Eel of the Po Delta: the dish, the place, the festival
In the Po Delta, eel is not a traditional dish kept for tourist menus. It is a fish that sustained the economy of the lagoons for centuries, that still comes up the channels of Porto Tolle in autumn, and that at the end of September draws tens of thousands of people to Comacchio, forty-five kilometres from here. This article brings together the three things we are asked most at this time of year: where to eat eel, where to stay, and how to plan a day at the festival.
Eel in the Po Delta: a fish in transit
The eel is born in the Sargasso Sea and reaches our lagoons after a journey of thousands of kilometres. In the brackish water between the Po di Gnocca, the Po delle Tolle and the Sacca degli Scardovari it grows for years, then in autumn, with the first floods and the moonless nights, it heads back to the sea. That is the moment, between October and December, when the lagoon keepers catch it in the lavorieri, the grid structures built across the drainage channels. This is why the eel season in the Polesine is autumn, and why the festivals fall now.
Eugenio Montale, after visiting the lighthouse at the mouth of the Po di Pila, made the eel the subject of one of his best-known poems. Here, though, the eel remains above all a job: for the fishermen, for the lagoon keepers and for those who cook it.
How we cook it at RistòItalia
At RistòItalia, the restaurant of Albergo Italia in Ca' Tiepolo di Porto Tolle, the eel comes from the Delta fishermen and we cook it the way it has always been cooked here.
Grilled. Portions or steaks of 250-300 grams, grilled and then finished in the oven: that last step renders the fat, leaves the skin crisp and the flesh full of flavour. It is the dish guests ask for most, and the one they usually talk about afterwards.
Fried buratei. When the fishermen bring them, the small eels go whole into the pan, lightly floured and fried: crisp, eaten with your fingers, and gone in no time.
Fried backbone. On rare occasions, as households in the Delta once did, the eel's backbone, with the pieces of flesh still attached and the cartilage, is fried and brought to the table to be eaten with the hands, gnawed for its flavour. It is not on the menu: ask, and if we have it we will bring it.
Stewed. Only at certain times and depending on availability: browned and then cooked in tomato sauce with a little vinegar, always with polenta.
These are seasonal dishes, from late September to December, and they depend on the day's catch. The restaurant is open every day for lunch and dinner, also for guests not staying at the hotel. To be sure of finding eel, it is best to reserve a table and ask for it when you book: by telephone or WhatsApp.
Anyone wishing to range further will find on the same menu the mixed fry from the lagoon, spaghetti with Scardovari clams and, from October, the pink oysters of the Delta.
Staying in Porto Tolle and visiting the festival for the day
The Comacchio Eel Festival 2026 takes place over the weekends of 26-27 September, 3-4 October and 10-11 October, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., with the main food pavilion near the stadium and special menus in every restaurant in the old town. Over those three weekends Comacchio and the coastal resorts fill up quickly and prices rise.
Porto Tolle is the logical alternative: 45 minutes by car along the Romea road, rooms at normal rates, free parking in the inner courtyard of Albergo Italia and dinner assured at RistòItalia on your return, with no queue at the pavilion. The 15 rooms of the hotel and the 6 at Alloggi Centrale, a few steps away, have air conditioning, Wi-Fi and breakfast included; dogs are welcome.
A plan that works:
- Morning: a boat trip to the mouth of the Po di Pila, or a bicycle ride along the levees of the Sacca degli Scardovari (bicycle hire at the hotel, excursions bookable at reception).
- Early afternoon: Comacchio, the festival and a visit to the Manifattura dei Marinati, where eel is still spit-roasted and marinated to the historic method. During the festival entry to the museum is free.
- Evening: back to Porto Tolle and dinner with grilled eel, to compare the Comacchio version with that of the Venetian Delta.
What to see in the Po Delta in autumn
Guests who stay two nights have the Delta's finest season ahead of them: morning mist over the lagoon, migrating birds passing through, the fishermen's huts suspended above the water, the Goro lighthouse reached by boat. On 25 October, in Porto Tolle, there is also Ostricando, the day devoted to the pink oyster of the Delta, with a gravel ride and tastings.
For boat trips and bicycle excursions, Delta Escursioni sets out directly from the hotel: ask at reception or write to us on WhatsApp.
Practical information
- RistòItalia — Via Giacomo Matteotti 471/A, Ca' Tiepolo, Porto Tolle (RO). Open every day, lunch 12 to 2.30 p.m. and dinner 7 to 10.30 p.m. Reservations: 393 938 0360; WhatsApp: 0426 81006.
- Albergo Italia — Via Giacomo Matteotti 471, 15 rooms, free parking, breakfast included.
- Comacchio Eel Festival 2026 — 26-27 September, 3-4 October, 10-11 October, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. From Porto Tolle: SS309 Romea southbound, about 45 km.
- Manifattura dei Marinati — Comacchio, free entry during the festival days.
Frequently asked questions
- When is eel eaten in the Po Delta?
- From late September to December, the season when the adult eel leaves the lagoons to return to the sea and is caught in the lavorieri, the traditional traps.
- How far is Porto Tolle from Comacchio?
- About 45 km along the SS309 Romea road, some 45 minutes by car. Porto Tolle is a comfortable base for the weekends of the Eel Festival, without the crowds and the prices of the coast.
- Do I need to book to eat eel at RistòItalia?
- It is advisable: eel is a seasonal dish that depends on the day's catch, and the fried buratei and fried backbone are not always available. Call 393 938 0360, or use WhatsApp at 0426 81006, and mention that you would like eel.
