Restaurant in Burano, Italy
Long lunch on Burano, done right.
Al Gatto Nero is Burano's most credentialed seafood trattoria, holding a Michelin Plate (2025) and running a wine cellar of 6,000 bottles. Book for a long summer lunch outdoors — it is the right call for couples and small groups who want sourcing-led Venetian seafood without the formality of a tasting-menu room. Easy to book; plan two to three weeks ahead for summer weekends.
If you are planning a long lunch on Burano with someone you want to impress, Al Gatto Nero is the right call. This is the venue for a leisurely afternoon of Venetian seafood on the island's quieter streets, leading suited to couples or small groups who want a proper sit-down meal rather than a quick plate of fritto misto at a canal-side table. The outdoor area in summer makes it particularly well-matched to warm-weather visits when Burano is at its most photogenic. First-timers to the island should treat Al Gatto Nero as the anchor of the day: book lunch, arrive by vaporetto, and plan two to three hours at the table.
Al Gatto Nero sits on Via Giudecca, a short walk from Burano's famous painted houses. The visual draw here is the exterior: tables set outside with the characteristic colour-blocked facades of the island as backdrop, a setting that rewards an unhurried meal. Inside, the room is a trattoria in the truest sense — warm, family-run, informal in its service without being careless. Chef Massimiliano Bovo leads the kitchen, and the emphasis throughout is on sourcing quality raw materials, a point the Michelin guide specifically called out in awarding the restaurant a Michelin Plate in 2025. That credential signals a kitchen operating at a level above the average tourist-facing seafood trattoria on the Venetian lagoon.
For first-timers, the format is approachable: this is not an omakase counter or a tasting-menu-only room. Expect a traditional Italian seafood menu with a strong Venetian accent , think the kind of cooking that draws on the northern Adriatic for its ingredients and on Venetian tradition for its technique. The wine list, overseen by Wine Director Rita Grossi, runs to 1,200 selections and 6,000 bottles in inventory, with particular depth in Italian regions (Piedmont and Tuscany especially) and France. That scale of cellar is unusual for a Burano trattoria and is worth factoring into your decision if wine matters to you. Corkage is available at €30 if you prefer to bring your own bottle.
Al Gatto Nero's family-run format means group bookings land differently here than at a larger, more corporate restaurant. The informal service style works well for gatherings that want a convivial atmosphere rather than choreographed table service. The outdoor area in summer provides additional space and natural separation from the main room, which makes it a practical option for small celebrations or work meals where the table wants to be left alone to talk. For larger private dining requests, contact the restaurant directly , the family-run nature of the operation means arrangements tend to be handled personally, which can work in your favour if you are flexible on timing.
Groups planning a special occasion should note that the dinner service runs only Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday (7:30–9 pm). Lunch runs Tuesday through Sunday (12:30–3 pm), with Monday closed. If your date falls mid-week and dinner is important, Friday or Saturday are your only options. For most visitors arriving as day-trippers from Venice, a weekday lunch is the practical choice.
Booking here is rated Easy, and that is accurate by the standards of serious Italian seafood restaurants. You do not need to plan months out, but for summer weekends , when Burano's visitor numbers peak and the outdoor tables are at a premium , booking two to three weeks ahead is sensible. Shoulder-season and weekday lunch slots are more forgiving. The vaporetto to Burano from Venice (line 12 from Fondamente Nove) takes approximately 40–45 minutes; factor that into your day's planning. If you are travelling from central Venice, an early departure gives you time to walk the island before your table.
At €€€ (roughly €40–65 per person for food, before wine), Al Gatto Nero sits at the upper end of what you would expect from a trattoria on Burano. The Michelin Plate recognition and the depth of the wine program justify the premium over the cheaper seafood spots on the island. You are paying for sourcing rigour, a credentialed kitchen, and a wine list that genuinely over-delivers for a lagoon island restaurant. If your priority is value-per-euro on direct seafood, there are cheaper options on Burano. If you want a meal that holds up to scrutiny, Al Gatto Nero is the better bet.
For broader context on eating and staying in the area, see our full Burano restaurants guide, our full Burano hotels guide, our full Burano bars guide, our full Burano wineries guide, and our full Burano experiences guide. For Italian seafood at different price points and formats, consider Quattro Passi in Marina del Cantone or Uliassi in Senigallia for coastal Italian dining with higher Michelin recognition. For the full spectrum of Italy's leading tables, Pearl covers Osteria Francescana in Modena, Piazza Duomo in Alba, Reale in Castel di Sangro, and Casa Perbellini 12 Apostoli in Verona. If you are comparing Italian seafood to international benchmarks, Le Bernardin in New York City sets the global reference point, while Atomix in New York City shows what a tasting-menu format in a different tradition looks like.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al Gatto Nero | Italian Seafood, Venetian | €€€ | Easy |
| Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler | Italian, Creative | €€€€ | Unknown |
| Dal Pescatore | Italian, Italian Contemporary | €€€€ | Unknown |
| Enoteca Pinchiorri | Italian - French, Italian Contemporary | €€€€ | Unknown |
| Enrico Bartolini | Creative | €€€€ | Unknown |
| Le Calandre | Progressive Italian, Creative | €€€€ | Unknown |
How Al Gatto Nero stacks up against the competition.
The kitchen's focus is Venetian seafood, so fish and shellfish drive the menu. Guests with shellfish or seafood allergies will find very little to work with here — this is not the venue to test flexibility. If someone in your group avoids seafood entirely, choose a different restaurant rather than hoping for workarounds at a trattoria built around the lagoon's catch.
Lunch is the stronger call. Al Gatto Nero is open for lunch every day except Monday, while dinner is available only Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday. The outdoor terrace — the main visual and atmospheric draw — works best in daylight, and arriving at lunch fits naturally into a day trip from Venice to Burano. Dinner is a viable option if you are staying nearby, but the limited evening schedule makes it harder to plan around.
At €€€, you are paying for quality sourcing, a Michelin Plate recognition in 2025, and a setting that is hard to replicate anywhere else in the Venice lagoon. For a long, unhurried seafood lunch on Burano — with wine — the price holds up. If you want a cheaper seafood fix, the surrounding island has lower-cost options, but none carry the same sourcing credentials or formal recognition.
Al Gatto Nero is a family-run trattoria, not a bar-forward venue, and the database does not document a bar counter for casual seating. Expect a table-service format. If you are a solo diner or drop-in visitor hoping for counter seating, call ahead — the informal service style may allow some flexibility, but a table reservation is the safer approach.
Yes, with caveats. The combination of a Michelin Plate, careful ingredient sourcing, a summer outdoor terrace on Burano, and informal but attentive service makes it a solid choice for a birthday or anniversary lunch. The format is relaxed rather than formal, so if you need white-glove ceremony, manage expectations accordingly. For a celebratory meal that feels genuinely special without being stiff, it fits well.
Burano's dining options are concentrated and tourist-facing — Al Gatto Nero is the island's most documented seafood address with formal culinary recognition. If you want a comparable or more ambitious Venetian seafood experience in the wider lagoon area, Osteria da Fiore in Venice proper is a common comparison. For a lower-cost Burano lunch, several smaller osterie on the island serve the same catch at lower prices, with less sourcing rigour.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
