Osteria Ai Assassini in Metropolitan City of Venice

"The staff and food & wine pairing are great. Follow their chefs of the day and recommendations never go wrong."

"A solid 4.5 stars. The service was overall lovely (and the waiter spoke many languages!), just as the atmosphere. We received a small amouse bouche that was delicious. The pumpkin flan was perfection. All the meals were very good. Just be prepared to pay a lot, it‘s expensive. We’ve got 2 critic points: 1) the tuna could use a little more salt. 2) after eating we almost disappeared for the service crew."

"Loved the fish lasagna, which is something I've never had before and was skeptical about. Good wine list too. Warm and friendly service. Thanks for a nice evening."

"Absolutely delicious food. Soft jazz music playing in the background gives great ambience. Service is very attentive yet relaxed."

"Highly recommend. It's expensive but if you can squeeze in one fine dining meal, this would be it in Venice. Make reservations just incase if you're visiting during peak season. My husband and I dined here twice without reservations (in late November) but got lucky I suppose. Friday Lunch: We visited for lunch around 12:15 PM and was kindly greeted outdoors. We were the 1st table. About 20 minutes later, many people started trickling in. Our dish highlight was the pesce lasagna (a special they had that day not on menu). We are still dreaming about this today. Saturday Dinner: We stopped by about 2hr before closing time, and were initially turned away because the restaurant was completely full. Then the same older gentleman that we saw on Friday said he can seat us if we came back around 9PM. (He's got his table timing down to the T!). We were willing to wait. We tried different dishes and deserts, and enjoyed them all. The service was a bit slower this evening due to a couple of larger parties seated, but we were not forgotten. My husband and I have very much enjoyed our meals, their service, and our time here. Thank you Osteria Ai Assassini!"

"I booked this restaurant at the last minute and I was so glad that I did! We dined for lunch and the server was very lovely and passionate about the food describing what made the dish or drink special. We had lamb chops and they were the most wonderful I have ever tasted! I also adore the Bellinis. They were authentic and delicious. Best Bellini I had in Venice. The tiramisu was delicious as well, my partner said he loved their tiramisu the best out of all the places we tried. We loved it so much we went back the next day for lunch again. This is truly a hidden gem in Venice on a street that many people probably overlook. Definitely try out this charming restaurant if you like authentic good food. You won’t be disappointed. :)"

"We had completely resigned ourselves to sub-par, overpriced tourist-fare as we had arrived in Venice with no reservations and no research done. We wandered into a dead end, on a quiet street just off the tourist track, and peered into a charming little restaurant. We checked out the menu (looked legit) and the proprietor came out to speak with us and tell us about the special dishes of the day (fish lasagna). We booked a table for 8:30 that evening and hoped for the best. When we arrived, we were shown to a lovely table, lit with soft down-lighting and were taken through the menu and given recommendations. We had a gorgeous bottle of regional sparkling white wine, a broccoli soufflé-type dish, fish lasagna, sea bass, and raspberry tart for dessert. We were encouraged to share all dishes (no upselling here) and this was the perfect amount of food. Each dish was fresh, flavorful, delicious, and interesting. The service was impeccable—the perfect combination of unhurried, attentive but unobtrusive, and inviting but not too familiar. When we finished our meal and expressed our appreciation, our server (possibly owner?) gave us a list of restaurants to try in Venice, with a similar vibe, that he could personally recommend. If you would like a quiet, casual-but-elegant dining experience in Venice, try this place. Suitable for small groups or couples. Not really suitable for children. Our meal cost about 175.00 Euros for two people, which we thought was an excellent value for the quality of food and wine and the lovely setting (comparing to NYC prices)."

"We had an excellent family meal here. I saw that this restaurant was near our accommodation, and read on their website that you need to make a reservation over the phone. When I called, they were very friendly and helpful, and spoke excellent English, arranging a table for 730pm. The menu was small and concise, but a reflection that each dish is precise and well considered. The ‘sarde in saor’ was divine, as was my partners fish carpaccio and my son’s octopus. We shared a pasta ‘dish of the day’ purely out of curiosity, and it was heavenly. Our main dishes were all excellent. As others have mentioned, the welcome and service is very warm and friendly, something not so easily found in Venice. The staff do leave you alone once mains have been served, but I interpreted this as allowing you time to enjoy your drinks and evening, wish no sense of hurry leave. The ambience was lovely, and this was by far the best meal I have had in 20 years of visiting Venice. I would give it 6 stars if I could. Dishes aren’t huge, but they are of superb quality and are memorable in a city filled with forgettable and overpriced restaurants."