A story of friendship

We are Alessio and Ugo, born in Venice, and for decades we have worked in the world of gastronomy and tourism. Giardinetto Veneto is not just a restaurant — it's the story of a journey, a friendship, and a promise.

Our family has been working in tourism and gastronomic consulting for over 25 years. We have worked with restaurants, hotels and food & wine businesses across Italy, carrying the values that only a city like Venice can transmit: the art of hospitality, respect for tradition and attention to every single detail.

In 2023 we arrived in Albania for the first time. What we found changed us. An extraordinary country, breathtaking nature, and above all people of a rare warmth and generosity. We were welcomed like family. We fell in love — with the places, the colours, the people — and we knew we didn't want to leave.

But there was something we wanted to bring with us. Something we had seen missing: real Italian cuisine. Not reinvented, not simplified. The kind from grandmothers, mothers, neighbourhood trattorias that smell of ragù on Sunday morning.

That's how Giardinetto Veneto was born. A restaurant with an Italian chef, Chef Alberto, who uses authentic recipes passed down through time — like Sarde in Saor, a Venetian dish from 1300, or Risotto al Nero di Seppia, Fegato alla Veneziana, Carbonara with guanciale and Pecorino romano. Real dishes, prepared with Italian DOP ingredients, handmade pasta, artisan desserts baked every day.

Here in Tirana, just a 10-minute walk from Skanderbeg Square, we have created a space that aims to be one thing: a corner of Venice in the heart of Albania. A place to sit, slow down and eat well — as they do in Italy.