Osteria Ai Do Gobbi — Restaurant in Venice

I don’t understand why this place has so many positive reviews. We received the worst service of our entire 3 weeks in Italy at this establishment. The food was okay, but nothing extraordinary. This happened in April 2025. Not sure if it was a language barrier, that we were tourists, or that we were Americans. But the entire meal was uncomfortable. After an awkward exchange at the entrance, waiter #1 (M) seated us and was initially friendly enough. He took our drink orders, but then never came back to our table (though he had to walk right by us multiple times) and obviously avoided any type of eye-contact or acknowledgement after that. A different waiter, #2 (M) took our food orders, eventually. Yet a different waiter (#3 F) actually brought our food. Waiter #2 eventually came back around after we’d been sitting quite awhile (yes, I understand that Italians tend to be more leisurely about dining out). A couple sitting near us ordered some interesting looking drinks and I asked waiter #2 if I could have one of what they were drinking and was told “no” for unclear reasons. (We’d hadn’t acted in any way inappropriate during our meal so it wasn’t as if we’d required being “cut off”.) After sitting with our dirty plates and empty glasses for quite awhile longer, being completely ignored by waiters #1 and #2, waiter #3, appeared and removed our empty plates, brought our check, and took our money. We gave that waiter her tip personally, as her male co-workers didn’t seem interested in helping her or waiting on us. We wanted to make sure she got the entire tip since she was the only helpful person there...

Please try this place out, it was such a wonderful experience.

My boyfriend and I were wandering in Venice on our first night out there and the 2 places we wanted to try were full. We were so disappointed at first. However, I'm so happy it turned out that way, because it allowed us to try this place instead, Osteria Ai Do Gobbi! My god, was it a good night. The lovely waitress was not too talkative, but she knew her menu so well. She KNOWS what's good, so don't hesitate to ask them about their menu, because there was honestly just too many good options. Personally, I love a place that knows what they specialize in. We had the burrata, pistachio, scallop pasta and the black ink squid spaghetti as main courses, both were exquisite. For appetizers, we tried the seafood crudo flight and it exceeded my expectations. For dessert, do not skip their panna cotta, it was the best we had in Italy.

Overall, great ambiance if you are looking for somewhere intimate and romantic. If you love authentic great food, you must stop by this spot.

Can't wait to return to Venice and try more items...

This is the best meal we have had on our honeymoon from any of 3 major cities! The staff are incredibly friendly, authentic, and seem to genuinely enjoy their work and each other. The extra touches such as the olive oil at the table, limoncello amd fernet offered at the end of your meal, and the wonderfully smelling - but subtle - candles and plants decorating the periphery are what make this place special.

But the food is what you come for and it is second to none! Every dish is balanced, cooked perfectly, and presented beautifully. We would be happy to pay over €100 for the two of us - and we might have if we had room for dessert.

Our favorite part of the entire meal was the bruschetta pomodoro. We got one order each and cleaned the boards in minutes! Definitely get some antipasto to share (or not share). Lastly, their menu offers all kinds of traditional Italian food - seafood, pasta, wine, tiramisu, classic antipasto - and it is all highly accessible. Bring friends, kids, or picky eaters....