Antico Martini Restaurant Review
Location
Antico Martini is located in the heart of San Marco Island in Venice, Italy. San Marco is the most popular island in Venice with historic landmarks, restaurants, shops, and the Grand Canal. Antico Martini is the perfect place for a nice dinner after enjoying a show at the nearby Teatro La Fenice, a performing arts theatre.
History + Concept
Antico Martini is a fine dining restaurant serving elevated Venetian food since 1720. This upscale restaurant started out as a small cafe for artists and scholars to gather. Fast forward to 1863, the cafe opens its doors to the public and is the hub for coffee. After weathering many historical events and changes in management, Antico Martini stands tall and proud. The restaurant is absolutely stunning with dark wood floor-to-ceiling trim, ornate paintings, and white tablecloths. Their dimly lit dining areas are the perfect place to enjoy an elevated Venetian dinner.
“Welcome to Antico Martini – Where cooking is a joy for the eyes and the palate.”
– Antico Martini
Tasting Menu
Bellinis
Two freshly made bellinis started our candle-lit dinner with a bang. These were some of the best bellinis I have ever tried, rich with bitter grapefruit, not too sweet, with a dancing sparkling texture.
Seafood Platter
Fulvio took great care of us and recommended a seafood platter to try a little bit of everything. This seafood platter was everything I had imagined and more. The scallop oozed with freshness while laying in a bath of Antico Martini’s signature sauce. Our mouths watered as we watched Fulvio carve house-smoked salmon onto our plates. My favorite bite was the curry seasoned shrimp. The warm spices paired perfectly with the sweet warm drizzle of honey. Each element on the seafood platter was well thought out, inventive, and delicious.
Homemade Mushroom Tagliolini
Onto our next course, pasta! Antico Martini only does pasta one way and that is homemade. This homemade tagliolini pasta was perfectly al dente and coated in a luxurious white mushroom sauce. Intertwined with the ribbon pasta were freshly shaved porcini mushrooms. These mushrooms were such a treat, adding earthiness, texture, and finesse to this decadent dish.
Dessert Trio
After our large seafood platter and a full bowl of yummy pasta, we were quite stuffed so we skipped the main course and fast-tracked to some dessert.
Antico Martini offers quite an array of warm and cold desserts. We chose a small trio of classic tiramisu, frozen soufflé, and simple vanilla gelato with berries. The unique frozen soufflé was everything velvety, creamy, and smooth. The frozen delight was full of warm vanilla flavor which paired well with the tart berry sauce.
Coffee
Of course, this cannot be a complete Italian dinner without a cup of coffee.
Rating
This was one amazing dining experience filled with homemade pasta, bellinis, and a large seafood platter! Thank you, Fulvio, and your team for the outstanding service and the lovely evening.
Venice Tour and Lunch on San Giorgio Maggiore Island
