Ode to simplicity and substance in one of our favourite osteria (wine bar-tavern) in the city.
The wine bar Ai Artisti is one of those places that escapes any definition of the kind. It opens early in the morning for breakfast and accommodates its clients all day long with its wide choice of excellent food, including a rich and creative selection of “cicheti”, the Venetian tapas, available at any moment of the day.
Everyday Francesca personally goes to the fish market in Rialto to buy the freshest meat, fish and vegetables to delight her guests with a traditional cuisine together with some culinary influences from the regions of Campania and Trentino.
In the summer heat, try the exquisite salads or a platter of delicious cheese. The wine cellar is superlative, rich in precious and particular labels, with a special attention to the small businesses of high quality Italian wine producers. If you become intimidated by the choice of wine, do not be shy and ask Francesca and Enzo to guide you through the perfect bottle of wine.
We recommend that you book a table in advance because the tables are limited and especially if you want to be able to dine more intimately at the counter. There is a lovely and quiet space overlooking the little canal of La Toletta, which is very pleasant in the good season.
After lunch, not far from there, it is worth browsing La Toletta, an historical Venetian bookshop or why not lose yourself in the vast collection of paintings by Venetian and Veneto artists in the Nuove Gallerie dell’Accademia.
F.B.
