La Columbina was an excellent experience from start to finish! We arrived for our reservation and were seated immediately -- no wait at all. The owner greeted us personally and offered some great recommendations from the specials, which set the tone for the rest of the meal. We ended up ordering the scallops, freshly caught lobster, sea bass, risotto, and lobster with pasta -- every single dish was phenomenal. We paired it all with a local wine that was excellent, and finished the evening with a limoncello to cap things off perfectly. This place is a true hidden gem. It wasn't overcrowded, the food was outstanding, and the whole experience felt special. If you're in the Venice area, I highly recommend visiting La Columbina -- you won't be disappointed! read more

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Very good Italian/ Venetian dishes. Not the basic food you get at other restaurants. Hidden gem. Delicious food. Dessert was devoured before pictured. Service was excellent. I highly recommend. read more

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Our hotel concierge recommended this restaurant so we gave it a try. Decided to do the tasting menu so we could try Venetian dishes. What a wonderful place. Small and intimate. Changed our silverware with each dish. So happy we listened to the concierge. read more

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We made reservations at this off the beaten path restaurant. We were greeted with a smile and seated right away. The service was excellent, and the staff was incredibly polite and helpful. The owner came over and gave us fantastic recommendations for both our food and wine. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal here! To top it all off, the limoncello was really good! Highly recommend stopping by this hidden gem. read more

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Our family of 8 visited La Colombina on 2 occasions on April and we could not have enjoyed the food, the service and the atmosphere. Clearly, on both occasions it was our favorite restaurant to visit. We allowed the owner to recommend both food and wine and we were blown away. We will be back in the fall when we visit again. read more

Food service and ambiance. We went with two children (11/13). The service was amazing.

The place is amazing. It was recommended to me by a former boss. It was a very small restaurant in which reservations are highly recommended, especially for dinner. The service is very good, polite and friendly. Please note it is an Italian style restaurant so they want you to slowly and the meal as an experience. The food different from anything I have ever had. First course was Il nostro 'cassopipa' pasta. The sauce is like the ocean with deep flavor from all the clams. Very good. The second course , Filetto di branzino in costa di zucchine. The fish was moist and crustacean sauce gave it such a unique flavor. Definitely worth checking out if you're staying near here. read more

Adriana was just the best. She's very attentive to our needs and helpful on us making a decision. The scallops was by far the best appetizer I had ever had in all Italy. Place looks great and clean. Business was run by a mother and son so I feel really good supporting small business like this! Superb food and customer service read more

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Enoteca La Columbina was recommended to us from the hotel on our first night in Venice. Was a bit skeptical as usual on a hotel rec, but was pleasantly surprised by how great of an experience we had at La Columbina. It is a quaint little spot with only a few tables. We were very lucky enough to get a reservation here on the same day. It is a Michelin star restaurant and the service and quality of the food definitely shows this. Service was attentive and pleasant the whole evening, despite some obvious language barriers from us on our first day of the trip. They start off the meal with a welcome hot vegetable soup drink that was delicious and a basket with breads. I am not a huge wine person but you drink wine in Italy so I asked the waitress what her recommendation was and it did not disappoint, a very flavorful and mellow red that paired great with my meal. We ordered the Piatto Unico del Doge - Doge's Single Course. Was not entirely sure what to expect but wow. A HUGE bowl of mussels & clams, topped with 4 prawns on top. The broth and seasoning was so delicious. About 1/2 way through the course they brought a large platter of spaghetti and put it in the bowl, soaking up some of the broth and adding a whole other layer to the dish. Wow. So good and an unforgettable night. We will absolutely be back next time we are in Venice. read more

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Lovely small restaurant just off a busy pedestrian area. Intimate courtyard in the rear was a very nice spot for a vacationing couple. Superb food and service. read more

La Columbina - Entrance - Wine Bars Near Me - Venezia, VE

Really wonderful place that we couldn't believe was not packed on a Friday night in July. Food, service and ambiance all get five stars from me. From the reservation process to paying the bill, La Columbina knows how to operate a high end restaurant. The restaurant is in an alley off of Strada Nuevo in Cannaregio and has a spacious little courtyard to itself for Al fresco dining without the hot sun in the summertime. Staff was well dressed, service oriented and all spoke English well. I believe the owner came out to help with our order as I had let her know that we had food allergies in our party when making the reservation weeks prior. The kitchen did more than make us confident they could handle it, they made custom dishes for my son (including a special loaf of bread that was free of his allergens - dairy and nuts). They even allowed the rest of us to order the tasting menu at our table (when they usually only allow tasting menus for the whole table). I have found Venetian restaurants to be accommodating to food allergies, but this was above and beyond. We had the Mare (seafood) menu. The food was simply outstanding. Every dish was prepared and presented with care from the amuse bouche (chilled tomato soup) to the tiramisu for dessert. The scallop au gratin, squid ink risotto, gnocchi with crab sauce, and seabass wrapped in zucchini were all delicious. I want to have that gnocchi again already! They elevated traditional Venetian specialties without going over the top. I will say that the portions were a little large for a five course menu. All the dishes appeared to be full sized, which made it a LOT to finish all of them. That's a first world problem though! They offer wine pairings at very fair prices - including Coravin stored premium wines by the glass. I wanted a very local wine and purchased a bottle instead of doing pairings. La Columbina happened to be a five minute walk from my accommodations, but it's worth a visit no matter where you are staying in Venice (or even as a reason to go). I still cannot believe how fair the pricing was for the tasting menu (66€ for five courses that would have been close to 95€ a la carte). For an experience this good, you owe it to yourself to visit this restaurant. I visited another highly recommended and widely publicized restaurant in Venice east of St Mark's Square. This place was significantly better. They certainly deserve their long-standing Michelin recognition. I cannot recommend this place enough! read more

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Amazing food and service. Everything about this small family run place was divine. Recommend it without hesitation. My wife and I went last night and likely go back tonight. It was that good!!! read more

On recommendation from our concierge, hubby and I had dinner here our first night in Venice. What a treat! Our service was attentive and so kindly helpful. I thoroughly enjoyed my first sampling of cicchetti! Such a quaint little place to dine! read more

La Columbina - Wine Bars Near Me - Venezia, VE

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A culinary experience that is orgasmic! Before you leave Venice, you must treat yourself to La Colombina. It was worth the mile walk from my hotel. When you are seated, you will receive complimentary small bites that vary depending on the owner's selection. We had an anchovies on a crostini. As an appetizer, the artichokes with red ham and scallops are absolutely delicious. For entree, try the branzino with zucchini. The presentation is absolutely simple but brilliant. The taste is delicious and debuts the natural flavors of the fish. If you have never had coffee made from a neopolitan flip coffee maker or caffettiera napoletana (in Italian), consider ordering this, but beware the drip coffee tends to be stronger than normal black coffee. Overall, the food was amazing and I came back for lunch the next day! Make reservations if you are in Venice during peak season or call ahead to make sure they are taking walk-ins. I will definitely come back whenever I am in Venice. read more

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The best food you are going to experience in Italy!! The service, ambiance and the atmosphere were outstanding. Highly recommended! You are not going to be disappointed!! read more

Excellent choice for our last night in Venice. If you want to try local, fresh food prepared excellently, please try this place. We ordered the "Mare" tasting menu and it did not disappoint. Come hungry, there is definitely alot of food (we were snacking the whole day before coming here) so that was my fault. Lol read more

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Spotted this place my first night in Italy, but had already eaten elsewhere, it was busy and looked like you'd need reservations anyway. The next day I was excited to stop in for lunch. I sat outside in a semi-private alleyway that was very picturesque. The food was quite good, bread had salt in it that took it to the next level. They have many small bites you can sample. My pasta dish was delicious, however, they were egg-based noodles - which I don't prefer, but that was an error on my part. Nice wines by the glass. I'd visit again if I get back to Venezia. read more

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Amazing dining experience. Each course left us wanting more. The scallops were unbelievably flavorful and perfectly cooked. The gnocchi were as soft as pillows and melted in your mouth. The staff and chef were kind, humble and very accommodating. I would recommend this to all! read more

This is truly a hidden gem among all of the canals and alley ways in Venice ... Follow your map and it's easy to find you won't regret the venture to the restaurant !!! The service, the ambience and the food are truly amazing !! I ordered the scallops and branzino covered in zucchini - a must !!! Make a reservation as it does fill up for dinner although they're very accommodating .... you'll even get an explanation of the different olive oils served with the bread ..... read more

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What an amazing experience. Atmosphere and service was top notch and added to a wonderful dining experience. But the food was spectacular. High quality and delicious. We had ravioli and gnocchi and the Bronzino crusted in zucchini....unbelievable all around! Oh and dessert was its own experience. Highly Highly Recommended! read more

A truly excellent dinner on our last night in Venice. We were fortunate to get a recommendation from a local shopkeeper and she did not steer us wrong. Right off a small campo, this restaurant is a tiny little gem, with the industrious prep area integrated into the seating area, and an outdoor seating area on a separate, very quiet square. The food was interesting and delicious. Staff explained everything very well. We were entirely satisfied. Our dinner came to 100 euro for two of us (though we did not drink a lot of wine). read more

Absolutely a "tremendous discovery" close to our hotel! Lovely family restaurant in terms of beauty and charm but what really is special was the food. The best branzino I have every had. We also chose several of the tapas, small plates. Each one was Devine. Yes, all the food was so extraordinary, until I chose the tiramisu and the pana cota. Honestly, these were the most delicious desserts I could have every wanted. I know I am in Italy. I know tiramisu is special in Venice, but I never imagined how good these desserts can be! Go here if you can. You will lover every minute of you experience! Cheers!! read more

This is out of the way of where most tourists stay. It was not worth the effort to get there. It tries too hard to be formal, but it is a casual space. The food was fine, nothing memorable. I am writing this a month after our trip and I do not specifically remember what we ate. It's ridiculous that they charge for olive oil or butter for the bread. We wanted the tasting menu, but one wanted the Mare and one the Terra. The owner would not allow this, she said they could not make it for one. Does that mean a single diner cannot get the tasting menu? We had the small appetizer, it was just pre-made stuff from the "cold bar". The rest of the meal was fine, but I don't recall what we had. My main complaint was the bill. The cover was supposed to be 5 Euros for 2, the bill was 18 Euros for the cover! The owner said she didn't understand and it was an error, but this is computer check so it is programmed into the computer. How could this be an innocent error if it's programmed into the computer. Be sure to review your check. She did correct it after I pointed out the mistake. read more

Well, I can't say that you won't have a good meal. Or that the service was awful. But really it's a very bad quality/price diner. 110€ for two. The scallops were not very tasty. The octopus was just only roasted octopus. Not very tasty too (I was in Portugal this summer and I eat excellent octopus for half the price of this one) . The risotto was not bad. But only not bad. The problem is that they act as if they were a gastronomic restaurant as it is only a standard restaurant. They put a gold leaf in the risotto, We would have prefer a gold tasty risotto. Just a word about cheese plate: it was excellent! But maybe that as Parisian food lover we are too much demanding. I don't think so! read more

Amazing fresh fish from Venizia. La Colombina was recommended in multiple travel books and given it was Sunday night with no reservations, it was our best available option. The place is hidden off an alley and blind to the wandering eye. Walking in, the dining room was very brightly lit, almost too much so for a romantic dinner. The menu had an interesting painting brushstroke system (red means meat, yellow means gluten free, etc) next to each item. We opted for the tuna tartare (they were out of swordfish), clams spaghetti, and the baked fish of the day. We were given a small bite compliments of the chef. A deep-fried egg on a bed of salad, it was oddly dressed, although I did appreciate the interesting texture of the egg. Next up was the tartare. My first bite felt a little off but normalized after a few more bites. While I thought this (and the spaghetti) were way too over salty, the flavor of the fish was the main component of the dish and paired nicely with the bread. Sort of hypocritical, I did enjoy the crunch given by the large salt flakes on top. The clam spaghetti was really good as well, and the pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, which is hard to find in the US. The main entree was the true superstar of the meal. It took a while for the fish to come out, but when it did, we could not be happier. Our server took on the task of cleaning it for us and served two piping hot plates of delicious white fish, drizzled with olive oil and finished with a dust of pepper. The fish was truly amazing. I don't think I've eaten fish as fresh and naturally sweet as this one. The accompanying potatoes also paired well and the entire platter was a real winner. Our bottle of house wine went down easy and all-in-all, it was one of the better meals we had in Venice. The tasting menu also looked like a viable option, although we realized afterwards that it might've been too much food, given the courses we opted for. Happy eating! read more

Wow. This Venetian restaurant has local and Tuscan specialities. Our hotel advised us to book a table as it's popular and has seating for only about 40. The meal we had at Cucina da Mario (http://www.qype.co.uk/place/133809-Cucina-da-Mario-Venice) was like your Italian grandmother might make for you. In contrast, the meal here was the stereotypical image I had of what eating in an Italian restaurant would be like: informal, great attention from waiters, five courses (plus dolci!) of incredibly fresh, simple, delicious food, and more wine than I could hope to choose from. The meal was delicious and filling enough that I wrote it all down. I had the meat menu, my missus had the fish menu: 1st (me; wife) - assorted meats; raw fish selection with pomegranate 2nd - bruschetta; flour polenta with shrimp 3rd - carrot, potato and cheese soup; fish soup 4th - pasta carbonara; spinach and mushroom sphagetti 5th - lamb with beans and potato; swordfish with soufflé dolci - chocolate tart; chocolate tart I don't recall now what we paid, but I remember I've never been more full or satisfied in my life. Top dining experience. A very friendly atmosphere, nice buzz about the place. They've got a small outdoor dining area, but it was streaming rain the night I was there. read more

This is by far the BEST restaurant we encountered while in Venice. The owner and chef are wonderful and the menu/food are amazing. The owner is a sommelier and is very kind and inviting. I highly suggest that you ask her to pair your wines once you have chosen your menu. This is the only restaurant we visited more than once while in Venice. Reservations are strongly suggested. read more

Another Fodor's Recommendation but has apparently changed ownership and Chef since the most recent book came out. We only had scallops au gratin with orange sauce and Risotto with Scampi. Both were excellent! Service was excellent as well, very friendly and attentive. Had a Local Chardonnay by the glass that was opened at our table and was awesome, and reasonably priced. This is a bit off the main path but on the main way to Rialto in this area. Quiet, nice casual ambiance, not touristy at all. We really enjoyed it. Would definitely go back and highly recommend it! read more

The staff were incredibly rude. The restaurant wasn't busy or full and they acted as if we were bothering them. The food was average and not worth the money or the hype. There are too many other good restaurants to choose from in Venice. read more

Simply amazing. We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch. Great service and delicious food. This is a must!!

Extremely good sea bass, which has a shellfish reduction over it and is covered in zucchini before roast. Octopus was ok. Great wine selection. read more

Outstanding worth finding Each dish made to order Best meal ever n Venice The chef and owner takes your order Very easy intimate and laid. Back Food best I have had in Venice, wish we found it first night in town instead of last night! read more

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Hands down the best food we've had on our trip to Italy! We were recommended here by our concierge when we told him it was our 5th year anniversary dinner; it did not disappoint. The menu is not overwhelming - and not too expensive (~50 euro per person). We opted for the "Mare" tasting menu and were blown away. 6 tapas apertivos, 24k gold squid ink risotto primi, an amazing sea bass fillets secondi, and an orange chocolate gelato that was heavenly. Paired with an amazing white recommended by the server. Reservations are encouraged as they only offer a select amount of tables per night and the place was packed with locals and visitors alike (always a good sign). They did not rush and you felt welcome to enjoy the food as long as you pleased. No wonder it has received a Michelin star in both 2017 and 2018. Definitely a must stop if you're in Venice! read more

Very good food at reasonable price on a comfortable environment. The octopus and sea bass were amazing and a good selection of desserts and wines. it was recommended by our hotel, definitely met our expectations. read more

Thanks to Yelp we found this hidden gem while walking back from the train station. Ravioli and olive oil sampler were great. Owner and their French bulldog were very friendly. Glad we found them. read more

One of the best meals we had in Venice! Was recommended by our very upscale Marriott hotel and La Columbina did not disappoint! Wonder Gluten Free options! read more

Excellent meal. Recommended by our hotel and worthwhile. Tucked away in a small alcove. Outstanding, attentive service too.

Absolutely amazing meal. I got the scallops au gratin (pretty good) and the gnocchi (amazing.) A little on the pricey side but you're getting a great experience in both food and ambience. read more

Every course was outstanding. We shared four courses and each was memorable. The scallop was perfectly cooked and bolognese was the best I've ever had. The branzino and in gnocchi with crab were the highlights of the meal. Wine was also well chosen and pairings were perfect. This place feels casual but has serious food. read more

My husband and I spent a month in Italy and this is the only meal/restaurant I regret. The staff were incredibly rude, the food average at best. They refused to clear my plate when I said I was done, demanding an explanation as to why I hadn't finished it. They made rude comments within earshot. This was the worst experience of our whole trip. There are too many other great restaurants to choose from, skip this one. read more