This Kolkata diner’s summer menu is a breezy, truffle-slicked ode to the season

If you’re craving Italian that skips the grease and delivers flavour with flair, look no further than Veneto’s latest summer offering—Speciale Estivo. This seasonal capsule menu is the restaurant’s sunny tribute to light, refreshing fare that’s just as easy on the stomach as it is indulgent on the taste buds. We visited Veneto’s buzzing outpost at South City Mall on a summer afternoon, and let’s just say, the food more than made up for the heat. Designed with warm days and cooler palates in mind, the menu is a medley of crisp, bright, and satisfyingly simple dishes that don’t try too hard, yet hit all the right notes.

Veneto’s summer menu is a masterclass in cool indulgence

We began with the Burrata bruschetta—a standout starter where creamy burrata meets sweet roasted cherry tomatoes, basil, and a generous splash of balsamic glaze. Clean, comforting, and impossible to fault. The Spinach fatayer, a flaky filo pastry parcel with goat’s cheese and chopped parsley, was delicately seasoned and made for a perfect pairing—bite-sized, and gone far too quickly.

Next up, the Creamy Tuscan gnocchi pollo. This dish lands somewhere between rustic Italian and Sunday indulgence: pillowy gnocchi in a garlic-laced tomato cream sauce, tossed with juicy chicken. Light yet hearty—a contradiction that works beautifully here.

But the clear winner? The Norchina alla pizza. A creamy white pizza that’s drenched (not drizzled) in truffle oil, with juicy chicken, and a well-balanced crust. Rich but never overpowering, it’s the kind of dish that makes you pause between bites to just, well, appreciate life. It’s indulgence done right.

To wash it all down, we sampled two cocktails from the summer specials. The What a melon—a sparkling watermelon-forward sip with citrus undertones—was as pretty as it was refreshing. Think poolside in Capri, minus the airfare. The Mango sangrino, a mango martini with imported vodka and lime, leaned slightly tart, keeping it punchy and bright. Both drinks were perfect counterpoints to the food—light, vibrant, and crafted to cool you from the inside out.

Price for two : INR 1500 + (without alcohol) ; INR 2400 + (with alcohol)

Timings : 12 pm - 11.45 pm

Location : South City Mall