A charming little restaurant ensconced in the back streets of an equally charming city, it serves up daily specials of the freshest seafood to tantalize your palates.

Some friends who had gone on exchange the previous cycle recommended this place, and we decided to try it due to the raving reviews. The seafood really was great, but I’m not so sure if it was worth the fairly steep prices.

The outdoor dining in the garden area was really pretty and peaceful, tucked away in a quiet corner of Venice. The weather was perfect as well – cool autumn air, not too warm or too cold – just nice.

So the first of the 3 course fresh seafood starter was the Carpaccio of Sea Bream marinated in Citrus and Aromatic Herbs with Pomegranate, and Grilled Tuna Slices with Balsamic Vinegar and Celery. The sea bream was awesome – the bite of the refreshing citrus juice and the pomegranate made the fish taste light and fresh. The tuna, not bad.

The second course, the Barbarate Clams in Ginger and White Wine, had a pretty interesting and unique taste – the ginger adding bite to the tasty white wine sauce, which made us want to drink up all the sauce.

The third course – Steamed Spider Crab and a platter of fresh seafood which had baby octopus, assorted fish, cuttlefish, crayfish and prawns. The crab was tossed in pepper and lemon, and the seafood, simply a bit of olive oil, herbs and lemon – it didn’t need much else in the form of dressing, as it was so fresh and yummy.

And then we split a main course, the Black Ink Spaghetti with Scallops and Zucchini Flowers. This was so-so: medium savoury and not really very exciting. The zucchini flowers were rather tasty though, mmm.

Our dessert – Fresh Ricotta Cheese Cassata with Pine nuts, Candied Fruits and Pistachos. Smooth, creamy and delightful, with crunchy and sweet accompaniments. Happy food!

Overall, a rather expensive but pleasant dining experience.

………………………………

Corte Sconta, Venice Island
3886 Calle del Pestrin
Castello/Riva Degli Schiavoni
Tel: 041-522-7024

Recommended: Take the Vaporetto to Arsenale and walk along Riva Degli Schiavoni, find the street Calle del Forno walk up that street – it’s just nearby.