Taverna La Fenice

this restaurant has a sophisticated and elegant ambiance, with professional (if not particularly warm) service. for antipasti, we opted for the fried pumpkin flowers and vegetables which unfortunately is not worth the price. the zucchini was cut too thick, making it bland and unremarkable, and the pumpkin flowers lacked flavor. the tartar sauce, however, was the real star of the plate, it was rich and delicious. for our first courses, the ravioli was flavorful, though the truffle aroma was more of a whisper than a statement. the gnocchi turned out to be a single, oversized gnocco, which was a bit underwhelming in taste, though the mushrooms accompanying it were excellent. a small redemption came when the waiter surprised us with a traditional venetian carnival dessert (very delicious) that left a much better final impression. still, even given the prime location in the heart of venice, the pricing felt excessive: charging €7 for a small bottle of water is outrageous.

Great ambiance, especially at night! Lovely service and good Italian food. Complimentary bread (real fresh bread) for starters and sweet biscuits at the end! We both had pasta (parma ham and mushroom, carbonara) and it was delicious! Deserts were disappointing. Service is rapid and the location is quiet! We had an amazing night!

We loved the vibe and style of this restaurant when we passed it by and we decided to come back for some drinks in the evening. The atmosphere is great, the location is perfect - not busy at all. All the waiters were really nice and provided great service! Wine and a cocktail were great and we even got a snack with our drinks (salted peanuts). Great experience! Dog-friendly.

We were two people and had a dinner reservation. The reception from the head waiter was actually non-existent. He wanted to put us in the worst place, between the door and the hinge, even though there were many seats available. The head waiter loves slicing Parma ham and making crepes particularly unpopular with his staff, who we're right to expect is rude, the food is on average way too expensive for that. Which is in the grand scheme of things. You can save yourself from going to this restaurant. One can only suggest to the owner of the restaurant to reconsider the choice of head waiter. This way you will scare away even the last customers. As soon as the restaurant manager shows more arrogance than all his guests combined, you should think about a change. We were guests of the Gritti Hotel and the St Regis, which recommended this restaurant to us as a traditional one, we have been advised that this restaurant will never be recommended again!

What an amazing Valentine's experience! Thank you for making our engagement night feel special and out of this world. We felt welcomed in an amazing atmosphere and enjoyed Michelin-worthy food. Everyone was professional and so kind and welcoming. Thank you again.

This restaurant was stellar. There was not one aspect that we didn't enjoy. The food, ambiance, service, everything was fantastic. In my opinion, it was quite difficult to find restaurants that had genuinely good and truly authentic food. This place had it. I would 100% recommend anyone looking for a good meal in Venice to head here. We will definitely be back when returning to Venice in the future.

Five stars restaurant, great food, service and atmosphere, try to reserve in advance, we have ordered the beef tartar, scargot and tortelloni cheese with crisp panceta and funghi, it was amazing! Will be back soon.

Loved this charming, 120 year-old spot away from the crowds and behind Venice’s famous opera house. Didn’t try the restaurant, but the bar is open late and feels warm and cozy, like an outdoor speakeasy. Worth going out of your way for a post-dinner cocktail or just to relax after a long day. I went twice, and one night sat next to a local who’d brought an American who was visiting him — possibly on a date — which is a ringing endorsement! Drink prices are high for my taste, but I so appreciated how welcoming the staff was and how comfortable it felt to be a solo female traveler there and linger with a cocktail till closing. Plus, they make a killer dirty martini.

We had a party of 11. Only a few tables of customers were there. We asked to sit outside. Was seated in about 10 minutes which was great. We ordered water, dinner, and 2 bottles of wine. They charged us 6 bottles of water (30e) which we understood. Then after we got the bill we saw they charged us a cover charge!! WHAT? Our bill was 500e. We have been a lot of places and we feel the cover charge was unnecessary. I believe we were taken advantage of.

First impression was not great, the host told us we couldn't get in without a reservation but the place was mostly empty. I went onto open table and got a reservation for 15 minutes later, told the guy and then he begrudgingly sat us. Once we were at our table however, the experience was lovely. Our waiter was attentive and the food was delicious. I would definitely eat here again.

while the food was delicious, the service of the waiters was abysmal. The only one that went out of their way to help was the gentleman who served us water. We never received olive oil when we asked, we were never asked if we wanted another drink, never asked if we wanted dessert, or water, or anything. Completely ignored after we ordered while the table next to us (who was Italian) was served and waited on numerous times. The waiters walked by us as if we didn't exist. If people in Venice don't like tourists it surely shows in their attitude towards us tonight.

My boyfriend and I were exploring the city when we came across this charming restaurant. We decided to try it for dinner later in the evening and we were not disappointed. Everything from the food to the service was fantastic. The staff was kind and willing to be a of service with what you needed. I don't understand these comments from people saying they're rude, absolutely not true! I would definitely recommend the gnocchi with the duck ragu. For a dish that has the potential to be super rich and heavy they've managed to make it so light!

We stumbled upon to this restaurant after the one we really wanted to eat at was full. As soon as we walked up, we were asked if we had a reservation and when we replied no, we got huge eye rolls. The place was not busy and never got busy while we were there so maybe culturally this annoys them, that people don't make reservations. We were seated outside and the patio dining has a nice atmosphere. This was the first place we dined in Venice. We had researched etiquette but I guess we didn't research enough because our entire meal was full of huffs, puffs, and eye rolls. As a matter of fact, the entire staff was very pretentious. I could tell a huge difference by how the locals they knew were treated, and everyone else. They really know how to make a guest feel nice. We ordered wine, which was followed by veggies and bread with a dipping oil with mustard that was very nice. We then had the buffalo mozzarella that was to die for. For dinner, we had the lobster pasta, I forget the name but it was delicious. They brought a small plate of cookies for dessert and we finished everything off with coffee. We spent around 100 euros for two people and were pleased with everything except the service. This place is charming and will draw you in, too bad they miss a huge opportunity to really make an impression on their guests.

We went here for dinner and off the bat was a 5 dollar cover charge. But think that's everywhere for some reason . We ordered apps and dinners and took a while to get eating. Our waiter looked like Bill Murray and wasn't very good. Disappears a lot and after we were done my friends wife's dinner never came out . And she decided just to forget it because he said it was never was put in. For a swanky joint that wasn't even busy , how can they forget a dinner? The food was good. But It was a slow experience. Not sure if I'll go back but it's up to you if you want to try it out. Also a bit pricey to say the least.

A truly lovely spot with hugely disappointing food and arrogant service. The younger waiters are okay but the old crew have tons of attitude. The crudités to start were promising, you'll find a lovely tiny bowl of olive oil with a dollop of mustard in the bottom. Dip and stir- yum. The starters were real clunkers, a pea soup that had no freshness to it. The stinging nettle dumplings in cauliflower sauce were heavy and bland. Next up were a spongy, difficult to eat hamburger and veal with tarragon sauce. The veal was fatty and over cooked, having obviously been cooked in advance and simply warmed up. The accompanying potato purée was watery. The saving grace is that it's a gorgeous place, and most everything can be ordered in two sizes. Of course you'll pay dearly for the experience in any size. There's a small cover of €5 per person on top of the menu prices.

Literally did not encounter one "problem" in the bad reviews. Waiters (of all ages) were attentive, friendly and helpful. We had a bit of an uneven table, a waiter noticed and came over to adjust it for us. Not sure why the fussy reviews but we're glad we didn't listen! My fiancé and i ordered 3 sandwiches to share and some drinks - can't speak on any other menu items but we enjoyed our meal!

Terrible service. I stopped by at 6:30pm, was informed dinner didn't start until 7pm so I ordered a drink. While I was enjoying my cocktail (Te quiero, which was good), I saw a large group arrive and knew immediately service would go downhill. At 7:05pm I asked for the dinner menu and the manager told me to come back at 8:15pm, when dinner would be served. Absolutely ridiculous.

We went here on a Sunday looking for a decent lunch. We faced an agitated waiter who told us we can't sit at the empty table outside. So we sat down inside. We waited 20 minutes as we watched the lone waiter serve people who walked in after us, and after 20 minutes of waiting nobody even talked to us. Worst dining experience in Venice, I highly recommend walking past this sad excuse of a restaurant. 0 stars if possible

Only had a drink on the patio before lunch, so can't comment on the food. Nice, casual atmosphere. The staff speak English (and French).

Absolutely loved our experience here at this cozy little restaurant that is part of the La Fenice Hotel. Another stumble upon find as we walked around the maze that is Venice. They have two outdoor areas, one for cocktails and one for dining along with the inside seating. We came for dinner and had a gnocchi with duck ragu. The food is delicious and flavorful and the service is definitely top notch. They had a live duo playing guitar and drums and might I add that they played beautifully as they switched back and forth from classic to contemporary music. Would highly recommend.

One of the best restaurants on our trip so far. Get the risotto! Also they are the best restaurant I've found in Italy that is very accommodating to food allergies!

Quite a lovely spot to sit out and have drinks or a light snack before dinner, a show, or just along an exploration of Venice. The drinks are very well made and affordable and the atmosphere is very palpable. If you're exploring or getting lost in Venice, and looking for a nice patio spot to rest and enjoy a libation, this taverna is a great place to pause and reflect.

I enjoyed their croque Monsieur, but it wasn't anything crazy. It was better than the one I had in Paris though. A little overpriced, but the tiki drinks are yummy. I liked the atmosphere a lot. Ate there before an opera