Nearly a century after opening its doors in Genoa, one of Italy’s most storied restaurant institutions has arrived in Venice. Zeffirino, the legendary Ligurian dining house that once fed popes and counted Frank Sinatra among its regulars, has taken up residence within Nolinski Venezia, the five-star hotel of the Evok Collection. Across two distinct spaces steps from Piazza San Marco, the Belloni family is writing the next chapter of a culinary story that began in 1939.
Zeffirino, founded in Genoa in 1939 by Zeffirino Belloni, belongs firmly in the second category. Over the course of eight decades, the restaurant built a reputation that travelled far beyond its Ligurian origins, earning a following that has included heads of state, international celebrities and, famously, every Pope during its most celebrated years. Frank Sinatra was among its most devoted guests, and the house immortalised the connection with a dish that still features on the menu today.
Now, under the stewardship of the fifth generation of the Belloni family, led by Marco Belloni, the house has arrived in Venice. The setting is Nolinski Venezia, a five-star hotel housed in the former Venetian Stock Exchange building a short walk from both Piazza San Marco and La Fenice Opera House. The partnership with the Evok Collection brings together two organisations that share a the same passion for hospitality.
A Tradition Untouched Since 1939
At the centre of Zeffirino’s identity is a recipe that has remained essentially unchanged since the restaurant’s earliest days: the Genoese pesto. Prepared according to the original method, it combines Basilico di Pra from Liguria, Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino, pine nuts, garlic and extra-virgin olive oil, crushed in a marble mortar. The result is less a condiment than a philosophy, one that places the quality of individual ingredients above all else.
At the Venice outpost, the preparation is presented with a degree of theatre that suits the setting. The pesto arrives tableside from a signature trolley, finished in front of guests in a ritual the house has elevated to something close to ceremony. It is the kind of detail that separates a meal from a memory.
A Menu Shaped by Liguria
The kitchen at Zeffirino Venezia draws its authority from the same source it always has: the Genoese canon. Pasta is made by hand daily on the premises, and the menu is built around dishes that reward knowledge of Italian regional cooking. Trofie al Pesto anchors the menu as the quintessential Ligurian preparation, while Focaccia di Recco, the iconic flat bread filled with fresh cheese, offers an immediate sense of place.
The Paffutelli alla Frank, ravioli created in tribute to Frank Sinatra, speaks to the restaurant’s long relationship with its most celebrated guests. Elsewhere, Branzino al Sale, sea bass baked in a salt crust, reflects the straightforwardness that defines Ligurian cooking at its best.
The menu closes with Gelato al pistacchio come alle giostre, a pistachio gelato prepared to order and served with caramelised pistachios, designed for two, a gesture that suits the mood of the room.
From Ristorante to Caffè
Zeffirino at Nolinski Venezia operates across two distinct environments within the hotel. On the third floor, Zeffirino Ristorante opens for dinner and offers a more formal, immersive version of the Ligurian experience. The setting reflects the spirit of the original Genoese house: refined without being stiff, with a seriousness about the food that communicates itself clearly from the moment guests arrive.
On the ground floor, Il Caffè Zeffirino takes a lighter approach, open from midday through the evening and centred on an open patio. The menu is conceived as a natural companion to the restaurant above, with a format suited to the rhythms of the city outside. The result is a space that captures something of the easy sociability that defines Venetian life, filtered through the particular elegance of the Zeffirino house.
A family legacy
What distinguishes Zeffirino from many restaurants with similar histories is the unbroken line of family stewardship. Now in its fifth generation, the Belloni family has maintained a consistent philosophy across eight decades: that Italian culinary tradition is best served through restraint, precision and an unwillingness to compromise on the quality of raw ingredients. That approach has not changed with the move to Venice.
Marco Belloni leads the current generation, and the Venice opening reflects both a practical expansion and a symbolic one. Returning the restaurant to Italian soil, in one of the country’s most singular cities, gives the Zeffirino story a new setting without asking it to become something different. The Genoese heritage remains firmly intact.