Trattoria Bar Pontini

The number of positive reviews for this restaurant speaks for itself. This place came recommended on multiple online sources and was also suggested to us by our Airbnb host. It was busy and full of energy every single time we passed by. My best advice is to call ahead and book. We had to make reservations for Saturday at 7pm about 2 days in advance. There seemed to be people eating outside of the "normal" Italian meal times so double check if they can accomodate you before lunch (noon) or between lunch and dinner (2-7pm). Although Bar Pontini is frequented by a significant number of non-Italian tourists, don't let that dissuade you as the food was delicious and there did seem to be Italian-speaking guests catching up with the waitstaff during our visit.

This place is warm, clean and well-decorated family style. The service was great and the staff are so nice and friendly. The food was amazing! We ordered seafood pasta and cuttlefish ink pasta. The americano caffe was good too. The tiramisu is the best I’ve ever had in Italy so far.

We ordered three pasta dishes, along with tiramisu and cappuccino. Since we arrived at an off-peak lunch hour, the queue was relatively short. There were about three groups ahead of us, and we were seated after a 15-minute wait. We tried the seafood pasta with scampi, squid ink pasta, and mushroom pasta. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, and the seafood was tender yet pleasantly chewy. The noodles absorbed the sauces well, enhancing the overall flavor. While the seasoning leaned slightly on the salty side, it wasn’t overpowering. All the dishes were delicious, but the tiramisu was truly outstanding. It came in a bowl, so I didn’t expect much at first, but after the first bite, I was blown away. The balance between the rich mascarpone, cream, and the slightly bitter espresso was simply perfect. This is definitely a restaurant I would recommend to anyone visiting Venice.

one of my best meals in venice!! please order the 4 flavoured codfish dish, seafood aglio olio and squid ink pasta! mixed fried seafood and fish lasagna is alrightttt. can pass on the ravioli

Excellent food n service. Reasonable px. We haven't booked in advance and thus needs to wait around 20-30mins. Definitely will come and eat again.

Great place, great food, reasonably priced. We sat on the water and it was delicious. Great service too, everyone was kind.

Wonderful Seafood pasta, its perfectly cooked! The restaurant is busy and small, the seating inside is to tight not so comfy. Service can be slow cuz its verh busy.

all tasty at first but bolognese had soooooo much oil and I would not recommend creamy bacalar for one person as the main dish since it's too much of the same texture and taste for that much food, maybe for three people to share for antipasti. tiramisu great!

For our last evening in Venice, we chose Trattoria Bar Pontini because of its great reviews and ratings. We were not disappointed. You have to make a reservation if you want to dine here. It is a very popular restaurant with good reason. The atmosphere is joyful and upbeat. They had a table ready and waiting for us. Fabio was a terrific owner - he sailed through the restaurant making everyone feel welcome. I ordered the Cotoletta Vitella all Milanese, which was huge and perfectly battered and fried. I also ordered an Insalata Mista. My husband enjoyed the Filetto di Manzo Gorgonzola along with roast potatoes. I have to tell you they were the best roasted potatoes we had in all of Italy. They were to die for - crisp - not greasy - just fantastic! He finished with an enormous Tiramisu. One thing is for sure, you will not leave hungry from Trattoria Pontini.

Europe 2023 - Venice We tried to visit this restaurant the night before but it was flooded do to high tide, so we came the next day and are so glad we did. While sitting here it was non-stop full and people were coming to the door asking for reservations. We sat outside and enjoyed a cool afternoon, ordering a couple of Birra Grandes and to our surprise they were a local Italian IPA. Birra Artiganale dei Mari. I ordered the seafood spaghetti, which was full of clams, mussles, crawfish and tomatoes. Tasted fantastic. The beef tenderloin was in a balsamic sauce that tasted amazing too.

Great pizza and pasta. Try the house wine. Good service. Clean establishment. I will return.

Best meal I had in all of Italy. The shrimp was perfect, so was the fish in the squid ink pasta. Everything was fresh and the seafood taste really shined. The pasta was the perfect texture and the sauce was light and coated the noodles perfectly. I must return soon.

Loved the food here! The sea food was delicious and everything was perfectly seasoned. Service was fast and helpful. What I truly enjoyed about this place was location and the view. I always imagined eating in a place like this when visiting Venice and this place was just as I imagined it would be. I hope I can go back one day soon!

I'd read several mixed reviews and went with some trepidation, but could not have been happier. First my wife and I made a reservation for 7pm. When we arrived the line to get in was huge, but with a reservation we went right in. It's a local place and the English is sparse, but if you know some Italian and you're not afraid to point at our people's plates you'll have no problem. Our waiter was Fabio, he was fantastic and spot on with the wine recommendation. Now the star of the show is the food and there is a lot of it and it's fantastic. My wife had the scallops and mushrooms. I had the mixed seafood - clams, mussels and shrimp. I'm always hesitant with this because in so many places it's fishy, but not here, it was succulent, cooked perfectly and each flavor was distinct. Lastly the Tiramisu was some of the best I've had. Just the right amount of lady fingers, top covered with powdered coca. But like the entree it's big, definitely enough for two.

Extremely good, I want to go back to Venice just for this restaurant (okay, there are other reasons too). The spaghetti with mixed seafood was just soul-crushingly tasty.

Very good service and the food is very delicious . Beautiful view next to canal Highly recommended

In short: exceptionally mediocre. We've been in italy for 8 days at this point first in Rome then Florence and now Venice and this is hands down the least good food we've had. That's not to say it's bad. It's just something you could easily make yourself at home on a random Tuesday with a 2 dollar bag of store bought spaghetti and a can of tomatoes. And that's not what I'm looking for in a restaurant when I'm traveling. I want something I CANT do in five minutes myself at home. Also eating here after the many excellent restaurants we visited over the last 8 days may be tinging my review. But it's obvious none of the pasta is made fresh. The sauces are basic and uninteresting. The appetizers--we had the full panoply of fish items on the menu--are ho hum. And our child, who is a damn good barometer for whether pasta is good or not, refused to finish his plate or either of ours. The hype here is just not deserved. And unless this is around the corner from your hotel or apartment, it's not worth the trek. I wish them the best and lord knows judging by how packed the place is--and the reviews on here--that enough people think this place is solid. But I cannot recommend it and suggest you look elsewhere.

Wow! If you do not have a reservation, it is worth the wait. We began with two Aperol spritz's. Followed by unbelievable bread, olive oil, etc. Small house salad, liter of house red vino, spaghetti bolognese--the star of the show amongst a sea of stars of other great menu items--all absolutely phenomenal! You cannot beat the quality and dining experience for €52 in October 2023. Ambiance...ummm it's Venice, Italy in the Cannaregio area...looking at one of a ton of amazing canals in Venice--an architectural opulence that dazzles our brains well over a thousand years later founded in 421 AD. BTW. try them for a cappuccino and their breakfast item: prosciutto e uova. I am obsessed with this little gem that does not exist where we reside--cannot wait to return to this outstanding, yet casual locals' favorite place.

We picked this place because it was close and reviews were good. We initially thought we might eat outside, but it was chilly and windy so we were lucky to get an inside table (we didn't eat lunch do we went about 4 pm). The menu is extensive and we ordered more than we needed, but all the food we ordered was delicious! We had caprese, shrimp cocktail, and the best calamari as starters. I had seafood gnocchi, which was great. We had codfish with polenta, and he had another platter with cold and hot fish and some shellfish. We also had the house white wine which was good and very affordable. We would definitely go back there. My husband said it's the best meal he has ever eaten in a restaurant. It's quite a small restaurant, but it didn't feel overly crowded. The service was excellent.

This might be the best seafood pasta I've had. Very generous portions of seafood. I normally don't like shrimp but the prawns were very meaty and delicious. The sauce base really made this dish - I mopped up the remainder with the bread. Finished the meal off with a tiramisu which was large enough for me and my 5 friends to share and still get a good tasting per person. Very satisfied and very reasonable price.

The meat lasagna was really good, and one of the waiters was really helpful and made us feel really welcome. If you are in the area I recommend the meat lasagna. Also the service is really quick and if you are in a hurry thats the place to be, but its very busy I recommend going there before 8 to get a seat.

We love this place. We were here 3 years ago before the pandemic. The same friendly owners made us feel welcomed this time as well. The food was exquisite as we remembered. The seafood pasta is a must. Buttery flavor cooked to perfection! For sure we'll be back. We can't wait!

Their seafood pasta is everything, you MUST order it. It's fresh and it's the one dish I still dream about after my Italy trip. The squid ink pasta wasn't for me. It was okay but my taste buds were not feeling it. It was very popular on all the reviews so I wanted to try it. Service was very warm and welcoming. Our waiter was attentive and caring. He pretty much danced around and helped everyone effortlessly. It was amazing to see. You'll recognize him because addresses the ladies as "amore". He's wonderful!

The seafood spaghetti was delicious and is enough for two. The seafood was incredibly fresh and the house white wine went very well with the dish. I highly recommend sitting outside and enjoying the boats go by.

This is a MUST EAT when in Venice! It's an old homey little spot that always packed! We were in Venice for just three days and ate here twice. We would have eaten here a third time but they are closed on Sundays. Reasonable prices. Fresh delicious food. We all loved the seafood pasta. A must eat. We also all loved their squid ink pasta. Get the aperol spritz. A steal at €3 a glass. Their homemade tiramisu was so decadent and also a must. Get the bowl and not the single portion. You won't regret it. A reservation is a must. I saw them turn away many who tried to get in without a reservation. Ask your hotel to help you book it as it was fairly difficult to reach them by phone.

I haven't been to Venice in 15 years, but it's still as good! And this place is a must!!! My friend told me about and read about the place AND saw it on a food tv show, so we just had to go try it. Our hotel was in San Marco waterfront, so we did an adventure and hiked our butts to this place on the first night. It's not in the tourist area, but still around other venues and a canal off from the grand canal. Sure enough, we turned the corner and there was a line already. It's a quaint, tiny little place where you can feel the family owned vibe. We waited for about 30 mins or so, nothing compared to other places (in America *rolls eyes*). We sat outside and ordered what was recommended or popular - seafood spaghetti. My friend loves fried calamari, so we ordered that and i wanted to try the gnocchi. We got the ragu gnocci since we have seafood spaghetti already. We wanted everything all at once, so it came all at once. Our eyes and mouths were drooling at the same time and didn't know which dish to go first, so we went with what was in front of us first! Fried calamari with polenta - absolute perfect! It was lightly battered and pairing with polenta was something new for me. It was a great combo. Seafood Spaghetti - YES YES YES! Get two orders of it! It was beyond perfect. You'd think it's fishy because of all the types of fresh seafood, but nope....it's flavor bursts into your mouth, leaving you the only spaghetti you'll ever want to eat. Ragu gnocchi - love gnocchi and the texture was what it's supposed to be. I don't usually order ragu, so I think it's on the heavier side and we ordered a bit too much to give it a fair rating. After all that, we ordered the tiramisu...something you must order no matter how full you are along with two cafe lattes. Mind you, we are stuffed but with just one bite.....we were hooked. It was the best tiramisu ever. And it's not a tiny piece, it's like big cereal bowl sized dessert! We did not leave anything behind. An absolute delight and best finding in Venice. Make it a point to stop by!! I would definitely go back when I return to Venice!

This is a popular place for a meal due to it's proximity to the main tourist area and the fact that they have great food. I would suggest coming for an early dinner or you will be stuck in the waiting line that forms every single night. We came around 5:30pm and snagged one of the last open tables outside on the patio, so we were able to enjoy our meal with the canal in the background (but also the line of hungry patrons staring us down). We had the seafood pasta and the fish lasanga for mains, and the tiramisu for dessert. Each dish was delicious and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Would highly recommend if you can beat the crowds.

Hands down the absolute best meal we had in ALL of Italy, not just Venice!! The seafood spaghetti was the best pasta dish I've had in my entire existence on this planet, its that good. The flavors here are on a whole other level. The home made lasagna was the best lasagna I've ever had, I could go on and on and on. The house wine is delicious and the customer service is also the best we received in Italy from the waiter to the barista to the hostess to the speed at which we got our meals to the attentiveness and friendliness. I wish I could take this restaurant home with me, I would come back to Venice just to eat here again. This IS THE quintessential Italian meal and a defining moment in your mouths career. The prices here are actually really low, they could charge triple the price and I wouldnt even blink.

Excellent food. This place was everything I hoped the cuisine in Venice would be like. My group of 3 and I arrived right at 11:30 when they opened for lunch and had no issues being seated. We snagged a table outside the restaurant and had a great view of the canal and gondolas during our meal. I ordered the shrimp cocktail and seafood spaghetti which were both exceptional. The shrimp cocktail was hands down the best shrimp I've ever had - buttery and plump. The seafood spaghetti definitely did not skimp out on the seafood and was full of flavor. Even my friend who did not like seafood enjoyed her spaghetti bolognese. For the quality, the price was definitely worth it (some would even call it a steal!). Eating here was like being in a movie - I'd recommend this place to anyone visiting! Note that you should probably make a reservation, we got lucky that day but I had tried to make a dinner reservation before our trip 3 days prior and was turned down as they were already full.

Trattoria Pontini is a small restaurant. I would say they can fit around 20 people inside and another 12 or so out in the patio. We were a bit worried that this would be a tourist trap based on the number of other asian tourists, and by the early Valentines day decor. However, the service and food delivered. The male server had such a bright energy and was on top of everything while serving by himself, at least for the tables inside, that he uplifted the whole experience. We only ordered 2 pasta dishes for 3 as we wanted to save room for the tiramisu. Their most famous dish is the seafood pasta and had ordered fettuccine with seafood after seeing pictures from other yelpers. WOW. Seafood pasta is a must here! As I had mentioned in my other reviews, I was a bit sensitive to seafood dishes on our Venice trip, but this dish was to die for and had no issues at all. Have you ever had crab fat? Or more common, uni? Seafood pasta tasted like you were eating uni or crab fat. It was rich, creamy, and just the perfect seafood flavor. Pasta portions were slightly smaller than other restaurants that I wanted more. If you're a mushroom, clam, and cheese lover, you'll love fettuccine with seafood. There's 2 scallops hidden underneath the cheese crisps and the pasta was smothered in mushroom and clam sauce. And the finale, what I was looking forward to the most on our trip was this home made tiramisu. The bowl of tiramisu was pretty large, even for three, but I loved it so much that I basically ate half. Even my husband that doesn't typically like tiramisu approved. It had more of moussy/pudding than bread ratio and was cold/smooth when you bit into it. This was our last meal in Venice and was the perfect closure. My favorite spot in Venice so far! Oh and they had the most delicious olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette for your bread!

Not that many seats but it's worth waiting to get one! I had an incredible Baccala with polenta. Take a look at the picture; v creamy polenta and the fish was fresh. I also tried some of the calamari. It was perfectly fried and paper-thin in a sense. Well worth it. I would also suggest the spaghetti with seafood. I attached a picture and,o as you can see, it's a pretty decent portion! For the end, the waitress suggested the tiramisu. It was really large but I was able to finish it after a few espressos. The place is definitely down-home cooking. The waitress was attentive.

The most amazing food of my entire tour of Italy, I will never forget this night, it was Valentine's Day and this restaurant is now my fav in the world!

The best spaghetti aglio olio anywhere. Canal side watching the condolas. Nice complementary limoncello after dinner. One of our better and less expensive meals in Venice

This place serves one of the best meals in Venice! Now be prepared to wait over 45min for dinner. You can make a reservation or come to lunch if you don't wanna wait long. This place is very small and understaffed so even after you get seated, you might end up waiting for a while. Surprisingly the food comes out pretty quick once you order. The seafood pasta is a must. It looks big but it was actually the perfect portion. My husband loved the lasagna as well...but bit too small in his opinion. We prob could have used an appetizer or dessert. Yes the wait is long and the service is slow, which could be frustrating for some people. However the food is so awesome and reasonable, you gotta try this place if you are in Venice!

After having visited, I see why this is highly recommended. The word has gotten out, so you should make reservations or be prepared to wait for a hour. Our group of four came hungry and the portions were large. We started with shrimp cocktail, sardines w/onions and a small salad. All were excellent and were devoured. For the main courses, we had a large salad, penne pasta w/ ham, ravioli w/fish and I had the lobster spaghetti. Everyone enjoyed their dishes, but I felt as though mine was best. The setting was quite enjoyable as we had outdoor seating beside a canal and even had an accordion player show up. Best meal I had in Venice.

DELICIOUS seafood pasta! I spent my entire day in Venice craving fresh seafood -- the seafood in their seafood spaghetti was tender, flavorful, and high quality. I enjoyed it so much! We were also seated very quickly, experienced great service, and got our food quickly, too -- which was awesome because we were starving! Would recommend the seafood pasta to anyone in Venice.

Excellent food, great setting and very reasonable prices. All seafood dishes we tried were delicious!!! Get there early or get a reservation... we got lucky and got the last table before people started pouring in. It was cool and raining but the line outside was very long!

Had our hotel make a Monday 9:30 pm reservation for us the morning of (August) which was a great idea because there was a long line of people when e got there. They take walk-ins but expect to wait 1-2 hours. We grabbed a aperol spritz (only 3 euros!) at the bar before getting seated. For dinner we ordered the squid ink spaghetti and the seafood spaghetti. Both were very good. The squid ink spaghetti is messy around the mouth and teeth so make sure you are checking yourself after each bite. We also ordered the anchovies for app which was tasty and generous in portion size. The most memorable part of the meal was the tiramisu. Probably the best I've ever had and I would consider myself a professional tiramisu connoisseur. Service was great. The ladies were running the show. Definitely check this place out but make a reservation before going.

This place is almost not fair... Amazing food? Check. (wife had the seafood pasta, I had the amatriciana -- both were great) Good wine selection? Check. (we had the house white -- a nice, refreshing change after a lot of reds in Italy) Reasonable prices? Check. Ridiculously amazing location with outdoor seating right next to the water? CHECK! Free, reliable WiFi so you can post sweet pics of everything you're eating and drinking? Duh, check. In short: this place is what you dream/imagine when you think of eating in Venice.

This was one of our last dinners in Venice and definitely the best. Trattoria Pontini was located around the corner from our airbnb, so we walked by it multiple times a day, and there was always a god damn line. Good sign, right? We got our act together and made reservations, since the place was pretty small and we knew we wanted an outdoor table right on the canal. Service was friendly, even though they didn't speak much English. We appreciated the fact that this place wasn't trying to sell us a bogus 3-course "American" menu like almost every other restaurant in Venice. Our meal was seriously delicious and incredibly cheap, given how expensive food is here. Boyfriend and I shared a carafe of white wine, the seafood pasta, lasagna, and a tiramisu. The seafood pasta was brimming with fresh shellfish and the lasagna was so soft and luscious, it basically melted in your mouth. The tiramisu is ginourmous and a great way to top off your meal. Basically, you'd be hard pressed to find a better meal in Venice. Awesome views & awesome food!

This place is an absolute must when your in Venice, the food is absolutely fantastic and the prices are incredible, all i can say is we are so glad we found it and it was a short walk from the hotel Carlton on the Grand canal.

Maybe I didn't order the right thing or maybe the chef was a bit off that day but i wasn't too impressed. I came here after reading rave reviews but they probably get the traffic from being in a good spot near a bridge with lots of for traffic. Water bus is nearby also. I noticed a lot of Asians when i stopped by for lunch when they just opened so I'm thinking we're all reading reviews.

This local restaurant was quite a hike from where we were staying but it was so worth every step!!! The food was delicious, the wine was great and the staff was beyond amazing!!!! I highly recommend this hidden gem (hidden to tourist that is) for a delicious meal for such a great price!!!

My husband and I came here for our last night in Venice after reading great reviews, seeing the beautiful location, and walking by and smelling the delicious food. We got here around 8:00 pm and waited 30 minutes for a table outside facing the canal - you can call ahead for reservations, but may want to book a few days in advance. We ordered the caprese, a bottle of wonderful white wine, and two seafood entrees. The seafood pasta (we both picked primis) was plentiful, fresh and very tasty. One of the best pasta dishes with seafood we have had so far. The price is very reasonable as well. Throughout dinner boats and musicians would walk / float by and it was a delightful experience. Outside also has a few heat lamps to keep you warm on a chilly night. We finished the evening with tiramisu after we saw everyone had ordered it. It is a huge portion and has a very home made feel. We both loved it! If you're willing to wait (or call ahead) for a delicious for a sit down meal with a view, this is my favorite place in Venice for it!

My favorite meal in Italy was here. Well, that's a lie. My favorite meals in Italy were here. It was so good that we went back a second time! Do yourself a favor and make time to truly dine here. Grab a liter of the house red (yes it's huge, yes it's delicious, yes you'll manage to finish it with your dining partner), take a seat and prepare to be amazed. My highest recommendation is for the seafood pasta or the lasagne. Everything about the place was perfection. Great service, perfect location on the canal to hit before you hop on the water taxi to Murano.

North of the train station away from most of the chaos . Very tight quarters but overlooked the canal and boats and a bridge. Nice waitstaff with some English. We had salads and the sardine soar local dish . Excellent food !!!!

The service is outstanding and the food is delicious. It was well worth the 30 min wait to get in. Such personality and taste in this little gem.

Hands down the best dinner in Venice and I would say maybe even in Italy but we have reservations at our favorite restaurants across other cities over the next 2 weeks. We shared calamari/fried fish as starter to share and each had the lobster pasta and the seafood pasta. The flavors were mouth watering and pasta was cooked perfectly. There was a good amount of seafood in both our dishes too. For dessert, I asked for a single serving of tiramisu and I concur with all those who have written before me, it's one of the best! I wish we were here another day so that I could come back again! Make a reservation and go there. The service was impeccable and very friendly. I saw one waitress getting a little frustrated but I would be too with some tourists there that barely acknowledged the service personnel and stated blankly at looking on your phones.

Doesn't live up to all the hype in my opinion... We made a reservation for Pontini the night before and came in. The ladies are kind of haughty and straight-forward, not too welcoming or helpful. I don't know if that is the culture in Venice, but it wasn't terribly nice. The menu is pretty interesting with lots of seafood and pasta. We ordered the seafood spaghetti like everyone else, and the tagliatelle with mushrooms and scallops and grana cheese. The pasta was all cooked very nicely, perfectly al dente. But, the tagliatelle was so salty!!! I was anticipating this meal all day and the saltiness of my dish really put me off. The mushrooms were so soft and mushy tasting, and salty as well! Salty salty salty. We of course ordered tiramisu. Honestly, I think the tiramisu I've made at home is better. It had more cream than anything else, and I couldn't taste much rum or espresso.

Omg omg this place is amazing!! To this day I still feel lucky that we stomped on this hidden jam on our last night in Venice, it made our stay so much more memorable! We did not make a reservation and it was jam-packed (I'm not surprised now that I know how good this place is). Thankfully they had this outdoor seating area with heat lamps and we snagged the last table in the patio. It was hands down the best Italian food we've ever had - BEST seafood pasta BEST squid ink pasta BEST of the BEST homemade tiramisu - omg try theirs and you'll think all other places are a joke. Ok I might be biased but it's seriously that good! If you're ever in Venice make sure to stop by for dinner, it's such a warm place with great food and great hospitality, you'll have a lovely time.

This was the worst restaurant I have encountered in a month in Italy. Before entering the restaurant it was asked if we could just order drinks and were told yes by the manager at the door. We decided to have an appetizer as well to share. The waitress, instead of telling us there was no sharing, ran to the manager. He came to tell us we could not share. We were ok with that but didn't want two. When we got up to leave he held out a menu and very condescendingly, as if we were children who could not read, pointed to every word on the menu as he read it to us. After being degraded as the stupid American we continued on our way out. He could not respect our decision to leave and added to the disrespect by saying this was not my home. Implying we WERE stupid Americans expecting them to change for us. We let our intent known before entering because we were aware of restaurants restrictions, especially those with terraces along the canals. I feel if he would of listened to us at the beginning instead of trying to heard us in for our money the whole situation could have been avoided. It could have been avoided again with the original server quietly and politely letting us know instead of getting the Gestapo-like manager who treated us as stupid, cheap Americans. In all my years of European travel I have never experienced being treated like the American stereotype. We make it a point to be part of their economy by staying in their hotels, eating in their restaurants and even buying groceries in their stores. Venice was amazing, but after this experience when I return I will make it a point to not only not go to this restaurant, but shy away from all establishments that have high tourist traffic. I'm sure the owner will make a rude comment saying it was us and never his staff as he has responded this way before on other postings. Having an owner say anything other than I'm sorry you felt you had a bad experience only reinforces negative reviews. Watching the staff as a whole interact with other customers as we waited a long time to order this interaction seems to be the norm for this restaurant. I hope others have a better experience.

Food was excellent. Stopped in late after checking in and had a fantastic meal. Very lively servers with either cozy inside or canal front dining.

Love this little place. We felt very welcome...smiling people..food was fabulous. Going back tomorrow for dinner. Highly recommend.

Unpretentious, Friendly, informal, good food portions. Has a nice mix of locals and tourists.

My wife and I went here last night and while the food was good, be aware these guys use a lot of salt in their food. We had the Sardine wt Sweet onion for appetizer and Salmon with Penne and Spaghetti with Seafood, followed up with their Tiramisu which was awesome! Don't forget to order the Spritzer either..

Best meal of the trip! Read some yelp reviews describing this place and needed to check it out. I had difficulty calling the restaurant in the afternoon, so I elected to walk there and ask for a reservation for dinner. The owner told me to come back around 9ish and she would take care of us... she did! Tip: definitely make a reservation! Upon arriving that evening there was a long line packed out the door with guests waiting for a table. The canal was overflowing oddly, placing several outside tables in firing range when speed boats would pass with large wakes hitting the banks sending water onto the street. The restaurant looks as if it's a hole in the wall, with limited seating. It is clear word has traveled about the exceptional food, as locals and tourists alike lined up to have dinner. The lead waitress grabbed us a table in the back row with a romantic view of the Venice street with the occasional gondolas and boats that would pass. Across the canal accordions could be heard serenading dinner guests. For dinner we ordered a 1/2L of the house red wine. The red was dry and had a nice fruity aroma which paired perfectly with my dinner. We ordered the caprese salad as an appetizer. The dish came with fresh buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, basil spread over a bed of arugula. The presentation was ornate with swirls of olive oil and balsamic. My wife ordered the gnocchi with prawns and arugula. I ordered the gnocchi and bolognese. Both dishes had unique flavor that felt as if the gnocchi melted in your mouth. The shrimp was perfectly cooked and fresh with the arugula and tomatoes crisp and enjoyable. The bolognese was savory with just enough salt to not over power the dish. We still had room for dessert and elected to try the homemade tiramisu. The dessert was definitely enough to share with multiple people. The tiramisu was perfectly soaked sponge cake with heaping sprinkles of espresso over the marscapone cheese.

I walked past this place during lunch time and saw a dish with mussels and other seafood and knew I had to have it. I came back around 8:30 and there was a huge line! I waited for a little over an hour, but knew it would be worth it. I ordered the spaghetti with mussels and other seafood and, I swear, had the best meal of my life. This place was packed, so understandably the service was a bit slow, but you could tell it was family owned and operated. I left a generous tip and plan to be back for lunch tomorrow! My only regret is not ordering the tiramisu for dessert!!