The story
L'Argine a Vencò, at Località Vencò 15 in Corno di Rosazzo, is a country cooking restaurant that earned one Michelin star in 2026. Chef Antonia Klugmann builds her tasting menus around the hills, woods and vineyards of the Collio Goriziano, and the kitchen works with local producers throughout the year.
Antonia Klugmann was born in Trieste and opened her first restaurant in the province of Udine in 2006. Her menus change through the year, and each ingredient's availability decides what reaches the table. The kitchen uses no exotic or rare products, giving vegetables and wild herbs the same care as meat and fish. The 50 Top Italy guide for 2026 noted her precise portioning, balanced flavors and impeccable timing.
The seven-course menu might open with soaked and roasted bread with fennel seeds, then move to Trieste mussels with basil, Parmigiano Reggiano and helichrysum. Northern Adriatic gilthead sea bream arrives with lovage and summer truffle, and roasted duck with sambuca and medlar follows. The ten-course Life in Motion menu adds Vencò herbs ravioli with oyster and parsley. Dishes rotate with the season, so the menu you find may differ.
Two bright dining rooms have large windows that bring the countryside inside. The main room faces the garden and lets you watch the kitchen brigade through a window, while the quieter room looks onto the vineyards. The building began as a farmhouse in 1650, and its stone facade was kept exposed during a conservative restoration in 2023. Sommelier Roberto Stella curates a wine list rooted in local terroir, and pairings are available with either menu.
Recognition
Details
History
High quality cooking
Are delicacy and care matters of gender? Probably not, but while tasting the dishes of Antonia Klugmann, certainly one of the most gifted and thoughtful chefs of recent years, and wandering through the rooms of this countryside farmhouse, set in a borderland that serves as a crossroads of cultures, surrounded by fragrances, the crackle of the fire, and the warmth of hospitality, you sense a meticulous care for guests that reveals itself in every detail. This sensitivity enables her to present bold and challenging selections. Seasonality, respect for ingredients, mindfulness against waste, terroir, and memory are all vividly present in the stunning starter, Pane ammollato e arrostito: a straightforward name for a true masterpiece that captivates you from the very first bite and transports you back to childhood, to your mother’s pancotto, which could transform day-old bread into an act of love. A restrained tenderness gives way to a perfect crispness, achieved using a cast-iron skillet. The same applies to the clementine and rosemary capellini, where bitterness, sweetness, textures, and aromatic notes blend into a symphony. Her cuisine is driven by a clear, powerful vision, marked by precise portioning, balanced flavors, even those that appear extreme, and impeccable timing. Guests can choose between two tasting menus: seven or ten courses. The title of the signature menu, Life in Motion, is truly a tribute to vitality, culinary mastery, and the warm charm of both the chef and her team. The service flows at a pace that keeps things engaging, complemented by a compelling wine list deeply rooted in the local terroir. It is expertly curated by the highly skilled sommelier Roberto Stella, who attentively reads each guest, anticipates their preferences, and enthusiastically shares insights while encouraging a playful exploration of flavors.
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