Ristorante Marciana — Restaurant in Venice

Summary Expensive, non-authentic, tourist trap, with friendly staff and large portions.

Full Review Atmosphere: Don’t expect to see any local here. Almost every customer on this street is a foreigner and this kills the atmosphere a little. .25 star. Cleanliness: Not much to comment here. Outdoor eating area was clean. Dishes were clean as well. .5 star. Food Quality: The bread was not even edible it was so cheaply made. Salad didn’t seem so fresh. Lasagna lacked any savory cheese or herbal flavors, couldn’t even throw on a garnish. .25 star. Location: This would be .5 star because it’s so close to St. Mark’s, but alas it’s only close and lacks any historic view. Menu Options: Almost everything you’d expect from this kind of place. Seafood and pasta options were available. Lacked Venetian specific options. .25 star. Price: Considering all of the other low points, the price was too high. This is a tourist trap restaurant and the price reflects that. The 12% service fee was also a bit ridiculous. .0 star. Restroom: n/a Staff: The best part about this place is definitely the staff. Swerved was friendly and helpful. .5 star. Taste: I’ve literally had better lasagna from the microwave. The salad with octopus was warm for some reason. Bread was flavorless and dry. House wine was mediocre. .0 star. Timing: Fast...

The food here is amazing! We were looking high and low for the black ink risotto which apparently is not as popular as its spaghetti counterpart here.

Ordered 3 dishes and all were perfect and highly recommended!

Squid ink risotto was cooked to perfection. Had nice taste of the ocean and flavors of the squid. Risotto had a very nice creaminess. Just perfect!

Calamari fritto was also one of the best I’ve had in my life! Light batter yet just the correct crisp and crunch. Not a big fan of polenta but served with it and tasted okay. Portion generous!

Spaghetti di mare... also great! Not overly seasoned and taste of seafood in well balanced tomato base sauce. Al dente and flavorful!

Service is okay and server wasn’t too pleased when my daughter broke a wine glass. But still expressed concern and clearing immediately. But general quite friendly and experienced in dealing with tourists.

Would I come back? Yes of course! Should you come by? At least for these three dishes! Surely a reason when the other restaurant servers at the main square are also dining here. And free limoncello while waiting for your bill!

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Angry and nervous waiter gave us poor service during the first 10 minutes of our visit. We couldn’t place our order as quickly as he seemed to expect, which clearly irritated him. It seemed the waiter noticed us walking out of a nearby restaurant earlier unhappy and already judged us as unpleasant guests. His unfriendly manners, angry expression, and irritating tone made us feel completely unwelcome. We had no choice but to leave after he tried to seat us uncomfortably, with no consideration for our comfort. We might have annoyed him by adjusting a chair to sit more properly, but he promptly moved it back — placing it at an awkward angle and leaving a gap between the chair and the table. Everything he did felt intentionally unfriendly and dismissive. Why do you hire people who care not about customers?...