Osteria al Duca is Verona’s oldest osteria: family-run, regional cuisine done right, and a curated wine list. What more could you ask for? Iolanda Maggio talks about it.
Verona is the Arena, of course, but it is also elegant alleys, noble palaces and little squares that pop up suddenly. It is a city that, a bit like what happens to those who frequent the wine world, I have come to know and love little by little. Always passing through, often with sore feet after endless days at Vinitaly, and with only one goal: to get to the table.
It still amuses me to imagine a Shakespearean Verona, almost as if it were a theater set: the ever-changing light, the long shadows of sunset, the constant buzz of people. And then, right on time, here I am, with my colleagues, at theOsteria al Duca.
The halls of Osteria al Duca
The venue occupies the first and second floors of a 13th-century crenellated house that belonged to the Montecchi family: yes, those very ones. Here, according to legend, Romeo was born and lived. It was originally a stable for horses, then an inn for wayfarers, where they served robust dishes – tripe, pastissada, polenta – accompanied by local wines. A long history, which today results in the oldest tavern in town.
The setting is warm and welcoming, with rustic furnishings and exposed beams. The cuisine is solid, well-executed, and the wine list intelligently draws from Veronese production, with more than honest mark-ups. You come here to eat Veneto, without too many frills. We go back every time, booking well in advance.
The menu
Two shifts, 7:30 or 9:30 p.m.: we always choose the former. The restaurant is a perfectly run-in machine, with tightly packed tables and a waitstaff that moves naturally, as if it has been repeating the same gestures forever. Service is informal, fast and genuinely friendly, even in the most excitable moments.
Dishes that have remained unchanged over the years include penne radicchio e gorgonzola, bigoli all’acciuga with raisins and pine nuts or with donkey ragout. Or the simple but reliable penne with tomato and taggiasche olives. For main courses, you can hardly go wrong with escargot and pastissada de caval, both served with an excellent polenta. The grilled horse meat or veal tonnato. You know after the long walks through the pavilions of the fair you need to replenish your energy so, even when you think you have no more room, it is worth closing with a traditional dessert, such as chocolate salami or a nice tiramisu.
The account
The bill? Today the set menu is 26 euros-a figure that is almost unbelievable considering the generous portions and the quality of the dishes.
If you are passing through Verona you absolutely must go there. I, for the days of Vinitaly 2026, have already booked for the 18th consecutive year.
