We are in Venice for 2 days, and with regards to food the first thing that struck us was how expensive and touristy everything was. Not surprising perhaps considering this city's popularity, but when cafés on the main St. Mark's Square are imposing a €6 cover charge for providing live music (none of which, I'm sure, actually goes to the musicians themselves) one easily infers the business owners' intentions to profiteer from the city's rich history. Even avoiding the central areas, an average 3-course meal will set you back by €40 to €50 per person at dinner, and as far as we could tell there were no 'cheap' places like pizzerias.
After an expensive and rather unsatisfying dinner yesterday too close to the main square, we were determined this evening to search further afield. In a little side street far away from the madding crowd, not too far away from the Rialto bridge, we stumbled upon this quaint little restaurant Al Paradiso. Considering how empty it was I'm not sure what actually pulled us in, but I guess we had grown cynical of big crowds in mediocre restaurants around the square. Well, at least there was no tacky 'Menu Turistico' board outside - worth taking a chance!
I should first mention that despite not having many customers, the service remained indifferent and sometimes even rather haughty. The staff seemed more interested in talking amongst themselves, with nary a smile cast in our direction. They did seem somewhat warmer towards a table of Italian tourists sitting at the other end of the space. However in their defence and from what we have experienced, I should also state for the record that this coldness seems rather typical of restaurants in Venice, no matter how much you are paying. This review shall henceforth focus only on the food served, which as you have probably guessed was really quite good, since it is worth a post!
The menu comes in five languages so it is very easy to order. Prices are steep for a 'normal' establishment, with almost nothing under €20, except two dishes you see below. We went for 2 courses each, one pasta and one seafood dish.
Scallops with baby tomatoes, red wine and thyme
This starter was excellent. The scallops were fresh, sweet and juicy, and their taste was perfectly complemented by the equally sweet and juicy tomatoes, while the sauce of tomatoes and red wine contributed a lovely full-bodied flavour to the dish. A sprinkling of dried thyme was the icing on the cake with its minty and citrusy aromas. The only problem? I found it truly difficult to justify the price of €16 for two scallops without any sophisticated preparation like in a Michelin-starred place; I certainly hope we weren't intentionally ripped off on the portions! Oh well, at least it was good while it lasted.
Seafood pappardelle
The pasta had a lovely al dente bite (though strangely little was offered compared to the other two pasta dishes), and it was complemented by a generous amount of seafood (mainly chunks of prawns and clams), as well as a thick tomato-based sauce that had been infused with the concentrated flavours of a good seafood stock. This was incredibly tasty and satisfying.
Spaghetti with cuttlefish ink
You have to try an authentic cuttlefish ink pasta at least once while in Italy, even the idea of eating some organism's discharge makes you squeamish. This is one of my favourite pasta dishes of all time, and the one served up here certainly didn't disappoint. In fact, I think it may have been the best ink pasta I have ever eaten. The firm spaghetti had been tossed in an equally robust squid ink sauce which possessed a rich and slightly creamy texture. Compared to many inferior foreign versions which resort to artificial colouring to turn the pasta strands completely black, whilst seldom achieving the same depth of flavour, this dish's seemingly mild and boring outlook belied an incredible umami. A few pieces of cuttlefish with a pleasant firm bite completed this stellar dish. At €18 it was also an infinitely better deal compared to the scallop starter!
Linguine with king prawns in Genoese style
This dish was chosen by my mother as it reminded her immediately of the excellent Genoese pasta we had had in more humble settings at Sapori e Delizie in Rome. The one served here had been tossed in equally generous amounts of pesto and olive oil, and the flavour and aromas, though concentrated, seemed somewhat more refined and well-infused into individual linguine strands (perhaps due to better olive oil or a different composition in the pesto?). I have to be fair though - at €20 here compared to €5 in Rome it should be better anyway, and in fact we were slightly disappointed at the meagre amount of prawns given, which is probably the only ingredient that would justify the price since the others are reasonably cheap stuff. The few chunks strewn on top could not have been made up more than 2 normal-sized prawns, not to mention king-sized ones - you should see what 'king' prawns really mean to us back in Asia!
Swordfish with spinach purée, baby tomatoes and basil
My, my, this was good - and for the first time this evening the portions seemed suitably substantial in all components of a main course. The swordfish steak, a typically mild-flavoured white fish with a firm bite, was excellent paired with generous amounts of basil and olive oil, for additional juiciness and flavour. The almost equally large disc of puréed spinach achieved a surprising smoothness and creaminess without using any butter or cream (as far as my palate could tell); this was both tasty and extremely healthful (spinach being an oft-cited superfood!). The fresh baby tomatoes were of course of a very high quality typical of Italy and other Mediterranean regions. This was definitely the best value-for-money dish of the evening.
Fried langoustine, calamari and zucchini
First, the positives: the seafood was all very fresh, with a delicate sweetness and firm bite, and even the zucchini maintained an astonishing juiciness and crunch despite having been through the fryer. Like a good Japanese tempura, the batter was also very light and crisp. But €23 for this (same price as the previous swordfish dish), labelled as a fish/seafood main course? I just couldn't get my head round it. I think even ladies with small appetites might find this inadequate.
A mental summary brought the bill to exactly €120 for 3 people without any drinks (just tap water), twice of what we had spent on a normal dinner in Italy so far. We decided to call it a day without dessert even though we still had reasonable stomach space.
In summary: mixed feelings about this one. The food was all lovely while it lasted, but bearing in mind that this is not exactly a fine-dining establishment, I could not get rid of the nagging feeling that the prices had been a rip-off for the portions offered, with apathetic service to boot (as in almost all Venetian restaurants). I would recommend this place for the quality of its cooking - if it's expensive everywhere you should at least make sure that the food is good! - but do come prepared with a good budget, and, if you have a healthy appetite like us, hopefully something light in your tummy as well, before the actual meal.
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