Osteria Ruga di Jaffa

The Food was outstanding. Authentic Venetian with a twist of Avant-garde. The concept of each dish on the menu was created with great creativity and care. The cook truly knows food. The pasta is handmade. The host was very welcoming and explained with passion each of the dishes. A great place to experience Venice not only wandering the cosy streets but also on your plate.

We love the food and the red wine so much!!! Italian oyster is the bestttt!!! The chocolate cheese cake is amazing!!! The cuttle fish is classic❤️❤️ Staffs in here is super nice and so man❤️ I am their fans right now ~~~ if I come to Venice again, will still go there~ my favorite Italian restaurant ❤️ Best from HK

This restaurant is worth going out of your way for a great dinner at a reasonable price, especially considering the typical high costs of Venitian restaurants. When we visted, they had a €25 special that includes 1/4 bottle of house wine (red or white, I got the red), a selection of Spaghetti as a first course, a selection of meat or fish as a second course, and the service charge. The house wine was quite good, the spaghetti (I had the spaghetti ragu) was flavourful, and the fish was incredibly tasty and well seasoned. Our waitress was very kind and welcoming, spoke excellent English, and was always smiling. It was one of our favourite dinners on our 2 week trip in Italy. If you're looking for a quality, non-tourist restaurant at a good price, definitely give Osteria Ruga ji Jaffa a visit.

Had our first Venetian meal in Venice here and this Osteria certainly didn't disappoint. I enjoyed the Spritz, which was really nice, and the best thing is, it only costs 3 euro! The two seafood pasta dishes we had was nothing but amazing. The spaghetti was al dente and the clams and mussels were cooked well and fresh. We finished them in no time and couldn't get enough of them. The place was really busy in the evening with people having to wait for seats if they come late. Service was really friendly and the atmosphere was pleasant, and not too noisy. We were really happy to have found this place by luck when we first arrived in Venice.

Duck Ragu was great, the Sea Bass (cleaned at our table by the owner) was excellent. The draft beer and wine were both very good. Good ambience with nice Italian background music. No tables outside so that says it all, this is not a tourist trap, but, instead a place that serves good food & drink. We intend to return!

The waitress was helpful and friendly. The food on the other hand was underwhelming, especially for the price. I found this restaurant after looking for the top rated restaraunts in Venice. The atmosphere and service are very nice, but if food is what you are after, at least don't order a gnocchi al ragu.

Really really good food. Would give 6 stars if I could. Fish stew is the best in the menu. Service is top notch as well. They give you complimentary liquer at the end of the meal and check up on you throughout as well.

This is a great bar/restaurant. Really friendly staff & the prices were the most reasonable I’ve seen in my whole time in Venice. The red wine on tap is great!!

Away from the busy touristy area, but still only a few minutes away from San Zaccaria boat terminal. This cozy(like everywhere else in Venice) osteria was nothing but pleasant and heartfelt experience that made us fall in love at the first sight. We weren't really sure what to get, we knew what we wanted, however. Something authentically Venezian. Our hostess kindly and patiently guided us the recommendations. Then we settled with followings. * Spaghetti alla busera - spaghetti with shrimps and fresh cherry tomatoes. * coda di rospo cib pomodoruchi - monkfish with cherry tomatoes, potaties and balck olives. * Saltata di cozze - Saute with mussels * Baccala mantecato con polenta - Venetian style codfish * Saor del giorno con polenta - Saor of the day with polenta *fried seafood platter I've eaten monkfish before but never like this. By looking at it, I thought that I was eating white fish like a cod. But the texture was so meaty, tasty and so satisfying. Yet, it didn't sit heavy in my stomach like meat does. Tomato sauce with actual mini tomato went sooo went with it. Spaghetti Alla busera's texture was perfectly al Dante and delicious. Same with monkfish, tomato sauce with cherry tomato was so great! I think this is their signature sauce! Although I want to brag more about the food but it'd be as long as the dissertation! If you come here, go with seafood! They are freakin' amazing!! Thank you, Ruga di Jaffa!!

We got here just as they reopened for dinner. We were the first ones through the door and the gentleman behind the bar was quick to seat us and we had our pick of the tables. The employees speak great English and very helpful with describing their dishes as well as teaching us a few key words work Italian (: We ordered their seafood spaghetti and homemade tagliatelle with meat sauce with two spritz the original and venenza one. Fresh bread is served as well. The pasta was DELICIOUS! and there was a steady stream of people pouring in for their aperotivo and drink deals! Seafood spaghetti 18€ Tagliatelle with meat sauce 16€ Spritz 3.50€ each Water Still 6€

I heard from many people that Venice was insanely hit or miss with its food scene because of the tourist infestation (which I gotta admit is abhorrent, even though I was clearly adding to it). So I went here based on its small Yelp following and I'm glad to say Yelp did not let me down. Osteria Ruga di Jaffa is cozy, almost pub-like place that's just off the beaten path (but not too far). It seems like a local joint, but if you're not a wide-eyed tourist they're very nice to you too. Their website says they specialize in "cicheti," which is the little dishes (don't say "tapas") of Venetian fame, but we just came here for some good ol' fashioned dinner. I can't find a menu online but I ordered a spaghetti with shrimp dish that was fresh and flavorful. My partner ordered a spaghetti with sardine dish which was similarly satisfying and salty. I had the best darn Spritz con Prosecco of my entire trip here, AND the best Prosecco (col fondo!!!!!!!!!) of my entire trip to Venice. We also sprung for a sweet wine + bussolai biscotti dessert. The severs were very friendly and down to earth, and willing to answer questions. All in all a lovely meal and definitely a place I'd come back to.

Service was rough. The waitress took a long time to check in with me to just bring me water. When I reminded her, she seemed annoyed and rushed even though it was just me and another table. The rest of the dinner was the same, slow service and she didn't check in with me at all, not even to get me more wine (first time in Italy). I actually had to get up two different times to get her attention. Customer service was horrible. Oysters were amazing I tried the Italia ones and paired it with the Prosecco. Usually I like the hot sauce, vinegar and onions condiments but all I got was lemon; honestly they were so flavorful they didn't need anything. The caprese salad was fresh, and satisfying. I went with the "traditional" Venice dish the Spaghetti alla vongole, It was okay, a little salty and not enough of the seafood. Also the prices here are a little high for what they are serving, but I think most of Venice is like that. It got so many good reviews I thought it might be a hit. Overall I have to say this was average at best, maybe I didn't pick the right dish I wished I would've gone somewhere else.

We came here on the recommendation of our AirBnb host. This might have been my favorite meal in Venice, actually. There were eight of us, and we ordered family-style, so we sampled a bunch of their dishes. My favorite was the clams Venetian-style, but two people thought that the spaghetti pomodoro was the best they've ever had. And from a snobby tourist perspective, I liked that they didn't have an English menu. I had to use my limited Italian to order. Fantastic!

Local cafe with casual ambiance and walk-in availability, during the shoulder-season, anyhow. Perhaps some of the patrons were locals rather than tourists, which for some reason was a nice touch. We enjoyed linguini with clams and grilled fish and paired with white wine. While I wouldn't go out of my way for this place, if it is nearby it's definitely worth a stop, even for a drink anyhow. They stay open later than other places.

What a great find! The owner and bartender, Alvisa was just so hospitable and made our evening! After wandering the Venice back alleys for an hour, we found this great spot with a warm atmosphere, good wine, and delicious food! Highly recommend! Hope to be back! The kindliness in a foreign city was so welcome. Grazie mille!

Just perfect for a light snack off the main tourist trap areas. Had a couple of their local IPA and a couple of small plates to share - it was just right.

Wonderful. Cichetti is great. Staff is wonderful, friendly, and helpful. Dinner even better. Mussels and clams, local Venetian pasta for the primi, and pork jowls are just so tasty. Off the beaten path and few tourists.

My new mission is to inform the world about this place. I can't say enough great things! The owner actually took the time to discuss the wines with us, taking into consideration what we were going to order for dinner. He sat down next to us for a good five minutes. After finally deciding and ordering, we got the first dish. It was the antipasto caprese salad. Tasty tomatoes and awesome mozzarella! The second course was the spaghetti all Venezia--this was the tenderest cuttlefish I've ever had in my life. Absolutely delicious. The final course was the special of the day: yellowfin tuna with tomatoes and olives with gnocchi. Really it was a light but thick tomato sauce with olives, gnocchi and tuna. We paired the meal with the merlot. This was the best meal in Venice that my wife and I had. Absolutely wonderful experience. I highly highly recommend Osteria Rugga di Jaffa!

Nice place you miss if you go too fast. Not so touristy. Offers lunch to both you and the Gondola owners who eat here. Have small tapas. Happy and friendly staff.

Went to this place for lunch our first day in Venice. Cute and quaint restaurant. We asked the waiter for traditional Venetian food and he was helpful in providing us some suggestions for an appetizer. Although our first response to the dish was less than ideal(due to what it was) it was absolutely delicious! No regrets there. We also ordered more traditional pastas as well- which were also delicious.

Lovely meals and large portions. A bit on the pricey side. The monkfish and gnocchi were great.

Excellent Food. Great olive oil (so important to soak into the wonderful homemade bread). The owner is a great guy. Authentic place. Locals eat here. Not touristy. Classic Rock n Roll music on sound system.

Best way to start our trip in Venice! Thank you for a delicious meal, fantastic service and a little education that made our experience all the richer! Highly recommend!

Don't go anywhere else before you come here for breakfast lunch or dinner as this may be your spot for all of it. Love this place the tapas the atmosphere and the super friendly local staff. Some days there is awesome live music to go with your local proseco or ipa