Restaurant in Venice, Italy
Dinner worth the boat ride across.
Oro Restaurant holds one Michelin star (2024) inside the Belmond Hotel Cipriani on Giudecca, Venice's quietest island. Chef Vania Ghedini runs a dinner-only kitchen (Tue–Sat, 7:30 PM) with contemporary Italian cooking shaped by Moroccan influences and strong lagoon sourcing. At €€€€, this is a special-occasion booking that requires planning — tables are hard to secure, especially in high season.
Is Oro Restaurant at the Belmond Hotel Cipriani worth the trip across the lagoon? Yes — with one important caveat: you need to want this specific experience. A Michelin-starred room on Giudecca island, dinner-only service Tuesday through Saturday, a contemporary Italian menu shaped by North African influences, and a round dining room looking out over the water. If that combination appeals, book it. If you want the most direct fine-dining value in Venice, there are alternatives on the main islands that are easier to reach and less demanding on your schedule.
Oro sits on Giudecca, a long, thin island south of the main Venetian sestieri, separated from San Marco by a stretch of open lagoon. Getting here requires the hotel's private boat shuttle from the San Marco landing, which is not a drawback so much as a commitment: by the time you arrive, you have already left the tourist density of the centre behind. The dining room is circular, which gives almost every seat a view across to the lido. In winter, when the light drops early and the lagoon goes glassy and dark, the atmosphere is close to total quiet — a genuinely different register from any restaurant you will find on the main islands.
This matters more than it might seem for a repeat visitor. If you came once and found the room beautiful but wanted to understand what Oro actually does leading, the answer is the kitchen's relationship with the lagoon and the chef's willingness to pull in influences from further afield. Chef Vania Ghedini, originally from Ferrara, brings a Moroccan thread to her cooking , a detail that Michelin's own notes make specific , and the result is a menu that reads as contemporary Italian but lands with unexpected spice geometry and textural contrasts. This is not fusion for its own sake; it is a kitchen with a clear editorial point of view, which is rarer than the price tier suggests.
The Laguna dish is the clearest expression of this: lagoon ingredients treated with enough technique that the sourcing becomes the argument rather than the decoration. For a returning guest, this is where to focus. The tasting menu provides the fullest version of the kitchen's logic, moving from lagoon-sourced courses into lighter vegetarian options, and finishing with the cherry tart with balsamic vinegar , a dessert that Michelin's inspectors singled out specifically, which at this price point is a signal worth following rather than ignoring.
Oro currently holds one Michelin star (2024). That positions it in Venice's most serious dining tier alongside Glam Restaurant by Enrico Bartolini, which also holds a star and offers a more central location on the main island. For a visitor choosing between the two, Oro wins on atmosphere and isolation; Glam wins on accessibility. Neither is a compromise pick at the €€€€ level.
The wider Italian Michelin context is worth noting for anyone building a longer itinerary. If you are moving through the north, Le Calandre in Rubano holds three stars and sits within reach of Venice. Heading south, Osteria Francescana in Modena and Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence represent Italy's most decorated rooms. Within the northeast specifically, Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler in Brunico and Dal Pescatore in Runate are strong multi-star options if Oro forms part of a wider culinary trip rather than a standalone Venice booking. For Italian Contemporary at a similar level in other coastal settings, Agli Amici in Rovinj and L'Olivo in Anacapri offer useful comparisons.
Booking is hard. Oro operates Tuesday to Saturday, dinner only, 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM, with no Monday or Sunday service. The combination of limited seatings, a hotel-restaurant context, and Michelin recognition means tables move fast, particularly in high season. Book as far in advance as possible, and treat any last-minute availability as a genuine stroke of luck rather than a sign that demand is soft. Google reviews sit at 4.2 from 77 responses , a relatively small sample for a room at this level, which reflects the low volume and deliberate pace of service rather than any quality signal either way.
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Quick reference: Michelin 1 Star (2024) · €€€€ · Dinner only, Tue–Sat 7:30–10:30 PM · Belmond Hotel Cipriani, Giudecca · Hard to book , reserve well in advance.
Oro is accessible via the Belmond Hotel Cipriani's private boat service from San Marco. Dinner runs Tuesday through Saturday, 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM; the restaurant is closed Monday and Sunday. At €€€€ pricing with a Michelin star, this is a planned commitment rather than a spontaneous dinner. Book as early as possible , demand from hotel guests and outside diners combined keeps availability tight. There is no published phone or booking link in our database; contact directly through the Belmond Hotel Cipriani.
Dinner is your only option , Oro does not serve lunch. Service runs Tuesday through Saturday from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM, which makes evening availability the only question worth solving. If your schedule requires a midday booking, consider Osteria alle Testiere, which serves lunch and offers serious Venetian cooking at €€€.
Smart formal is the right call. Oro is a Michelin-starred room inside one of Venice's most storied hotel properties, operating at €€€€ pricing. A jacket for men is strongly advisable; formal evening wear for women. Arriving in casual resort clothing would be a mismatch with the room's register. Think of it as the same level of formality you would bring to any starred hotel restaurant in Italy.
Groups are possible given the hotel-restaurant context, but coordinate directly with the Belmond Hotel Cipriani to confirm configuration and availability. At €€€€ and with limited total covers, large private groups should enquire well in advance , this is not a venue where a party of eight can walk in or book on short notice. For larger Venetian celebrations with more flexible logistics, Ristorante Quadri on Piazza San Marco may offer more room to manoeuvre.
Three things. First, the restaurant is on Giudecca, not the main island , factor in the private boat transfer from San Marco. Second, the menu reflects a contemporary Italian kitchen with genuine Moroccan influences; this is not a traditional Venetian restaurant, and you should go in expecting that. Third, book the tasting menu on your first visit: Michelin's own notes frame it as the leading introduction to the kitchen's range, and at this price point you want the full picture rather than a partial one. For more context on Venice's fine-dining tier, our full Venice restaurants guide covers the category in detail.
Yes, for a first or second visit. The tasting menu is the most complete version of what chef Vania Ghedini is doing , lagoon-sourced courses, lighter vegetarian options, and the balsamic-cherry tart that Michelin inspectors called out specifically. At €€€€ pricing, ordering à la carte risks missing the kitchen's actual argument. The tasting format also tends to offer better value per dish at starred hotel restaurants than single-course ordering. Comparable tasting experiences in northern Italy include Enrico Bartolini in Milan and Le Calandre in Rubano, both at higher star levels if you want to calibrate the spend.
At €€€€ with a Michelin star, the price is defensible , but only if the total experience justifies it. The combination of the lagoon setting, the Belmond property, and a kitchen with a clear point of view gives Oro a stronger case than many starred hotel restaurants where the star is the only reason to go. If you are deciding between Oro and a €€€ option like Al Covo or Corte Sconta, the question is whether the setting and technique gap justify doubling the spend. For a special occasion, it does. For a weeknight dinner when you want good Venetian food without ceremony, the €€€ tier is the better call.
Yes , this is one of the stronger special-occasion choices in Venice. The Giudecca location, the private boat arrival, the lagoon views, and the Michelin-starred kitchen give the evening a sense of occasion that is hard to replicate on the main island. For anniversaries or milestone dinners, Oro competes directly with Ristorante Quadri on Piazza San Marco. Quadri offers a more theatrical city-centre setting; Oro offers greater privacy and quiet. The choice depends on whether your guest wants the spectacle of Venice or an escape from it.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oro Restaurant | Italian Contemporary | €€€€ | Housed within the Hotel Cipriani, one of Venice’s legendary hotels which is pleasantly located in a tranquil corner of Giudecca island, the round-shaped dining room at the Oro Restaurant boasts views of the lagoon and the lido. Here, chef Vania Ghedini from Ferrara serves an array of Moroccan dishes which bear witness to her professional past. Her Laguna dish is particularly striking thanks to its skilfully mixed flavours and delicate textures. The tasting menu is equally impressive and offers a good introduction to the chef’s cuisine, including dishes from the lagoon alongside a few light vegetarian options. To finish, we recommend the cherry tart (an absolute must for anyone who enjoys fruit desserts) flavoured with a dash of balsamic vinegar.; Housed within the Hotel Cipriani, one of Venice’s legendary hotels which is pleasantly located in a tranquil corner of Giudecca island, the round-shaped dining room at the Oro Restaurant boasts views of the lagoon and the lido. Here, chef Vania Ghedini from Ferrara serves an array of Moroccan dishes which bear witness to her professional past. Her Laguna dish is particularly striking thanks to its skilfully mixed flavours and delicate textures. The tasting menu is equally impressive and offers a good introduction to the chef’s cuisine, including dishes from the lagoon alongside a few light vegetarian options. To finish, we recommend the cherry tart (an absolute must for anyone who enjoys fruit desserts) flavoured with a dash of balsamic vinegar.; Michelin 1 Star (2024) | Hard | — |
| Local | Modern Italian, Contemporary | €€€€ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Ristorante Quadri | Modern Cuisine | €€€€ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Osteria alle Testiere | Venetian | €€€ | World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Al Covo | Trattoria, Venetian | €€€ | Unknown | — | |
| Corte Sconta | Trattoria, Seafood | €€€ | Unknown | — |
A quick look at how Oro Restaurant measures up.
Dinner is your only option — Oro serves Tuesday through Saturday from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM, with no lunch service and no weekend opening. If your schedule is tight or you're only in Venice Monday or Sunday, plan accordingly before making the trip to Giudecca.
Oro sits inside the Belmond Hotel Cipriani, a property that sets a formal tone by the standards of Venice dining. Treat it like a dressed-up evening rather than a casual dinner: jacket for men is a reasonable default, and anything you'd wear to a Michelin-starred room in a luxury hotel will work here.
The round-shaped dining room is an intimate setting, which tends to limit how comfortably large groups fit. For parties of six or more, contact the Belmond Hotel Cipriani directly to discuss options — a private dining arrangement is more likely to work than occupying a large portion of the main room on a busy Friday or Saturday.
Getting here requires the Belmond Hotel Cipriani's private boat from San Marco, which adds both time and a layer of logistical coordination to your evening. Once you arrive, chef Vania Ghedini's menu draws on lagoon ingredients alongside Moroccan-influenced technique — an unusual combination in Venice's dining scene. The tasting menu is the clearest way to understand what she's doing, and the restaurant carries a Michelin star (2024) to back the price point.
Yes, for most diners at this price tier. Michelin's 2024 assessment singles out the tasting menu as a strong introduction to chef Vania Ghedini's cooking, covering lagoon-sourced dishes and a few vegetarian options alongside her Moroccan-influenced technique. If you want to eat à la carte and move on quickly, venues like Al Covo or Osteria alle Testiere offer strong cooking with less ceremony and lower spend.
At €€€€ with a Michelin star, Oro is priced comparably to other top-tier Venice dining rooms, and the setting at the Belmond Hotel Cipriani on Giudecca adds logistical effort the price needs to justify. The case for yes: the combination of lagoon views, chef Ghedini's technically accomplished cooking, and the hotel's service standards is genuinely difficult to replicate elsewhere in Venice. The case for no: if you want high-quality Italian cooking without the hotel formality or the boat journey, Al Covo or Corte Sconta deliver at a considerably lower spend.
Yes — the setting does a lot of the work. A private boat to a Michelin-starred room with lagoon views at a Belmond property is a strong framework for a celebration dinner. Book Tuesday through Saturday and build in time for the boat transfer from San Marco; arriving rushed would undercut the experience.
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