The story
La Peca, at via A. Giovanelli 2 in Lonigo, is a modern Italian restaurant that holds two Michelin stars (2026). The Portinari brothers, Nicola and Pierluigi, opened the restaurant in 1987 in the Colli Berici foothills, and the family still runs it.
Nicola Portinari leads the kitchen, and the dishes change with the seasons. Guests choose among three tasting menus, one entirely plant-based and two built around seafood and meat. Recent dishes include small squid with caciaroli cheese, green figs and marasca cherries, and guinea fowl risotto with leek and Garganega grape must.
Pierluigi Portinari, a pastry chef and the sommelier, built a cellar of about 1,900 Italian and foreign labels. The Gambero Rosso has awarded the restaurant three forks (2022). The room was renovated with local materials, and its large windows look out over the hills and Villa Pisani, a Scamozzi work in the Palladian tradition.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
Excellent cooking
In the local dialect, “Peca” means imprint, and it stands as the tangible mark of a storied legacy in fine dining, but even more so, of a solid family tradition that has transcended the borders of the Veneto province to become one of the standard-bearers of Italy’s finest cuisine. Brothers Nicola and Pierluigi Portinari, sons of a butcher, each found their passion—one in cooking, the other in pastry. Nicola was struck by inspiration on the road to San Sebastian, drawing heavily from the influence of Arzak, before developing his own distinctive culinary style focused on the material essence and texture of ingredients, showcasing profound insights across both seafood and meat cuisines. The journey began in 1987, and in 2000 the restaurant underwent a complete renovation, gaining an unmissable view of Villa Pisani, a masterpiece by Vincenzo Scamozzi rooted in the Palladian tradition. The wine list, curated by Matteo Bressan, is arguably the most extensive in the entire region. Three tasting menus are offered: one entirely plant-based, while the other two, with their distinct nuances, capture the refined maturity of Portinari’s cuisine. Bridging terroir and creativity, here are a few examples of dishes in constant evolution, crafted with a touch that strikes a perfect balance between classicism and modernity: small squid with caciaroli cheese, green figs, and marasca cherries; wood pigeon with cranberries and tansy; guinea fowl risotto with leek and Garganega grape must; bigoli pasta with anchovies, marinated anchovies, and red onion ice cream; saddle of roe deer with black cabbage and porcini mushrooms. A masterful balance of flavors for an unmissable experience.
3 Forchette
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