IL RIDOTTO
From a story by Nicolò Bonaccorsi
Il Ridotto was founded in 2006 by my father, Gianni, and he named it Il Ridotto because initially, it was very small, just a first room with 5 tables; then, in 2013, the second room was added. He created it and made it grow; it was his greatest ambition and his great success. I arrived here in 2016 from another profession. I started in the kitchen from scratch, and in 2018, I went to Niko Romito’s school. I spent six months in Casteldisangro, then another six months doing internships at Alajmo (first at Le Calandre and then at Quadri), and in 2019, I took over the kitchen at Il Ridotto.
My family has been in the restaurant business since ’78 with Aciugheta – a place that has certainly evolved over time. Then, my father decided to open Il Ridotto because, in those years, in 2006, there were few places that offered a more quality-driven, research-based cuisine; it was much more commodified, you could say. He also paved the way: now in Venice, there are more places that pay more attention to quality, and there are more than 30 compared to before.
In 2013, it received a Michelin star, which it held until 2021.
The menu includes dishes based on fish, meat, and vegetables. Vegetables are becoming increasingly important. However, the core of everything remains the sea. There are also some elements of tradition. I believe that certain dishes, certain flavors, must necessarily be present in a Venetian restaurant. Of course, it’s a tradition interpreted with great care. I wouldn’t say reinterpreted; it’s a word I don’t like. An example is the first course with “go” (a local fish): we offer it, but we make it using techniques different from the traditional recipe. Thus, the dish is different from what you could eat in a traditional trattoria. Instead of rice, we use small pasta tubes with a go cream. It’s a much-loved dish.
Evolution happens according to the seasons – with the market, although there are dishes that can never be missing, like black spaghetti with pepper and sea urchins sauce, which is my father Gianni’s signature dish. And it also evolves with stimuli, curiosities, and ideas that come to me. It can be a contingent inspiration, linked to the need to change the dish. In that case, I often look for inspiration in reading – I search through recipe books, blogs, or sometimes even on Instagram. I find that Instagram nowadays can be a great source of inspiration: you see an image, a pairing, and then the creative process starts, where you add your personality. Even just one ingredient can open up a scenario for you, and from there, your knowledge helps you create the dish. Sometimes inspiration comes to me by chance, but it’s rarer.
The Buona Accoglienza (Good Hospitality) includes people who have a great passion for their profession and love, as the name suggests, hospitality. They love making guests feel comfortable and they also love quality – both in what they offer and in the life they live. They love eating and drinking well – all these places have very important wine lists. The same goes for us. Therefore, the hope is for an evolution towards excellence, aiming higher, and spreading the message that you can work well and provide good restaurant services in this city, which can also be an inspiration for other establishments. Regarding the clientele, it will be important to do educational work, to make people understand why it is important to prefer this type of offering over others. Finally, a message to those who want to work in this industry: to show that there are establishments that create value and where you can work very well, because what binds these people is also the respect for their collaborators.
If everyone works well, the bar is raised, and everyone is encouraged to work better and create this virtuous circle of professionalism, hospitality, and care.