Ristorante Ca’ Dolfin — Restaurant in Venice

We came across this restaurant after a long walk through Venice with our two young children, both tired and hungry. As we tried to enter, the man with glasses at the door( who appeared to be the manager) acted in an unwelcoming and inappropriate manner. He frowned at our child, who was briefly upset, and made a dismissive hand gesture at my husband, as if telling him to quiet her down. No other guests had complained, and our child settled down within seconds, yet his reaction was rude, unnecessary, and completely out of line, especially from someone representing the restaurant. This individual clearly lacks basic customer service skills and should not be the first point of contact for guests. His attitude set a negative tone before we even sat down.

Thankfully, once we were inside, the experience improved. Our server was warm, professional, and went out of his way to ensure we were comfortable. The food was excellent, and the service at the table was outstanding.

It’s unfortunate that such a good dining experience was overshadowed by the poor conduct of the man at the door. First impressions matter, and restaurant owners should seriously reconsider who they place at the entrance to...

We found Ristorante Ca' Dolfin during our stay in Venice. It was close to our hotel. We searched google maps, sorting by distance, top-rated, and open now. Even though we didn't have a reservation, we were greeted and seated within 15 minutes. The staff were super friendly, and spoke English, but encouraged us when we were practicing our Italian as well. It's always nice when locals give you the support and recognize the effort you are making to learn the local language. The atmosphere is beautiful, warm, intimate. We ate the octopus salad for our starter, and it was absolutely delicious. I had the seafood pasta and my wife had the spaghetti with mussels. The food was INCREDIBLE. We loved it so much, that we returned the next night and made a reservation to secure our spot. Funny enough, we noticed three other tables who were also returning, because we recognized them from the first night we ate there. That tells you everything you need to know. We were served by Alessandro and the owner Rimone, both who provided us exceptional service. When we return to Venice, we will absolutely eat here again. This was our over all favourite restaurant out of all the ones we...

I headed here due to good reviews. We were a party of three and they couldn’t seat us right away, which is ok because we didn’t have reservations. While we waited we were given complimentary Prosecco, which was unnecessarily kind. The wait was literally only a few moments anyhow. The service was above and beyond. From greeting to farewell, we felt so comfortable, welcomed, and treated like royalty. The wine selection was affordable with regional selections. The food was local, fresh, and delicious. Please try the octopus salad - you’ve never had such tender pieces. The squid ink pasta is also a must! The salty and savory with pieces of cuttlefish so perfectly made is something you will talk about later. But beware! You will need to swish some water around in your mouth, as that black color is going to coat your teeth - worth it though. The turbot is brought out whole and then cut for you in the back. The fish is so light and fresh. We also had the bruschetta, and a prosciutto tortellini which was light and decadent at the same time, which is not easy to pull off, so bravo! Recommend this place, but do call ahead for reservations during...