10 Best Restaurants And Cafes In Padua, Italy

A favorite among the university students, this scruffy little restaurant offers a quirky atmosphere and excellent burgers and pizza. It is nestled in the cobbled side street of Via Marsala and often has throngs of people standing outside it at night due to its late closing time of 2 a.m. The walls inside are covered in pictures drawn by the customers, and the ceiling is barely visible underneath a tapestry of circular beer mats. The pizzas come in a wide variety; the biggest of them all is called the pani pizza and has a fried egg and burger perched atop its crusty base. Come here to sip the most popular drink in the region; lo spritz – a combination of Prosecco and pink Aperol or Campari.

If you’re overwhelmed by all the pizza and pasta that Padua has on offer then there is no shame in dipping into this busy Chinese restaurant. Easy to spot due to the large pink lanterns outside, Shanghai is generally considered the best Chinese in town. It has a wide and varied menu offering everything from fried shrimp to chicken with orange and almonds. The staff is polite and obliging, and the atmosphere is exotic thanks to the yellow lighting and pink walls. The owners are called ‘Paul’ and ‘Rainbow’ and were born in Eastern China; they moved to Padua in 1987 and bought with them a taste of their country.

Nestled underneath an ancient portico this local favorite offers top-quality cuisine and sultry jazz music. The owners are particularly proud of their new culinary takes on the old Venetian classics, from seafood on a bed of artichokes to venison with lentils and sauteed apples. The restaurant opened in 2002 as a wine bar, which explains the excellent selection of wines on offer.

If you cannot stomach any more Venetian dishes and are looking for a change, then this simple Japanese place will not disappoint. In the centre of town on busy Via Roma, Bar Fuji offers a relaxed and intimate environment in which to gobble tasty sushi.