During our recent stay in Venice we found some very good restaurants............the one by the bridge at Hotel Marte was most certainly NOT one of them!

I do not mind paying more for a better quality and service, but when both of those are extremely poor but the prices are bumped up, I consider this to be worth avoiding.

The portions were small, the service slow and done with rolling eyes like it was all too much trouble and the hidden costs just kept adding up.

After waiting for ages to order, then ages to get their attention we got an intolerant `It`s coming`........after about 20 minutes we did manage to get a carafe of house wine/vinegar, not sure which and were asked "Bread?" ........to which I replied "Yes please". (The attitude was curt from the moment we had ordered the food and drink.)

That was another mistake as the three thin oval slices of bagguette with a smear of tomato cost 10 euro!!!! That was 3 small, thin slices between two of us!

This, along with various unidentifiable charges, 12% service and cover fees mysteriously appeared on the final bill. The `Sea Bass`I had ordered at 16 euro (without the salad at extra cost of course) was actually a rather small juvenile specimen which had been grilled to death.

With a final bill of nearly 70euro for next to nothing, I was not the only one who felt very unhappy.........there were two other groups (one English, the other American) who had received poor food at high prices.

I paid for the meal because I did not want to spoil our romantic holiday by causing a big argument, but made it quite clear how I felt when I paid.
We then went to another restaurant and had some decent food at a fair price.

Not wishing to sound like a whinger, I would like to say that apart from this one place, we found the standard of food and service in Venice to be very good and enjoyed ourselves very much.

Below is the address of the Hotel so that you can avoid the place when choosing where to eat! (It is near the back of the Railway Station heading in the direction of the Rialto bridge.)

Hotel Marte
Cannaregio, Ponte delle Guglie, 338 1252
30121 - Venezia