Editor Pick
Trattoria alla Colonna
Recommended in my Rough Guide, I was surprised to find Trattoria alla Colonna empty. My shock was abated before long. Within an hour of my arrival the restaurant was heaving with groups of local friends, all of whom seemed to know each other, with just a few fellow tourists watching the hubbub. Marvelously, although the staff seemed to be on first name terms with half the diners, this did not mean a diminution of service towards the skinny Brit in the corner.
Food here is simple, tasty, and incredible value for money. What the trattoria lacks in frills, it makes up for in atmosphere. For instance take the wine. Verona sits at the heart of the Veneto wine region, famous for its soave, valpolicella, and bardolino. I ordered a carafe of the house white. It came, keg-drawn, in a flower-vase sized carafe. No bottle, no label, but a damn tasty soave. So much so that I ordered a second. Again, take the decor. The trattoria sits in one of the most scenic parts of old Verona. The interior walls have had a mural stencilled on, depicting ivy, columns, and cracked plaster 'revealing' the (painted on) brickwork beneath. However, this artwork can only be seen in patches as the walls groan with assorted trinkets from innumerable years supporting the local football team, AC Verona, in their topsy-turvy strivings (for more info on AC Verona, read Tim Parks' 'A Season With Verona'). This seems typical of the enthusiasm exhibited here.
Looking at the €13 set menu I opted for a starter of penne arrabbiata, the sauce thick and spicy. For my main course I forebore from choosing the donkey (!) and went instead for the veal escalope. This was a good chunky piece of meat, set off well by the veg it was served with. With the meal hardly breaking the budget I ordered dessert. Tiramisu, beloved of all '90s dinner parties, originated in this part of the world, and the wonderful squidgy slice they brought me was oozing with potent marsala. It was also a much heftier slice than I was expecting for the price!
So, all-in-all, I had a ridiculously tasty, unfussy three course meal with wine for about €18 or £12. In Venice the only restaurant that warranted a five-star rating from me was a fancy, high-class, adventurous, expensive one. Here, Verona proves that it can reach those heights with good service, budget prices, and good local cuisine without the garnish!
I arrived at 7:45pm to find the place empty. By 9 it was almost full. Come early or book ahead—it serves until two in the morning. It is closed on Sundays.
From journal We Next Play Verona...