Since we were celebrating two(!) 70th birthdays this trip, one late, the other early, I needed to find a truly delicious restaurant on Venice Lido. I landed on a reservation at La Tavernetta because literally everything on their menu looked wonderful. It’s a rather long walk from the main drag of Lido, maybe 25 minutes if you’re not with said 70 year olds, and maybe quite a bit longer if you have some slow walkers in your group. The lovely table on the terrace and truly hospitable service from the start were instantly key indicators that this hike was worth it.

I started with red shrimp carpaccio, always a must for me in Italy, and it was beautifully plated with a dollop of creamy burrata, and tons of lime zest to really dial up that fresh flavor.

Always the girl with a theme, for my second plate I chose the shrimp linguine with zucchini- lots of my favorites in one bowl. Perfectly cooked and beautifully simple in sauce that was seemingly just some pasta water and butter for a silky concoction that I’d like to repeat at home.

The family seemed to enjoy their meal just the same and to cap off the night Mum and Dad celebrated with a joint tiramisu, whimsically plated in a flower pot, complete with shovels.

The service really was incredible throughout the meal, making custom cocktails, and even offering a small gift to my parents at the end. I would come back here in a heartbeat, just know if it’s really hot maybe you’ll want to book a cab (or take the bus!) to this far flung gem.