Dung N.
Yelp
I passed by this restaurant once while on my search for the Tonolo Bakery next door. When I looked at the menu, I thought that it was a little bit too pricey for lunch, so I decided to look for other options. Surprisingly, yelp's reviews brought me back here. Although the duck ragout didn't make me cry into my plate, I think this place is worthy of a 3.5, which I will round up to a 4. And here is why:
DECOR: This is the place for those want an intimate setting with a small wine/coffee bar that greets you once you enter, with shelves of wine in all 4 walls. It's very hip and rustic, definitely going for that modern and classy ambience. Wooden chairs and tables, small menu, and only seat about 20 max. Their restrooms are clean, which is a bonus. But, I did find it odd that they didn't turn on the AC during my 3.5 hour dining experience here. But, it wasn't suffocatingly hot, so I didn't mind it too much.
LOCATION: This is next to Tonolo Bakery in Dorsoduro. It's also pretty close to the train station, so it's a good place for lunch or dinner before leaving Venice or when you first arrive.
FOOD: You can go big or small in terms of how much you want to spend here. There are a few bite size pre-made sandwich options that costs roughly around 2 euros per sandwich and they also have a menu for you to choose from. My boyfriend and I had time to waste, so we decided to get their Estro Tasting Menu (36 euros), which includes beef tartare with black truffle, tortelli ragout, water, dessert, espresso. In order for you to order the tasting menu, your entire party has to order it as well. The beef tartare was pretty yummy. It was my first time eating it, so I don't really have anything else to base it on. The tortelli was well made, but I didn't like the sauce too much. It was a little bit too salty for me. Based on previous reviews, I also expected a "whoa! This is delicious!" upon my first bite...which I regretfully didn't get. For dessert, we got a cheesecake and a tiramisu. The cheesecake was definitely good...but don't expect it to be a NY style type of cheesecake. This one was light, fluffy, and creamy. My tiramisu was just okay. I've had better elsewhere. I think there wasn't enough coffee zing at the bottom for me. For coffee, they only offered espresso shots, and so that was what we got. It was basic.
We also decided to get a bottle of wine during our time here. They didn't have a wine menu, which was kinda disappointing because I personally wanted to read over what they have and decide what I want...and maybe decide after a few of their recommendations. But, we told her what we wanted and a guy later came out with a 26 euro bottle of wine that had a hint of Cabernet. I personally thought it was just okay. I prefer my red wines to be drier and spicer.
Our bill came out to be 99 euros, which isn't bad for what we got. And we left the restaurant very full.
SERVICE: Yes, everyone who served us spoke English. They were kind and speedy in getting what we requested. But, remember that dining in Italy is a little bit different...don't expect to leave in under an hour if you're getting a 3 course meal, which was why we spent 3.5 hours here.
Overall, I have this place a solid 3.5 because nothing really stood out to me, in terms of their cuisine. Will I dine here again? Probably not....I'm usually the type that gives second chances, but there are so many other restaurants in Venice worth trying and this restaurant didn't give me the WOW factor. But, Will I get a drink or two here? Sure. The ambience is super hip and it definitely gives off a good vibe.