Lunch at Locanda Cipriani, Torcello, Venice, Italy

It was great meeting Bonifacio Brass, owner of Locanda Cipriani, last Thursday and interviewing him for the blog. I’d eaten a light lunch there two years previously when I visited beautiful Torcello for the first time and when I was talking to William Goodacre of Tastes of Italy last December about Torcello and the Locanda, he offered to arrange a meeting with its owner, Bonifacio Brass, grandson of Giuseppe Cipriani. Do look at my last post if you haven’t read it already for details of that meeting and a background to the lovely Locanda - click here. At the end of the meeting, Bonifacio kindly offered me lunch, to which the obvious answer was, Yes please! Even without the interview, it’s certain I would have returned to the Locanda on this last trip as I’d loved it so much the time before. It’s also wonderful to escape the crowds of Venice for a day and ahead across the Lagoon in a vaporetto to this peaceful island where it is so easy to relax and find a quiet time.

The Locanda is also a place of tranquillity. There’s a wonderful homeliness to it combined with a sure touch of professionalism. You step inside and you could almost be entering someone’s home.

The dining area in the garden is a more sophisticated affair. It’s a stunning location for a Venetian meal. The weather was slightly chilly last Thursday and rain threatened so I opted to eat in the covered terrace rather than right outside, but I still had the experience of being in the garden, which was great. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).