Osteria Da Fiore

First things first, request the one, precious two-top, overlooking the canal when you book a reservation here.  It’s the best table in the house by far (though we did drop our credit card into the canal when we paid the bill, so watch out for that!).  Known as Venice’s best restaurant, Da Fiore is perhaps the most universally recommended spot in these parts.  What’s all the fuss about?

Frutti De Mare

Perhaps it’s the simply grilled Red Mullet, which tasted like it had just been plucked from the water, smartly paired with blood orange and olives.  Then again, it could be the excellent Calamarata Pasta (shaped like calamari) tossed with calamari and peas along with a spring pea puree.  If you want to sample the spectrum of fish Venice has to offer, try their Fritto De Mare, a salty, crunchy mix of lightly battered shrimp, squid, eggplant, onions and zucchini.  Da Fiore is “mama cucina” with a modern touch, so expect some unexpected twists, like an appetizer called, “a Basket of Parmesan and Artichokes,” which is not exactly what it seems.  What appears at the table is a crispy basket made out of parmesan, nestling a mix of shaved artichoke and nibbles of orange, all dressed in truffle oil.  The focus here is fish, so eat accordingly and definitely try the Cuttlefish In Squid Ink Sauce.