Ristorante Lineadombra, Venice, Italy

We found this lovely restaurant with terrace while going to the Punta della Dogana to visit the second part of the Pinault Foundation.
We had lunch at the Ristorante Lineadombra and enjoyed a wonderful view of the lagoon and succulent (but pricey) food.

Raw fish and seafood platter

Beef carpaccio with 12-year old balsamic vinegar

Strazionetti with langoustine and salicornia

Fusilli with tomato, aubergine and goat tomme

Like in most places in Venice, we almost choked when we got the bill.
However, service was very delicate and we were offered a glass of white wine whilst waiting for our pasta.

Starter: 20 - 40 EUR
Primi: 20 - 30 EUR

Well, well, well, enjoying the sun with this view is priceless, isn't it?

Osteria da Fiore, Venice, Italy

There are two Michelin star restaurants in Venice: the Met (**) located in the Metropole hotel facing the lagoon, and Osteria da Fiore (*), hidden in the maze of the tiny streets of San Polo.
Since the Met was full for the week-end, we booked a table for lunch at Osteria da Fiore despite the mixed reviews I had read.
Despite my usually-life-saving GPS, we lost ourselves and it took us almost 1 hour to find Osteria da Fiore, under the pouring rain with a broken umbrella.
Soaked and starved we decided to reward ourselves with some Rossini cocktails (Champagne and crushed strawberries), and the 6-course tasting menu.
For the wine, we followed the advice of the sommelier, and had a wonderful bottle of red Tuscany wine.

Appetizer 1: Grilled shrimps and polenta

Appetizer 2: Langoustine tartare, tuna carpaccio 
with orange and artichoke flower
 

Primi 1: Little pan-fried squids with garden pea soup
 

Primi 2: White fish ravioli with scallops and ginger sauce

Segondi 1: Small deep-fried crab with polenta and rocket
 

Segondi 2: Deep-fried fish with chili and leeks

Fromaggi
 

Semifreddo di zabaione

Semifreddo di tiramisu

The chef clearly knows how to cook his fish and seafood, but none of the dishes was astonishing.
Overall, we had a pleasant meal, the ingredients were fresh and nicely cooked, but still, I found the price of the tasting menu quite high, compared to other 1-star restaurants I have been to.

If you are planning to try Osteria da Fiore by yourself, ask for the table by the window which offers a nice view on the canal.

6-course testing menu: 120 EUR per person (definitely TOO expensive)
Wine: Nearco - Tenuta Col d'Orcia 2000: 78 EUR

Ai Mercanti, Venice, Italy

When preparing my trip to Venice, I had written down the names of the best rated restaurants in TripAdvisor, and I must admit that the 1st ranking of Ai Mercanti is well deserved.

Located in a not-so-easy-to-find patio in the crowded area of San Marco, Ai Mercanti was a lovely place to treat ourselves.

As we went there from lunch, and the prices were in line with the venetian standards -ie high - we decided to order only a Primi.

Ravioli stuffed with cuttlefish and fried squids

Lasagna with pigeon and wild herbs

We would fill ourselves anyway with the delicious home-made (and warm!) breads and gressini.

 

Obvisously, Ai Mercanti being a gastronomic restaurant we swallowed our Primi in 5 seconds, and decided to have a Secondi. After all, we were on holidays, and if you don't treat yourself on holidays, when then?

Controfiletto di scottona, white and green asparagus, 
quail egg and crispy pancetta

Gorgeous steak ... I felt like Sookie Stackhouse in front of Eric Northman

 

Turbot fillet, sesame seeds, 
zucchini flower tempura in a sweet and sour sauce

The meat was perfectly cooked and seasoned, and went quite well with the quail egg, even though at this stage I had probably already had my daily fat quota. The fish was good but nothing special, with a little Asian twist, probably not the best choice. Fortunately, it was not my choice, but my friend B's...

We paid 123 EUR for 2 people. For a glass of Valpolicello, a Primi and a Secondi (and a huge amount of complimentary bread) this was not cheap, but definitely worth it.