LOCAL

A story by Benedetta Fullin

It all began as a play on words when my brother Luca and I decided to open the restaurant in 2015 in Castello, the Venice where we grew up and to which we are deeply connected. A term that aims to encompass the philosophy of territoriality that drives the project and, at the same time, with a Venetian accent (Locàl), to identify a place of meeting and sharing.

Today, at the helm alongside me is my husband Manuel Trevisan. From the very beginning, the goal has been to bring innovation to Venice, to stand out, and to leave a new mark on the way we do hospitality. The thread of memory remains firmly anchored within a modern and current narrative.

I come from a family of restaurateurs, and since I was a child, I’ve breathed the atmosphere of Venetian hospitality within Pensione Wildner, which was opened in the 1960s by my grandmother (one of the Ristoranti della Buona Accoglienza). Manuel also has Venetian origins, and his realm has always been service. It’s a propensity he felt from a very young age.

The story of Local goes through different phases, marking a constant evolution. The focus has always been to start from history to build a new way of transmitting it, to remain connected to tradition with an eye on the future.

There have been several setbacks: the high water in 2019 and then the years of forced closure led us to redesign our proposal, staying true to the original intent but with the desire to eliminate all the superfluous and create a sustainable offering, both environmentally and humanly. Upon reopening, we decided to keep only the tasting menus, eliminating the à la carte menu and focusing on research and quality, both in the kitchen and in the dining room.

We experimented with how important it is to size the proposal considering the space and the people available; the right amount of work, two days of closure per week, three lunch openings, and the rest for dinner. A perspective that meets current needs in the restaurant industry and creates true sustainability. It was following this new path that, in 2021 (for the 2022 edition of the Guide), we received our first Michelin star.

At the helm of the kitchen is Salvatore Sodano, a Campanian chef who arrived in Venice with the mission of reinterpreting Venetian cuisine in a contemporary and innovative way, bringing the territory to the table by blending it with his own experience. It’s a cuisine of flavor, intensity, and elegance, where local ingredients always take center stage. The territory is at the heart of a fascinating contamination that represents the history of Venice well – a bridge between the West and the East, a crossroads of cultures where spices and exotic foods have become part of the Venetian taste.

The wine cellar is managed by Manuel, and today the wine list includes 55 wines by the glass and two pairing proposals for the menus; another distinctive feature is the service from large formats, 3 liters or 6 liters. The performance with Magnum bottles is a beautiful spectacle, and it hides excellent quality.

Venice flows through all facets of Local, from the environment to the colors, from the kitchen to the dining room, from the sounds to the silence. Everything speaks of the deep love that binds us to our origins and to the lagoon, of our desire to offer guests a new narrative of the city and the gastronomic traditions that animate it. Innovation and respect, for those roots from which to draw valuable nourishment to acquire new forms.

Venice is a unique city in the world, and those who grow up here carry its mark for life. My experience in London and being away from the city has meant creating an even closer, indissoluble bond and a deep desire to shine a spotlight on a high-quality Venice, on a gastronomic revolution that my Venetian colleagues began back in the 1990s.