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Castello: Ristorante Carpaccio

Riva degli Schiavoni , Phone: 041.528.9615
www.ristorantecarpaccio.com

Reviewed by: venexiananan from Italy, review #1890

When: 2006

Happy to have found this lovely restaurant along the famous Riva, where so often you pay for the view, and not for the quality of food or service. Here you get both!

Directions: On the Riva degli Schiavoni, between the Pietà and the Arsenale, at the bridge Ponte Ca' da Dio.

Daytime view from upstairs at the Carpaccio, photo by mcElroy

I had the good fortune to eat here twice this year, and was more than pleased both times. I ordered only antipasto and a primo each time, but sampled the secondi of my dinner companions... yum. The first time there were three of us, during Carnevale. The second, we were four, on Derby Day (Kentucky Derby that is, first weekend in May. Old habits die hard).

There is nothing contemporary or nouveau about the setting, but instead it is quintessential Venetian at its best: elegant, intimate, traditional, well-done. There's a graceful terrace out front where you'll sit either closer to the Riva, or on the canal that runs along-side. There are more tables inside, and another salon upstairs with views of the Bacino and San Giorgio beyond (see photo).

Being on the Riva, they have adapted their menu to offer dishes for the more conservative, traveling palate (lots of meat alternatives). But being of Venetian persuasion ourselves (by birth or by choice), we ate fish, fish and more fish, taking the chef's recommendations-of-the-day. Pesce crudo (an antipasto of a variety of fresh, raw fish, thinly sliced (carpaccio) and seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper perhaps: canoce, shrimp, scampi, sole, seabass, a teeny octopus, smoked salmon on a crostino), marinated salmon, traditional carpaccio: bresaola, rucola, and grated reggiano. (No lemon; this is only if the fish is sub-par, my friends tell me.)

For primi, we tried the scampi and champagne risotto (exceptional) along with tagliatelle buranea with scallops and zucchini, dividing them between us. My friends ordered the Rombo (turbot) al grenobloise in three for a second - this fish is always such a treat - and it was excellent. Other dishes ordered included the frittura (a safe choice for the tentative palate), and the Coda di Rospo, or monk fish - another personal favorite. Cooked and seasoned to perfection. What a relief!

The wine list is not extensive but reliable, and the price per person ranged from 40 to 60 euro for antipasto, primo or secondo, wine, and dessert ... pretty much what you expect to pay along the Riva ... but it will go up if you include all four courses. You eat for a bit less if you choose meat over fish.

The service was impeccable, considering that the Carpaccio is owned by four partners, one of whom is the chef. The other three (Gino, Rosario and Diego) are servers, and one of them will likely be yours. How often do you get waited-on by the owner of the restaurant?

Be sure to reserve, though, as is the case in any restaurant in Venice. Buon appetito!

This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.

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Castello: Ristorante Carpaccio

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