Ristorante Cantinone Storico,

Ristorante Cantinone Storico sits inconspicuously on a canal between the Accademia Bridge and the Guggenheim Museum. A lively outdoor seating area calls to you as you make your way over one of Venice’s innumerable stone bridges. Settle into a canal side outdoor table where the chimes of bells from one of the local churches provide the soundtrack to your meal. Tables inside are charming as well. The atmosphere is cozy and warm and the chef is more likely to duck out of the kitchen, come to your table and proclaim what your order should be. That isn’t to say you’re safe from a culinary assault being seated outside but the chef’s access is slightly more limited.
An attentive (and shockingly attractive) staff provides exemplary service throughout the meal. They don’t pander or condescend. There’s none of that touristy “Its-a so nice to have-a you in our ristorante”, like they’re quoting “Lady and The Tramp”. The entire staff seems genuinely dedicated to providing you with a comfortable, welcoming, delightful dining experience. They understand that eating is an art form and this meal will be their canvas.
Masterpieces flow from the kitchen continuously. Gnocchi with gorgonzola is al dente, airy, and creamy. Vegetable risotto with fresh porcini mushrooms is woodsy, meaty (without any meat), and refreshing all at once. Tuna carpaccio, delicate and buttery, looking like thin slices of watermelon, is served with peppery arugula. Mixed seafood antipasto, cheese platters featuring gorgonzola, belle paese and reggiano parmesano, prosciutto and melon, the kitchen whips up classic Italian fare with exacting attention to flavor and execution.
No dish better showcases this masterful than the lasagna. Lighter and more flavorful than could possibly be expected, there’s no Stouffer’s around here, thankfully, and each forkful resuscitates a dish typically relegated to cafeterias. Who knew lasagna could be this good? Did you know you’re actually supposed to taste something besides congealed cheese when you take a bite? When lasagna is done well you actually bite through layers of fluffy ricotta, slow simmered tomato sauce, thin ribbons of al dente pasta and a multitude of other seasonings and ingredients. Shocking but true!
Raise a glass of Chianti in its honor and enjoy another bite in this gallery of cuisine.
Ristorante Cantinone Storico
Dorsoduro, 660/661
30123 - Venezia (VE) Italia
Tel. 041.5239577