Do Forni

The Restaurant

"The pleasure of taste begins at Do Forni, to rediscover the flavors of the most tempting culinary creativity."

The history of Do Forni restaurant hails back to the most characteristic and ancient traditions of the city. During the golden years of the Venetian Republic the bakery producing bread and sweets for the nearby convent of San Zaccaria (the Doge's Palace) was located here, in fact, and a small part was used as a typical Venetian tavern (with cicchetti appetizers).

After the fall of the Venetian Republic in 1797, the tavern was expanded to include the area previously used as bakery. It became a restaurant in the nineteenth century under its current name and it has been under the care of Mr Eligio Paties since 1973. Through his passionate vocation, understanding of the cultural importance of cuisine, and his innate hospitality, he has successfully turned Do Forni into a popular destination for all those who travel to Venice and wish to experience the noblest traditions of Venetian hospitality.

Do Forni Restaurant offers a traditional and elegant setting in its Venetian-style rooms, and luxurious in those rooms that faithfully reproduce the hospitality of an Orient Express dining car.

The restaurant is present in the gastronomic guides of the best restaurants in Italy.

Cuisine

The Doge of Venice Ludovico Manin recommended: "Prawns and Scallops on a bed of rocket with a dressing of lemon, oil, salt and pepper."

Do Forni features traditional Venetian cuisine, mainly based on seafood, with a menu offering fish and shellfish from the Adriatic Sea using centuries-old Venetian recipes enhanced by seasonal vegetables and delicate sauces, but also a refined interpretation of both Venetian and Italian cuisine that is influenced by international gastronomy in its preparation of local meats and vegetables.

Traditional Venetian cuisine, mainly seafood, offering fish and shellfish from the Adriatic Sea.

A refined interpretation of Venetian and Italian cuisine.

Our cuisine combines the use of local meats and vegetables with the influence of international gastronomy.

The Wine Cellar

The restaurant has a large and well-appointed wine cellar; personally supervised by the Paties family, our wine cellar offers our clientele the finest wines from all the Italian regions, the most prestigious French wines and champagnes, as well as a wide selection of wines from international vineyards.

Awards and Events

The elegance of the restaurant and the careful preparation and presentation of all foods have earned Do Forni restaurant numerous prizes and international awards.

Do Forni International Prize for Graphic Art and Other Events

Since 1986, the Do Forni restaurant has revived the tradition of the “Art Restaurant” by creating the International Prize for Graphic Art, awarded to two artists - one Italian and one international - selected from a shortlist of twenty invited participants, during the annual ceremony hosted at important locations in the city.

The works of the winning artists of all editions of the Do Forni International Prize for Graphic Art are on permanent display in the rooms of the restaurant.

Casanova

Do Forni restaurant commemorated the second centenary of the death of Giacomo Casanova by creating a dedicated menu with recipes inspired by the era of the great Venetian adventurer and writer.

Food and recipes described in this publication actually come from original eighteenth century recipe books and include many curiosities about the culinary customs and the cultural traditions of Venice at that time.

The dishes on the menu were prepared and presented to the public during the many events organized in Venice all year round. All the illustrations in the menu are the work of the Venetian artist Ludovico De Luigi.

Guest Book

Giovanni Pieraccini
Francesco Badoglio
Michele Pellicani
Bettino Craxi
Principessa Margaret d’Inghilterra - Contessa di Snowdon
Armando Cossutta
Alessandro Natta
Mario Bisaglia
Giancarlo Pajetta
Giovanni Berlinguer
Sandro Pertini
Diana Spencer
Carlo d’Inghilterra
Maria Pia di Savoia
Maria Gabriella di Savoia
Michel de Bourbon Parma
Marie Alfonsin
Nilde Jotti
Franz Josef Smith
Maria José di Savoia
Ugo Bergamo
Richard Nixon
Michel e Marie Christine - Duchi di Kent
Moshe Shahael
Michele di Grecia
Sean Kennedy Smith
Carolina di Monaco
Generale Schwarzkopf
Margherita Boniver
Silvio Berlusconi
Massimo Cacciari
Oscar Luigi Scalfaro
Clemente Mastella
Lamberto Dini
Bartolomeo I - Patriarca Ecumenico di Costantinopoli

Events

Do Forni has over twenty years experience in the organization of banquets for all kinds of ceremonies, galas, conferences and conventions, wedding receptions, organized in the most prestigious Venetian buildings and private residences.

Catering

In its catering services Do Forni guarantees the highest quality at every stage of the event: from the selection of the venue to the creation of custom menus, from the “mise en place” to the floral decorations, from the event organization to the musical entertainment, all the essentials that can contribute to the right atmosphere; and of course we prepare with utmost care all the dishes matched to specially selected wines.

Do Forni has introduced Venetian cuisine to many places around the world during numerous culinary events in every continent. Monte Carlo, New York, Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Mombasa, are just some of the cities where, during refined galas hosted by international organizations, or as part of exhibitions of Italian cuisine, Do Forni has presented – through its dishes – the ancient heritage of Venetian gastronomic tradition. With a careful eye to the cultural traditions of his city, Eligio Paties has often exported important cultural and artistic events, including the International Prize for Graphic Art and the Carnival of Venice, and on these occasions engaged internationally renowned artists to illustrate the menus.

We guarantee the highest quality at every stage of the event.

We organize banquets for all kinds of ceremonies, galas, conferences and conventions, wedding receptions, in the most prestigious Venetian buildings and private residences.

Where We Are

Ristorante Do Forni - San Marco 46, 30122, Venice - Italy