Antica Bottega del Vino

Antica Bottega del Vino is one of the best-known wine houses in Verona, set on Via Scudo di Francia, a short lane off Via Mazzini in the Centro Storico of the Veneto region of northern Italy. The venue combines a working wine bar at the front with a series of dining rooms behind it, and is widely associated with the Valpolicella and Amarone wines that define the province. The cellar is among the most extensive in the Veneto, with a list running to several thousand labels, so the wine programme is the main reason many visitors choose it. Staff can guide diners through producers from Valpolicella, Soave, Bardolino and beyond, and a range of wines is poured by the glass for those who want a taste without committing to a bottle. The kitchen concentrates on classic Veronese cooking. Risotto all'Amarone, rice cooked with the region's powerful dried-grape red wine, is one of the signature plates. Pastissada de caval, the slow-braised horse-meat stew that is a Verona tradition, and bollito con pearà, boiled meats served with a peppery bread-and-marrow sauce, round out a menu rooted in the city's cold-weather cuisine. These dishes are emblematic of Verona and make the restaurant a useful place to try them in one sitting. The atmosphere is that of an old-fashioned cellar-restaurant: dark wood, shelves of bottles and a steady flow of both locals and visitors. The front bar suits a glass of wine and a snack, while the dining rooms suit a full, unhurried meal. Prices sit in the upper-middle bracket for the city, and a wine-led dinner can become expensive depending on the bottle. Reservations are recommended for dinner, particularly on weekends, during the summer opera season at the Arena and around the Vinitaly wine fair in spring, when the city fills with trade visitors. The restaurant can be booked through its website, and hours should be confirmed there before visiting. The location is a few minutes on foot from Piazza delle Erbe and Juliet's House, which makes it a convenient stop in a day of sightseeing.