desk was very nice to us and though the place was packed, we were seated within two minutes.

Our waiter was a really cool guy probably in his 20s or 30s, and his demeanor and service were excellent.

We had a delicious grilled piadina with mozz and tomato as our appetizer. It was like $6 and would have made a tasty lunch on its own.

My entree was the tortelli (Americans: good-sized tortellini) alla ragu. Here, as it likely is in much of northern Italy, “ragu” means Bolognese sauce. And let me tell you, the Bolognese at Ca de Ven was just magnificent — the slow cooking of the meat just made it so tender. I am addicted to Parmigiano, but frankly this did not need it.

My GF had the vitello (veal strip steak) with melt-in-your-mouth roasted potatoes and a small salad. That was a great plate! She added a side of gratinated eggplant, zucchini, and tomato which was… incredible. Alas, her eyes were bigger than her stomach, so we’ll be finishing her meal for lunch tomorrow. lol

My only regret is that i could not tip my waiter — cash tips only, and i still have not drawn euros from an ATM. Next time, my man. Next time. Go to Ca de Ven when you’re in Ravenna. Tell...

The restaurant is located in a beautiful Palazzo in the very heart of Ravenna and quite handy after a visit to the San Vitale and Galla Placidia complex. Nearby you have Dante Alighieri' s burial place that you can visit after lunch. The interiors are quite stunning with their high glass ceilings that create a contrast with this ancient building, all decor is very pleasant. It is advisable to book as there is quite a queue both for lunch and dinner We were told waiting time was half an hour at the least, so we were ready to order an aperitif at the bar when unexpectedly we could sit at our table. Previously I had been there with my two boys as a treat on their first visit to Ravenna: I still remember the menu and how delicious it was, we were impressed. This time I took some friends from abroad who love good Italian food, but we were not lucky with the service: our old waiter was incredibly slow, served all tables who had sat well after us and even forgot our main course...we waiting an hour and a half for our pasta...in the meantime we drank good red wine but we were a bit dysmaied. I chose tagliatelle with chestnut and red radicchio, one of my favourite combination: they were good, but not requisite. My friends went for strozzapreti which were o.k. ( we had better ones ). So, still a place where to go for lunch for its beauty but not on the same level as expected...

We had high expectations as this place was recommended by a friend. It is a local with two large dining areas and an entrance with some tables and a lot of wines on the wall The prices are fair for the food and wine. Risotto and pasta were perfect al dente but we missed the little extra in taste we got the day before in an Osteria in Rimini. The Castrato (male sheep côtelette) were a bit dry. My beef cottlette on the hot stone was perfect rare but missed a bit a special meet you get sometimes when you got a selected piece from a particular cow race. The decoration of vegetables, potatoes and bred was too much for me but very good. Service was fast, but we missed a bit the time for explanation and specially a wine list. You depend on the waiter or if you know a wine yourself. As a wine lover I expected a better explanation and recommendations, but I have not been asked my preferences. Prices for the wines were good although and we got a bag to take the not finished...