Osteria Ai Promessi Sposi — Restaurant in Venice

sometimes you enjoy so much a meal in a restaurant that you would like to leave a 6 stars review. Well, in that case, the dinner that I just had in the Osteria ai Promessi Sposi would deserve 6...thousand stars! Any dish coming to our table was outstanding. In particular, I had the spuma stracciatella with capers as starter and pork ribs for second. And finally tiramisu. When I tried the stracciatella thing, I was like blown away. It was so soft and tasty and the flavour was spot on with the Pantelleria capers. I thought that was it but slightly after I started the pork ribs and again it was absolutely perfect. I'm still licking my lips thinking of it. Finally I went with a tiramisu since I was sure it would have been another masterpiece...and it actually was. Besides, anything else was perfect too. The bread and rounded grissini, the service at the tables. Absolutely perfect. We have been served by 3 girls who have been fantastic. In our table there were two young children and I'm sure they really enjoyed their food as well. If you want to be happy, go there! You can't imagine how good this place is going to...

First visited in November 2013 — ducking off Strada Nuova into Cannaregio, I found low-beamed comfort, terrazzo underfoot, a counter lined with prosecco and cicchetti. Revived in 2008 after a lull, it felt quietly overlooked by tourists, its name borrowed from Manzoni’s I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed) — less literature, more shorthand for trust and constancy at the table. That night it was pappardelle with rabbit ragù and Treviso radicchio (9/10) and frittura mista with Rialto fish, crisp polenta, clean and outstanding (9.5/10).

Returning in November 2024, the constancy was intact. Fritto misto remained light and deft (8/10); orecchiette with tomatoes and smoked scallops was smoky and succulent (8.5/10); sea bream fresh from the market, simple and delicious (8/10); spaghetti al nero di seppia packed Adriatic umami with pasta cooked to the second (8.5/10). Even the home-smoked pork ribs, needing a touch more basting, came with excellent potatoes (7/10).

Eleven years apart, Ai Promessi Sposi still proves its name: constancy, quality, and Venetian...

If you are in Venice for 1 day, eat here. If you are here for 2 days, twice. 3 days? 3 times the charm. This was our favorite restaurant during our 4-day stay. It's a super local, unpretentious spot that really impresses. It was rec'd to us by our flat's owner and we ate lunch here on our first day and again as our last meal on our last day. It set the bar for every other meal we had and we compared every restaurant to it. We had the tuna tartar both times. It was so fresh and was like butter. The lasagna was also ordered twice and was the stand out for us. We have never had a lasagna that did not have a red sauce. This mushroom lasagna was delectable. And then the tiramisu. I am not a sweets person and we were practically playing spoon wars to get the last bite. This was not the typical tiramisu cake. It was served in a bowl, so spongy, felt so light. The chocolate fondant was also fabulous. The smell alone was heaven. All of this paired with a delicious glass of Pinot grigio and you'll be in bliss. Point is....