Osteria Ai Promessi Sposi

2we do NOT recommend this place. They charged us €15 or more than what we actually ordered. We had three pasta dishes and one drink each, but we received a bill totaling €72. Upon checking the receipt, we found a €22 fried dish that we never ordered or received. This meant we were overcharged by at least €15. We went back into the restaurant to ask about it, and they simply said it was a mistake and returned the €15. It was a shocking experience, and we will never go back to this place. Not recommended at all. Additionally, the first receipt showed a coperto (cover charge) for 4 people, while the second corrected receipt listed it for only 2 people. No explanation was given about this discrepancy, and we’re still left wondering what the correct amount was supposed to be. Photos, the original receipt, and the corrected one are attached.

First visited in November 2013 — ducking off Strada Nuova into Cannaregio, I found low-beamed comfort, terrazzo underfoot, a counter lined with prosecco and cicchetti. Revived in 2008 after a lull, it felt quietly overlooked by tourists, its name borrowed from Manzoni’s I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed) — less literature, more shorthand for trust and constancy at the table. That night it was pappardelle with rabbit ragù and Treviso radicchio (9/10) and frittura mista with Rialto fish, crisp polenta, clean and outstanding (9.5/10). Returning in November 2024, the constancy was intact. Fritto misto remained light and deft (8/10); orecchiette with tomatoes and smoked scallops was smoky and succulent (8.5/10); sea bream fresh from the market, simple and delicious (8/10); spaghetti al nero di seppia packed Adriatic umami with pasta cooked to the second (8.5/10). Even the home-smoked pork ribs, needing a touch more basting, came with excellent potatoes (7/10). Eleven years apart, Ai Promessi Sposi still proves its name: constancy, quality, and Venetian understatement.

We arrived at this restaurant promptly as it opened after reading reviews of how popular it gets (we made the right choice as the waiting line was packed when we left at 7:30pm). We had the scallops which were fresh with cheese and peppers that tasted really good. The main star for us was the vongole which was aromatic with fresh clams and a very tasty and light sauce that clung onto the al dente pasta really well. BThe tiramisu was great as always and was a perfect way to end off the night.

Awesome cozy spot. Seems like it’s a locally known. I was sitting in the first room by the bar and the vibes were unmatched with the locals coming in and chatting. The food was good too, I had the pasta with scallops and shrimp and the chocolate cake

It is difficult to find a good meal in Venice. This place is one of the few tasty places. The bigoli was enjoyable.

Hands down my favorite spot. Everything was delicious. All the waiters helped explain the food with great details. They took our reservation when I called around 1100. Tried going without a reservation the night before but it was too packed. 10/10 a must try!

You need to know, this is NOT a tourist place to eat and you NEED TO COME HERE! It's off the beaten path of where all the tourists will go, this place is definitely a LOCAL GEM! The service was wonderful. Our waitress definitely took care of us, (she was a sweetheart) informed us of the specials and made wonderful suggestions, that we went with because she knew the items were FRESH! We ordered the sea bass, pasta with shrimp and tomatoes, and pasta with cheese.. Delicious! We even ordered dessert! Tiramisu! I could have eaten two of those! It was so, so good! (Sorry, I did take a picture, but I don't know what happened!) We spent more, but what the heck! How often do we come to Venice! Highly recommended! You Must Go!!!!!

Our local friend recommended this restaurant. Very Good venetian food. Remember to call and make reservation. This restaurant is not so big. Definitely recommended!! Would love to go back again.

On our last night in Venice we visited this place. This was absolutely the best meal I've had in Venice. The food was amazing and fresh. The service was attentive with excellent wine pairing. The company also made the evening more memorable than I can recall in recent memory. If you plan to go, MAKE A RESERVATION!!! I was so glad my cousin made the reservation for us - at the recommendation of one of her colleagues who lived in Venice for several years. The husband and wife team made the place warm and inviting, and the bill is very reasonable and well worth a little splurge. I will definitely be back for my future Venice sojourn.

This was my friend's favorite meal in Italy. We had the orecchiette (fresh pasta) with scallops and prawns, fried mixed seafood and vegetables, and mussel appetizer. All were great, but our favorite was the orecchiette. The hand made pasta had the most amazing, bouncy, al dente texture, and their smoked scallop sauce went perfectly with the pasta. The waiters are extremely nice and the entire dining experience was wonderful.

Cute little restaurant and friendly service. I enjoyed the pasta dish I ordered but was not particularly impressed with the fried fish. Would recommend visiting but would probably suggest getting a different dish.

If I could give this 10 stars I would!!! As great as the service was it paled in comparison to the food. I've traveled extensively for work and have been fortunate enough to eat some amazing food and Osteria ai Promessi Sposi ranks right up there with the best of them! If you're looking for an American-ized version of Italian food, this isn't the place for you. If you want a place that Italians go to, this is your spot. My meal of Bigoli with smoked pork and a side of mixed veggies (carrots, peppers, sweet potatoes and egg plant) was out of this world! The meal was so good I didn't have any dessert because I just wanted to savor the meal! A true hidden gem. Thank you Sarah (a local Ventetian) for the recommendation!

I wish I could give them 10 stars but sadly this is the limit! AMAZING!! From the time we arrived we were greeted with warm smiles and amazing service. **This is a great spot for couples and I do not encourage any large, loud belligerent tourist to come here because its not that kind of establishment. Its very cute, cozy and classy and lets keep it that way folks! The service was outstanding and the hostesses are very beautiful, sweet and quite knowledgeable in food and wine parings...take their advice TRUST ME!! The food was to die for! What an amazing selection of fresh seafood and the specials of the day should not be passed over. I wish I could stay a lifetime to come and have dinner here everyday! Xo!!

Little out of the way, excellent seafood. Quick and efficient service. Enjoyed my early dinner immensely

Wonderful location tucked up behind a major thoroughfare. Excellent multi-lingual staff who were knowledgeable about both food prep and wine pairing. Tight seating and very busy, so book ahead.

I was excited to eat here because a friend recommended the place. Unfortunately, the food nor the service compared to other places I've eaten in Venice.

Im not sure if i ordered the wrong types of food not knowing much about authentic italian cuisine but our experience here did not meet up to my expectations. We ordered a plate of random fried vegetables that the waiter pushed us to order and it was full of really random veggies.. and not very tasty at all. Im not sure how they can mess up fried vegetables because in my experience anything fried is good! We ordered the lasagna and it was way too cheesy and greasy. The bread was hard and the vongole that everyone was raving about was undercooked and i kept chewing on sand. Also parts of the shell came off and got into the noodles... I almost thought I broke my teeth! The prices were not cheap either. The entryway is also too crowded to move through because everyones standing up and drinking wine by the door. The only thing that was great was the tiramisu. It was very delicious. I absolutely love venice but I feel like they could do a bit better on the food at this highly rated "fancy" spot

Fantastic, inexpensive little spot. I had a bigoli which blew my mind Not busy despite being 30 seconds from the main tourist drag.

Great food. Reservations are recommended. The vegetable lasagna was great. I had the steak and sword fish pasta, very good. The ricotta and pistachio desert is a must have, don't share! The total with wine and food was 42 euro per person. The location is off a main throughout fare down an alley. It looks very small from the outside