During my last visit to the US, my father asked me about steakhouses in Italy. I know there’s an outpost of the sceney STK at the ME Milano Il Duco hotel, but I’ve never been. Honestly, it’s not on my list since you can find the restaurant all over the world. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure plenty of places in Italy can grill a great steak, but when I think of a steakhouse, I think of a New York steakhouse like Smith & Wollensky, Keens, Old Homestead, Wolfgang’s – all characterized by a similar format: varied meat cuts and myriad sides. I had yet to encounter a steakhouse of this ilk in Italy. I have seen steakhouses, but I’m skeptical because they seem to cater to tourists. Though, I do like Al Mercato Steaks and Burgers here in Milan. Though it draws some inspiration from American steakhouses, it’s not an American steakhouse – nor does it position itself as one. It does things its own way, and I appreciate that.
Well, a few days after I touched down in Italy, I found myself in Verona, where I had lunch at Bue Nero, a steakhouse that’s less than one minute on foot from Casa di Giulietta, or Juliet’s balcony, one of the city’s most trodden sights. But Bue Nero isn’t an American steakhouse. Though undercut with an American flair, the restaurant is Italian through and through.
Ilenia and Riccardo Dalfini have the meat industry in their DNA: they’re the third generation to work in the family sector, following in the footsteps of their grandfather and father. They opened Bue Nero in 2019, and early this year, chef Chiara Pannozzo stepped into the kitchen, where she prepares innovative dishes rooted in Italian tradition.
Pannozzo honed her talent in Milan at the Michelin-starred Cracco and the previously mentioned Al Mercato Steaks and Burger. Meat stands front and center on Bue Nero’s menu, showcasing around ten grilled cuts like bistecca alla Fiorentina, picanha, and entrecôte. But the carnivorous options don’t hog the spotlight as Pannozzo implements an innovative twist into the flavorful veggie-centric side dishes like braised squash with sweet and bitter herb chimichurri; melted and smoked spring onions with honey and mustard; Padrón peppers with Timut pepper and yogurt sauce, and Robuchon-style potato puree thrown in for good measure–creamed spinach who?
But the menu doesn’t end there. The antipasti and primi dishes also showcase Pannozzo’s whimsy as well as her knack for the fifth quarter. Veal brain is cooked “poché” and served with smoked herring bagna cauda and a salad of fennel, green apple, and rapini finished with pomegranate vinegar and mixed herbs. She whips risotto with pandoro and sour pear and finishes with ‘soppressa come fosse bottarga,’ a sausage grated on top bottarga-style Dessert includes house-made maritozzo with Amarone, a wine from the nearby hills of Valpolicella, and pear and ricotta cream.
And beef doesn’t just abound on the plate. Bue Nero means “black ox,” and a Tim Burton-esque sculpture of the restaurant’s namesake by local contemporary artist Gino Bogoni (see cover photo by Jacopo Salvi) unassumingly presides over the dining room. The titular bovine also appears in the quirky artwork displayed on the exposed brick walls that rise to the exposed wooden beams along the ceiling. Wood tabletops, a concrete floor, and black touches like chairs, a bar counter, and wainscott panels give the restaurant a rustic industrial aesthetic that fuses seamlessly with the open kitchen.
When in Verona, a meal at Bue Nero restaurant is a must. If you’re visiting Italy and feel like you really need to have pasta or risotto, don’t let that prevent you from going there. You’ll find plenty of enticing primi options.
Piazzetta Navona, 8, 37121 Verona VR
Lunch and dinner: Tuesday to Sunday
Closed: Monday
Book online or call +39 045 800 8994
