IL RIDOTTO

My wife and I just completed an outstanding evening extravaganza at Il Ridotto. Gianni & Nicola Bonacorrsi created a gourmet delight tonight to celebrate my birthday, visiting this restaurant for the first time from Toronto. Welcomed and given our choice of seating, we began with selecting from tasting menus or an a la carte menu, we chose the former, a 5 course fish menu. Having started with Prosecco in our hotel, we selected two glasses wonderful white wines, a Sauvignon and a Malvasia. Both wines were outstanding. Our meal began with a gazpacho soup accompanied by a small dish of cod. These were so tasty that we wondered whether the rest of the meal could measure up? But we were not disappointed. Three scallops topped with shredded zucchini followed that were perfectly cooked ringed by a toothsome sauce. Next we savored the mushrooms and calamari that were nothing short of outstanding. Green fish risotto, a mouth-watering plate that was satisfying and delicious. The main was a riccioli, a Mediterranean white fish that was soft and delicate, topped with perfectly cooked eggplant. And finally aside from my birthday candle in sweet orange square, the dessert was a medley of citrus sauces covered with biscuits and flaked chocolate. Its was a complex dessert that I am certain I have not done justice to in my description but was absolutely wonderful. We ordered 2 glasses of Limoncello only to find it was homemade! Not to be put off by the amber color of the limoncello, we were totally blown away by its perfect flavor, smooth and light quality and intense after kick.

The service was nothing short of perfect. Gianni explained the tasting menu, each plate was then served with an explanation and the pace between plates was well-timed. The staff were helpful but not overbearing and the ambience was warm and friendly. I am unable to leave a single comment on how to improve this meal; as is often said, it is difficult to improve on perfection.

Thank you for making my birthday such a special occasion and for serving your fortunate customers with such grace and panache. We cannot wait to return to Venice and to revisit an Il Ridotto experience.

Cheers and best wishes,
Jerrold & Robin Lerman

This was one of the absolute best restaurant experiences we have ever had, coming from two chefs on our honeymoon traveling all around Italy. The food was simple yet extraordinary. Exceptionally high quality ingredients made for a truly elevated experience. These chefs bring out the best of the foods available in the local region. Every restaurant in the world should aspire to do what this place does with indigenous foods. As far as service goes, we could not hope for any better. The owner himself served much of our wine and food and made us feel like family, despite a language barrier. I wish we could come here every weekend and make it a regular part of our lives. Since we live in a different continent, we will content ourselves by making sure our next trip to Europe includes a stop in Venice so we can eat here again. Bravo! Mille Grazie!!

This was one of my most memorable restaurant experiences. The food was flavorful and interesting. The service and attentiveness from the staff was impeccable. The chefs used many different unique techniques that excited my taste buds. Do not let the negative reviews foul you. This restaurant should be at the top of your list when visiting Venice. It rises above the rest and will not disappoint.

Not unusual to Venizia, there were only two people working front of house. Although they were both running nonstop it took nearly 4 hours for service. We had the first reservation of the night. Despite the slower than average service, the food is a clinic of classic French cuisine preparation. We got the 7 course tasting menu and were awed by no less than 9 courses. Raw fish, cooked seafood, cold soup, risotto al dente, beef ravioli, veal meatloaf, and desserts. Would I go back? Probably not. Was it worth the trip, absolutely. ~€400 for dinner for 2, a bottle of wine and 2 bottles of water.

Fuimos a hacer el menú de degustación de 150€, éramos 3 personas. El trato recibido fue incorrecto, el señor que nos atendió ni nos miraba a la cara. Los platos no nos gustaron eran muy simples, en el bacalao mantecado de textura cremosa habían espinas, un plato de pescado vino sin pelar la piel, le avisamos y la respuesta fue : ya lo sabíamos, tampoco lo hemos podido pelar… el arroz estaba muy poco hecho hasta crujía, los raviolis secos. La botella de vino no la abrió delante de nosotros. Se escuchaban los comentarios inapropiados sobre nuestra mesa del metre hacia cocina. El servicio bastante mal, al final la comida va a gustos y de lo que realmente nos quejamos es del servicio. En un sitio de tal prestigio lo que no puede ser es que la persona que da la cara hacia el consumidor muestre su disgusto con el trabajo que cumple y haga sentir mal al cliente.