Fresh from the ocean

“Fish is the thing here,” explains Elizabeth Minchelli on her food blog. She’s tallking about Antiche Carampane, a restaurant “really hidden away, deep in the heart of San Polo.” But because it’s “beyond hard to find,” it’s not over-run with tourists -- although she strongly recommends making a reservation (and taking a map) because “it is full of Venetians.” The attraction of Carampane is fish -- “just about the freshest you can imagine.” While she was there recently, “the owner had to interrupt taking my order to chat with a fisherman who had just arrived … they were discussing what he was likely to catch the following day.” Chef Francesco serves up masterful versions of recherché local dishes like cassopipa (spaghetti with spiced shellfish) or triglie dell’imbriago (red mullet braised in red wine) to an appreciative clientele that includes a fair smattering of local VIPs and aristos,” says Anne Hanley at the The Telegraph.  

Other famously fishy restaurants in Venice include:  

Ristorante Riviera: its “inventive take on Venetian cuisine and its incredible location secure its place as one of the top ten restaurants in Venice,” says Sonia Cuesta at The Culture Trip.

Corte Sconta: has the “loveliest (and liveliest) atmosphere in the whole of Venice,” according to Valeria Necchio at Life Love Food ... they bring “plate after plate of seafood nibbles like schie (small grey shrimp) with polenta, granseola (spider crab), canoce (mantis prawns) and other Adriatic delights,” according to Anne Hanley at the The Telegraph.

Al Covo: “Born as a laboratory of research, recognition and conservation of the products of the Venetian lagoon, its islands and its surrounding mainlands … they promote the use of local, seasonal produce (seafood, fruits and vegetables) in lilne with Slow Food’s principles … their fritto misto [fried mixed fish] has become a cult, though everything on their menu is delicious – let the hosts guide you,” says My Art Guides.