Da Giovanni

A 4.8 from 804 reviews earns your attention — here is what to do with it

Da Giovanni in Cortina Vecchia holds a Google rating of 4.8 across more than 800 reviews, which is a number that warrants a booking call rather than a browse. This is a €€ restaurant that has operated for half a century along the Piacenza stretch of the Po valley, and it carries a Michelin Plate for both 2024 and 2025. For first-timers trying to calibrate expectations: you are looking at a long-running family restaurant with serious cooking, a professional service floor, and a wine list extensive enough to include a meaningful selection by the glass. The price point is accessible relative to the quality on offer, and the booking difficulty is low — which makes this one of the more direct decisions in the region.

What to expect as a first-timer

The room tells you immediately that this is not a newly opened concept restaurant. The 18th-century ceramic stove and a mix of period and vintage decor signal that the space has been inhabited rather than designed. As a first-timer, the key thing to know is that Da Giovanni has built its reputation on fish, not meat. Both appear on the menu, but fish is the house speciality , the cooking that made the restaurant's name across the Po valley over five decades. Order accordingly. If you arrive expecting a Piacenza-style meat-forward meal and ignore the fish, you will have missed the point of the visit.

Service is described as friendly and informal in style but highly professional in execution , the combination that distinguishes a well-run family restaurant from a casual one. For someone visiting for the first time, this means you can expect guidance without formality, and knowledgeable help with the wine list without the theatre that often accompanies it at higher price points.

The wine program: the most underrated part of the visit

The Michelin Plate designation at a €€ price point is already a strong signal, but the wine list at Da Giovanni adds a layer of value that is worth considering before you arrive. An extensive list with a solid selection by the glass is not standard at this price tier in northern Italy. It means you can work through multiple pours across a meal without committing to full bottles , useful if you are eating solo or as a pair, or if you want to match different wines to the fish and meat courses without doubling the bill.

The Po valley sits within reach of several of Italy's serious wine regions: Emilia-Romagna's Sangiovese-based reds, Lambrusco in various styles, and the Colli Piacentini DOC, which produces white and red wines that rarely travel far from the region. A list built for a restaurant that has served this territory for fifty years will likely draw on local producers alongside broader Italian selections. This is the kind of depth that rewards asking the floor staff what is drinking well rather than defaulting to familiar labels. For wine-focused diners, this is genuinely part of the reason to book Da Giovanni over a comparable restaurant in the area with a thinner list.

Optimal timing

Da Giovanni's half-century of operation suggests it is a year-round proposition rather than a seasonal outlier, but the Po valley in spring and autumn offers the most comfortable conditions for the kind of leisurely lunch or dinner this restaurant rewards. The Piacenza area can be humid and warm in high summer; if you are visiting between June and August, an evening booking will be more comfortable than lunch. The combination of classic room, professional service, and an unhurried wine list makes this a better fit for a two-hour meal than a quick stop , book accordingly, and give yourself time to work through the glass pours.

Ratings and trust signals

• Google: 4.8 (804 reviews)
• Michelin Plate: 2024, 2025
• Price range: €€ (accessible for the quality level)
• Cuisine: Modern Cuisine with a fish speciality
• Established: Approximately 50 years in operation

Booking and practical details

Reservations: Recommended , booking difficulty is rated Easy, but a restaurant with this rating and history will fill on weekends. Call or book ahead for Friday and Saturday evenings. Dress: No dress code listed, but the combination of Michelin recognition and professional service floor suggests smart casual is the right register , avoid beachwear or athleisure. Budget: €€ price range makes this one of the better-value Michelin-recognised dining options in the Po valley corridor. Getting there: The address is Str. di Cortina, 1040, Piacenza province , a car is the practical choice from central Piacenza. Group size: The family-tradition format and informal service style suit couples and small groups equally; larger parties should book in advance and confirm table configuration.

How it compares

See the comparison section below for how Da Giovanni sits against regional and national peers.

For more options in the area, browse our full Cortina Vecchia restaurants guide, our Cortina Vecchia hotels guide, our Cortina Vecchia bars guide, our Cortina Vecchia wineries guide, and our Cortina Vecchia experiences guide.

FAQ

• What should a first-timer know about Da Giovanni? Book for a meal centred on fish , it is the house speciality and the reason the restaurant earned its Michelin Plate recognition. The service is professional but informal, the price point is €€, and the extensive wine list with by-the-glass options makes it easy to drink well without a large budget. Go in with an appetite for a proper sit-down meal rather than a quick stop.
• Can I eat at the bar at Da Giovanni? The venue database does not confirm a bar or counter seating option. Given the restaurant's family-tradition format and table service model, Da Giovanni is leading treated as a sit-down dining experience rather than a drop-in bar meal. Reserve a table to get the full value of the service and wine program.
• What are alternatives to Da Giovanni in Cortina Vecchia? For a significant step up in price and ambition, Dal Pescatore in Runate and Osteria Francescana in Modena operate at €€€€ and represent two of Italy's most decorated dining experiences. If you want to stay closer to the Po valley's fish-forward tradition but with more creative cooking, Uliassi in Senigallia is worth the drive for a serious fish-focused meal. For something at a comparable price tier with a different regional angle, Casa Perbellini 12 Apostoli in Verona offers Michelin-recognised cooking in a similarly accessible format.
• What should I wear to Da Giovanni? Smart casual is the right call. The restaurant has Michelin Plate recognition and a professional service floor, but the family-tradition atmosphere and informal service style mean you do not need to dress formally. A well-put-together everyday outfit is appropriate; treat it the way you would a serious neighbourhood restaurant rather than a grand occasion dinner.
• Is the tasting menu worth it at Da Giovanni? The database does not confirm a tasting menu format. Given the €€ price range and the fish speciality, the stronger move for a first visit is to order across the menu with guidance from the floor staff and pair with by-the-glass selections from the wine list. If a tasting menu is available, ask whether it leans toward the fish program , that is where the kitchen's depth lies.
• Is Da Giovanni worth the price? Yes, clearly. A 4.8 Google rating across 804 reviews combined with a Michelin Plate at a €€ price point is a strong value proposition anywhere in Italy. The fish speciality, extensive wine list, and fifty years of operation give this more substance than the price tag suggests. For comparison, the same Michelin recognition at a €€€€ restaurant in this region , such as Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler or Reale in Castel di Sangro , will cost you significantly more. Da Giovanni delivers quality at a tier below what the experience actually feels like.