Hostaria da Franz — Restaurant in Venice

The worst experience I’ve ever had in Italy. Our concierge made a mistake with a reservation and according to the restaurants manager we were half an hour late. He was eager to tell us that and to say that he should of asked for a credit card in advance to confirm the reservation. The restaurant had three tables at a time. What a warm welcome. The menu didn’t match the menu you see online browsing the reviews. It is very small and nothing particular catches your eye. We ordered traditional sardines for a starter, one anchovies pasta and one ravioli. The manager wasn’t happy with such a small order and tried to persuade us to order more starters. It wasn’t a nice way to offer more food, I felt like I was under a pressure. As a compliment they brought us a small chip with exactly same fish paste that was brought to us as a part of the starter we ordered- not salty and quite flavorless. Flavorless is what I would call this restaurant. Nobody asked how the food was, nobody tried to explain what it is that we are having on our plates. Very poor service. My husband had to pour our wine, that’s with only three tables busy at the whole place. Finally, the main course arrived. What a horrific experience. I’m not going to brag about flavor, please see a picture attached. Instead of saying something descent regarding the case, our waiter numerous times said that we don’t understand Venetian traditional cuisine, he said that nobody complained before and as I can judge as a psychotherapist he was very passive aggressive giving me an idea that I don’t have this sophisticated taste as he does. Last but not least, while we were getting dressed on our way out the manager and the waiter very loudly discussed our situation which I personally think is very rude considering we had no means to overthink this situation but they did everything...

A delightful family-run restaurant situated in a secluded location, but only moments away from Piazzo St Marco. The staff were friendly and engaging, headed by the dynamic and attentive owner, Maurizio. His son, Gianluca, is an accomplished sommelier, whose passion for wine shone through at every juncture - we enjoyed two bottles of excellent Montrachet. The cuisine is sophisticated Italian Asian fusion. The seabream carpaccio in green tomato gazpacho was wonderfully fresh, yet simple, allowing full expression of the quality and flavour of the fish. The vitello tonnato was simply the best we have tasted - superb quality meat complemented by a perfectly balanced tuna sauce. We ordered one to share and then ordered another - it was that good! The monkfish was again of excellent quality, with yet another perfectly balanced sauce drawing out its delicious flavours. The Gorgonzola cheesecake with raspberry sorbet and Muscovado crumble was subtle, the Gorgonzola realising its potential towards the end of each mouthful - if you enjoy Gorgonzola, this dessert is not to be missed! This was an intimate dining experience where the dedication and enthusiasm of the owner and his son were evident from the off. Opened by Maurizio’s father more than 40 years ago, you will feel the personal affection of his son and grandson towards the restaurant and its delicious culinary offering from the moment you step inside....

We did not have reservations here, but we got there when it opened and they were able to squeeze us in. The attention to details by this family-run establishment, starting with the service, followed by each perfectly prepared dish, made the entire dinner a wonderful experience from start to finish. It is not a typical Italian menu, but a small selection of dishes, focusing on local seafood prepared in an innovative way. We began with sardines and cod appetizer, full of flavor, both pickled and sweet. We shared the risotto made with a local fish called “gò”. The dish was presented and explained how best to eat it in order to experience the flavors the way the chef intended. It was outstanding. Our main courses were also fantastic, fresh seafood dishes also expertly prepared. The desserts were visually stunning. We had the white chocolate “egg” with passion fruit center, along with the Gorgonzola cheesecake. The creativity and presentation of these two desserts, combined with the flavors were out of this world. Da Franz was excellent! Definitely make a reservation here if you like to try new, wonderful dishes, where they clearly pay attention to every detail to ensure you have a perfect...