Oro (at hotel Cipriani)

At Oro, the grand gesture begins before the first bite. The restaurant sits inside Hotel Cipriani on Giudecca, facing the lagoon with a view that gives Venice space to breathe. The hotel itself opened in 1958, created by Giuseppe Cipriani of Harry’s Bar fame, and Oro carries that old world glamour with real discipline rather than costume. Its defining flourish is the gold leaf dome overhead, a room with enough theatre to suit Venice and enough restraint to keep the focus on the plate. 

Today the kitchen is led by Vania Ghedini, with Massimo Bottura as culinary creative director. Ghedini draws heavily on the lagoon and the wider Venetian pantry, shaping dishes that feel polished, precise and deeply tied to place. Belmond presents Oro as a dialogue with the sea, and Michelin also points to that marine identity, with standout dishes built around lagoon ingredients and a cooking style that allows craft to show without turning dinner into a lecture. 

What makes Oro memorable is the balance. It has the location people dream about, the pedigree they expect from Cipriani, and a kitchen interested in finesse rather than fireworks. In Venice, that counts for a great deal.