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Recommended Reviews - Acqua & Mais
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Omg, there's no better way to try delicious Italian street food than in Aqua & Mai's. I heard a a lot about this place and I just had to see and experience it myself. Am sharing pics because words are not enough!
Came here for what else, Fried mix seafood to go. Order a small size to go cup and €11.50 goes a long way fulfilling your lunch hunger. Crispy on the outside and chewy in the inside.
I really wanted to love this place but I found it to be whatever. I found this place on yelp and all the photos of their food in a cone looked good so I had to check it out. It's about a 20 minute walk from the water taxi and I found it to not be worth it. Once we got there we noticed they had food on display ready to be eaten and also foods you can order. Everything was in Italian. The line was kinda long and we waited about 20 minutes before it was our turn. I asked for fried calamari in a cone, their vegetarian fried ball, lasagna, and some squid. She gave us fried seafood in a cone instead. It was good though so we didn't complain. The squid was also really good. The rest was either trash or it was too cold. The vegetarian fried ball was disgusting especially because it was cold. The lasagna would have been good if it wasn't served to us cold. I don't know why they wouldn't warm it for us. They knew we were eating it right there because we got forks. We also got some polenta on the side which were okay. It's a grab and go type of spot and there is no where to sit inside nor outside. Great concept and they have a few great items but not everything was good. Pricing is affordable.
For 12 euros this place was worth it! My family and I were trying to find something easy and quick to eat while walking around Venice and ran into Acqua & Mais. I love that it is fresh and is made to order.
We were waiting in a pretty long line for breakfast around the corner and I was starving so I thought why not have a little cup of seafood while I wait?! I also had been wanting to try this place! They have a ton of different fried seafood/foods. I got the seafood in a cone which came with squid, sardine, shrimp and even a polenta on the top. My favorite was the shrimp and squids. It was hot & salty and just what I needed! Definitely a great snack to walk around Venice with before a meal.
Saw on somebody feed Phil on Netflix and wanted to try the fried seafood in a paper cone. There was a small sign advertising the fried seafood cone as well as a counter full of other items already prepared. In addition to the cone, which was prepared fresh, I tried a grilled cuttlefish. The food all tasted like the sea here, definitely more seafood flavor than I am used to. The cuttlefish was our least favorite thing, a little on the chewier side. Preferred the seafood cone. It was an experience to try whole sardines for the first time. We ate our food standing around the corner.
Could not resist visiting here again. And again. When the weather is a bit chilly, the anticipation of eating hot seafood in the drizzling rain is a luxury all PNWers understand. So good, so fun ;)
Amazing seafood for a song. Acqua Mais offerings were well prepared and delicious. Some items are priced per piece while others are weighed. Standing counter space for around 4 WYS is WYG (what you see is what you get - if it looks delicious, it is delicious) Service was fast, friendly and efficient! I highly recommend Acqua Mais for a quick, delicious, no fuss lunch.
Absolutely delicious fritto misto! Ours was made fresh to order with a great variety of each: calamari, shrimp, sardines, clam. There was also something that tasted like fried cornmeal, which wasn't for me but I think that is a personal preference. Haven't tried any of the local places here to compare it to but was very happy with the fritto misto here.
I don't know, I was short-changed 1€, but I didn't say anything , it may be to order others food, this seafood in a cone was so so.
€12 for a small box of seafood but tasty. Not bad for quick experience Roasted chicken for €9,90
Delicious quick fried foods for a snack or meal if you wanted. The seafood is so fresh! And some of them come with polenta which is divine! Polenta is a thing in Venice. There's other street foods like aracini or suppli They also have more side dishes inside which is put on top of polenta. I chose one that had meatballs with some sort of greens. Good too!
Oh. My. God. I think about this place on the daily, genuinely. We were only in Venice for 4 days but we made sure to come here twice because it was so good. The seafood is absolutely delicious! We got stuffed squid, sardines, the fried seafood mixed plate, the octopus, and an eggplant dish as well. Unfortunately I am an uneducated American and do not recall the specific names of these dishes, but this place had so many amazing options, if you're a fan of seafood you cannot go wrong. It's a small, quant place that was cute and had a lot of charm! Venice overall is such a beautiful city, there wasn't a time during our stay where I didn't enjoy the views, buildings, etc. the servers/chefs were also really nice and helpful! Amazing experience and I truly dream about the sardines. read more
1 month ago
A must stop for grab and go Venetian street food. We tried the calamari and the shrimp and polenta. Everything was delicious. read more
Maybe overhyped. Visited with my sister who had been there 2 times previously. Service is friendly enough. The fried seafood is made to order but the other dishes come out immediately or after quick reheating. No ambience as it's essentially a takeout counter but there's enough space outside where you can eat. Counter where you order fried seafood boxes and some prepared dishes including seafood, skewers and meatballs. The seafood had been stunning previously but this time it was disappointing. Decent portions but all the ingredients were smaller except for the sardines. Came right behind a tour which shows you the hype exists. I won't blame it for the drop in quality but it's possible. read more
1 year ago
Omg, there's no better way to try delicious Italian street food than in Aqua & Mai's. I heard a a lot about this place and I just had to see and experience it myself. Am sharing pics because words are not enough! read more
I really wanted to love this place but I found it to be whatever. I found this place on yelp and all the photos of their food in a cone looked good so I had to check it out. It's about a 20 minute walk from the water taxi and I found it to not be worth it. Once we got there we noticed they had food on display ready to be eaten and also foods you can order. Everything was in Italian. The line was kinda long and we waited about 20 minutes before it was our turn. I asked for fried calamari in a cone, their vegetarian fried ball, lasagna, and some squid. She gave us fried seafood in a cone instead. It was good though so we didn't complain. The squid was also really good. The rest was either trash or it was too cold. The vegetarian fried ball was disgusting especially because it was cold. The lasagna would have been good if it wasn't served to us cold. I don't know why they wouldn't warm it for us. They knew we were eating it right there because we got forks. We also got some polenta on the side which were okay. It's a grab and go type of spot and there is no where to sit inside nor outside. Great concept and they have a few great items but not everything was good. Pricing is affordable. read more
11 months ago
For 12 euros this place was worth it! My family and I were trying to find something easy and quick to eat while walking around Venice and ran into Acqua & Mais. I love that it is fresh and is made to order. read more
We were waiting in a pretty long line for breakfast around the corner and I was starving so I thought why not have a little cup of seafood while I wait?! I also had been wanting to try this place! They have a ton of different fried seafood/foods. I got the seafood in a cone which came with squid, sardine, shrimp and even a polenta on the top. My favorite was the shrimp and squids. It was hot & salty and just what I needed! Definitely a great snack to walk around Venice with before a meal. read more
Saw on somebody feed Phil on Netflix and wanted to try the fried seafood in a paper cone. There was a small sign advertising the fried seafood cone as well as a counter full of other items already prepared. In addition to the cone, which was prepared fresh, I tried a grilled cuttlefish. The food all tasted like the sea here, definitely more seafood flavor than I am used to. The cuttlefish was our least favorite thing, a little on the chewier side. Preferred the seafood cone. It was an experience to try whole sardines for the first time. We ate our food standing around the corner. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
Amazing seafood for a song. Acqua Mais offerings were well prepared and delicious. Some items are priced per piece while others are weighed. Standing counter space for around 4 WYS is WYG (what you see is what you get - if it looks delicious, it is delicious) Service was fast, friendly and efficient! I highly recommend Acqua Mais for a quick, delicious, no fuss lunch. read more
4 years ago
Absolutely delicious fritto misto! Ours was made fresh to order with a great variety of each: calamari, shrimp, sardines, clam. There was also something that tasted like fried cornmeal, which wasn't for me but I think that is a personal preference. Haven't tried any of the local places here to compare it to but was very happy with the fritto misto here. read more
3 years ago
I don't know, I was short-changed 1€, but I didn't say anything , it may be to order others food, this seafood in a cone was so so. read more
4 years ago
€12 for a small box of seafood but tasty. Not bad for quick experience Roasted chicken for €9,90 read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
Great service! Delicious and tasty fried seafood - jumbo pieces of calamari, shrimp and sardines. Great selection of beer and other nonalcoholic beverages. Definitely going back for more!! read more
8 years ago
Delicious quick fried foods for a snack or meal if you wanted. The seafood is so fresh! And some of them come with polenta which is divine! Polenta is a thing in Venice. There's other street foods like aracini or suppli They also have more side dishes inside which is put on top of polenta. I chose one that had meatballs with some sort of greens. Good too! read more
4 years ago
Super freshly fried seafood! We ordered just calamari (they also had shrimp and sardines) in a cone (smaller than a box) and watched the chef drop the handful of battered squid into the fryer -- definitely made to order! We asked for lemon and was given a nice and large wedge. Easy to eat on the go or enjoy by the canals! read more
5 years ago
Had this three days in a row while staying in Venice. Hard to miss unless you're on the lookout for it. Definitely a must try if you're a fan of calamari or lightly fried mixed seafood - they don't make it like this in the States. read more
7 years ago
This place is a perfect little place to stop for a snack! It's almost like street food, but not in a cart. They have a few location and we were, apparently, walking to the farther one until I made a quick turn and realized there was one right here! Perfect, quick snack before pizza! I walked right up to the window and picked what I wanted. We got the calamari shrimp combo and a scallop. HIT THE SPOT! Love love love, wish we had something like that in the US. The price was reasonable also, like about $6 for the calamari combo, but I guess it depends on the exchange rate when you go. Definitely a spot to go when in Venice. read more
3 years ago
By wandering around the winding streets of Venice and following our nose, we made it to this purveyor of delicious fried goods. This is standing room only and you order at a window that has all of the options presented in a cone at the register. We ordered the mixed seafood (calamari & whole mini octopus) and the mixed veggies with polenta. The mixed seafood was wonderful taste, pipping hot, and crisped to perfection. The octopus was a small piece of that cone we could have done without, but the calamari was so good, it made up for it. The mixed veggies were not warm, which was a bit off putting; however we realized that the hot polenta at the bottom of the cone is most likely there to dip the veggies into and warm them up. Once we started doing this, it became very good! Overall, cost is reasonable, it's a good snack to grab and go and despite it being fried, you keep your hands clean because they give you a skewer to use as a utensil. read more
5 years ago
overhyped :~( the fritto misto (deep fried mixed seafood) was very salty and not as fresh as the other mom and pop shops we had tried. we could kind of tell that it had been sitting out for awhile. it also didn't come with a lemon (which is essential!!) :~( i did like that they included a fried piece of polenta in there, but it was so salty we couldn't even finish it. we also tried their baccala (one regular, one seasoned) which was pretty good, but again.. the polenta it came with was so salty that we ate around it. the grilled cuttlefish was pretty much inedible.. very chewy and had a weird peanut butter-like taste? overall i don't think this place is worth it, especially when there are so many other shops that had way better fritto misto/calamari. read more
This was on my must-try list of foods in Venice. This is the perfect on the go street foods for when you need a little snack while roaming through Venice. I love calamari but this blew my mind. You walk up to the window and order what you want. It's quickly ready for you and you're on your way. The cone cup is completely filled with calamari and it's a lot more than you think. The calamari was cooked perfectly and the batter on the outside was so good ! It was like $7 for the cone of calamari. My boyfriend and I were trying all sorts of foods throughout the day so we only ordered one and it was enough for us to share for a small snack. Besides the fact that it was really good, it was also presented so nicely for the perfect picture of the canals. read more
Venetian fried street food...all of that sounds too good to be true. Well, let me tell you, it is! Starting at 5 euros, it is affordable and worth a try if you like fried seafood. My husband and I were amazed at how good it was, we got seconds! Staff is friendly and made the experience so much better. Just a tip: if you use google map for directions to this place, it will tell you to go further. Just keep an eye out for fried food and the name of the restaurant and you'll be okay! read more
2 years ago
8 years ago
I agree with a review below. We were SO EXCITED to try this place - a friend recommended on their trip! Said it was THE BEST.. Ours was "old" not crispy seafood or veggies and dried out. So bummed - great pics.. not great food :( read more
10 years ago
This is one of the best finds in Italy. We ran into this place through our "get lost in Venice" day. The line is pretty long, but each serving is about $5-6. I had the calamari and shrimp, while my husband added the anchovies for an euro more. Great experience and cheap eats! read more
4 years ago
Great stop for a snack! Ordered the fried shrimp, calamari, fish combo that came with polenta cakes. It was hot during a very cold evening, which made for a comforting bite. If I was more hungry I would have loved to try the non-fried items on skewers displayed inside the store, too. read more
3 years ago
8 years ago
TL;DR - Great place for cheap and tasty seafood. This place is basically just a hole in the wall, but the seafood they serve is great. Most of the options are under €6 - we went for the mixed seafood option, which including sardines, squid, prawn and calamari all on top of some of the creamiest polenta I've ever tasted. The dish is served in a cone to take away. Everything is super fresh - our fish was fried right there before our eyes and we had to wait for it to cool down before we could eat it, it was so hot. The staff didn't seem to speak much English, but the menu outside listed everything in English as well as Italian, and they had arranged "mock ups" of what each dish looked like to help, so you can just point at the one you like if you prefer. read more
10 years ago
Items Selected: Fried Shrimp and Squid Brandade and Fried Polenta Seafood Arancini A small food stall located near Pasticceria Rizzardini it was just past 11h00 when I doubled back to sample the Venetian Streetfoods of Acqua & Mais, the work of a former fine-dining Chef turned casual as close as Italy gets to America's "Food Truck" movement with prices that seem almost like stealing in comparison to the quality of the cuisine. Translated to "Water & Corn" and serving cold Salads, Polenta, grilled or fried Meat and Vegetables in paper cones, bags or napkins intended to be eaten on the go, Acqua & Mais is best located heading east on Campiello dei Meloni from the mainland to Ponte di Rialto, the small signage almost enough to render the storefront hidden in plain view were it not for a display of items along the front window that seem to be more than enough to bring the masses, locals as well as tourists almost invariably found in a several minute queue. Staffed by just two men, both working prep with hot items grilled or fried fresh up front as others are readied in a rear-kitchen visible through the small standing area adjacent a counter where items can be purchased by weight, it was accounting for a relatively aggressive dining agenda that just three selections made at a total of €13,50, the results setting a high standard that similar dishes sold elsewhere for more money would soon prove unable to outperform. Best known for the Fritto Misto, a combination of Shrimp and Squid lightly kissed by Lemon and fried crisp without a hint of grease, suffice it to say that each crunchy bite offers robust flavors at the very peak of just-caught freshness, the trimmings used alongside toothsome Rice, melted Parmigiano, Fish and Peas to create the best Arancini I've ever laid eyes on, the texture of a slow-cooked Risotto not any different aside from its lack of ability to be eaten from a napkin on the way through Venice's never-ending maze. Saving the best till last, though personal biases toward creamed Salt Cod must be noted as the Potato, Cream and Fish combination is undoubtedly an acquired taste, those craving the classic dish are not only recommended but strongly encouraged to taste the version offered in a deep cone with bits of fried Cornmeal for dunking, a light bit of herbs lingering just long enough to offset all the brininess with a texture that is as smooth as silk. read more
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More info about Acqua & Mais
Campiello dei Meloni 1411
30125 Venezia
Italy
Directions
041 2960530
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http://acquaemais.com
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2 years ago
