Antica Locanda Montin

I got the pasta with pumpkin & walnuts, and it was outstanding. I arrived as they opened and the restaurant filled up fast, which says plenty. The garden-like courtyard is full of spectacular greenery and gives the place a hidden-gem feel. It's close to famous museums, but didn't feel touristy at all. Great service, too.

The grilled beef was cooked perfectly, and the fegato alla veneziana tasted rich and authentic. We also loved the tiramisù and panna cotta. Prices felt very fair for the quality, especially by Venice standards. The atmosphere is enchanting, like a hidden gem away from the tourist crowds. A great place for genuine Venetian dining, and we'll definitely return.

We'd really loved this restaurant on our first two visits, especially the beautiful garden and good kitchen, but our third meal was a disaster. Four of us shared two starters, then had two pasta dishes and two mains. The polipetti had no taste at all, just oil and lemon, and seemed to need the table oil for seasoning. The sardines were fine, but the polenta was dry and seemed past its best. My spaghetti vongole arrived cold and seemed to have neither garlic nor parsley. The fish portion was laughable, more like an appetizer than a secondi. I use salt very sparingly and still had to add it to everything. We paid around 200 EUR for four, which was completely overpriced for what we got. The next day at Hostaria Castello we had the same amount of food and drinks, it was outstanding, and cost less. I absolutely wouldn't encourage anyone to eat here right now.

The food tastes great, even if the portions are on the small side. A 4.2 star rating makes this restaurant sound much worse than it is, and I'm not sure why it's rated so low.