Not just a restaurant but a place of restoration

Venice is filled with fascinating locales and scenery, unique spots and timeless atmospheres all just waiting to be explored. And each time it’s a thrilling discovery.
Algiubagio restaurant, housed in a unique 17th century building in the picturesque Cannaregio district, delights guests with the charm of its more than sixty year history under the same management.
When first opened back in the 1950s, it was a small tavern where Venetians would meet to drink a glass of wine with friends, « un’ombra de vin » as the locals would say. Back then, one could buy salt and loose cigarettes, and – just like today – the clientele was mostly local. In 1970 it abandoned its rustic tavern image and became a simple bar. At that time it was nicknamed the « bar dei buranelli » because the inhabitants of Burano disembarking from the boat to the Fondamenta Nuove would all stop here for a chat – « do ciacoe » in dialect – before venturing on into Venice.
In 1992 the bar underwent a series of renovations while maintaining the original seventeenth century structure. Five years later a restaurant room was opened and a charming terrace was created facing onto the North Lagoon, the water route leading to Murano, Burano and Torcello.
Today a major interior design project carried through by the Murano-based architect Davide Barbini has further redefined the spaces, giving the historic Algiubagio an ultra-modern appearance that nonetheless alludes to the past, enhancing the authenticity of a place steeped in history and enlivening its atmosphere with sophisticated references.
The interior ambience is dominated by the wall cladding consisting of large, thin Laminam porcelain sheets, chosen in the Oxide collection, Moro version, to recreate the appeal of metal weathered by the elements, the sun and the passing of time. These sheets are the result of an exclusive stratification technology that recreates the effect of oxidised metal, while the depth of the material and colour makes for a novel, highly sophisticated three-dimensional appearance.
The large red and white blown glass chandeliers act as a counterpoint to this surprising « total look », warming the ambience and introducing a sense of design and tradition. The large wood beams, the elegantly set out tables, the windows facing onto the sea, the wooden crates filled with bottles of wine, artfully stacked to separate the entrance from the dining room, complete this visually striking, almost theatrical layout, where art, bold colours and large paintings blend with harmony and elegance.
The bathrooms are likewise dominated by the Oxide porcelain panels, combined with sanitary fixtures and taps with a clean, rigorous design.
« A place to rest, a place of escape… » is the description given in a review on the travel website The Wandering Gentleman.