Trattoria Ai Cacciatori — Restaurant in Venice

Trattoria ai Cacciatori greets you warmly, the kind of place that will do its best to find you a table even when full. That welcome sets the tone, but the kitchen’s efforts proved uneven across the two evenings we were there, the first being better..

The house pasta with vegetables and muddica atturata – the Sicilian style toasted breadcrumbs – showed promise but was let down by timid seasoning and a lack of anchovy depth. Handmade and freshly cut, yes, but more middling than memorable. The chicken breast with potato wedges followed the same line: neatly plated, but slightly dry and under-seasoned, an effort that fell short. Even the scallops with pumpkin purée and marinated mushrooms, strong in concept, stumbled on portioning – balance was lost, and the dish simply didn’t come together. The daily catch, a grilled sea bream with vegetables and polenta, ought to have been the safe triumph of simplicity. Instead, it was handled carelessly, proving disappointing.

There were brighter moments. The squid-ink tagliolini with clams, bottarga, and prawn tartare struck the right note, clean and fresh if still wanting more sharpness from lemon and depth from the bottarga (7.5/10). The off-menu fritto misto was the real standout: crisp, well-seasoned, and confidently fried, it captured exactly why such a dish endures (9/10). The scampi risotto, too, was tasty if a little blurred, a clearer stock would have lifted it further (7/10). Grilled octopus with broccoli purée and crispy leeks had potential but lacked smoke and tenderness, while the pistachio semifreddo, chosen with some expectation, closed the meal on a lighter, less satisfying note.

In the end, Ai Cacciatori offers warmth and flashes of skill, but the food too often feels like missed opportunity. With more care and sharper execution, it could match its welcome. As it stands, it’s a house of...

I do not recommend this restaurant to anyone.

When we arrived at the restaurant I informed a waiter of average height (about 1.65 m) that we were on a honeymoon and had made a reservation because it was my birthday. The waiter answered gruffly for us to wait outside the restaurant.

We stood for about 15 minutes in the cold outside - empty tables in the restaurant. After that time, I walked into the restaurant and asked the waiter again for a table to settle in because it was cold outside and we were tired of standing up - plus there were several empty tables in the restaurant. He treated me VERY EVIL. He said a lot of rudeness to the point of making me cry and at no time apologized after that.

It was definitely the WORST BIRTHDAY of my life.

I DON'T WANT SUCH EXPERIENCE TO ANYONE.

Não recomendo esse restaurante a ninguém.

Ao chegarmos no restaurante eu informei para um garçom de altura mediana (cerca de 1,65 m) que estávamos em lua de mel e havíamos feito uma reserva porque era o dia do meu aniversário. O garçom respondeu rispidamente para aguardarmos em pé do lado de fora do restaurante.

Permanecemos por cerca de 15 minutos em pé, no frio, do lado de fora - sendo que havia mesas vazias no restaurante. Após esse tempo, eu entrei no restaurante e pedi novamente para o garçom uma mesa para nos acomodarmos pois lá fora estava frio e estávamos cansados de ficar em pé - além de haver diversas mesas vazias no restaurante. Ele me tratou MUITO MAL. Disse um monte de grosserias ao ponto de me fazer chorar e em momento nenhum pediu desculpas após o ocorrido.

Definitivamente, foi o PIOR ANIVERSÁRIO DA MINHA VIDA.

NÃO DESEJO TAL...

Mediocre at best. Food was bland and portions small. My husband and I asked to share our main dishes of a sea bass and pasta for two and the sea bass came out whole but the size was for only one person. The fish had no flavor or seasoning and the (polenta??) it came with was very gelatinous. Our bottle of wine was the tastiest part - even though it was our second choice because they had run out of our first. Waitress had no personality and barely checked on us - bus boy was best service. The bus girl at the end of our meal tried to ask if she could take our salt n pepper shakers and olive oil/balsamic to give to another table but I was not finished and said so. Then as soon as she saw my plate was empty she took them. You’d think a restaurant in one of the most touristy areas of Italy would have enough of those to go around but then again service and restaurants here seem to all live in their own world. My advice - there’s enough and better restaurants to...