Restaurant Review:
Trattoria All' Antica Mola

ABOVE: Trattoria All' Antica Mola in Cannaregio.

"Let me tell you about a little neighborhood restaurant in Venice that hasn't been discovered by tourists..." Right. And while you're at it, how about selling me the Rialto Bridge?

Face it: Venice has been a tourist town for centuries. Any restaurant with food worth eating is going to attract tourists, and so what? Tourists are some of the nicest people you'll meet. (If you don't believe me, look in the mirror.)

Instead of searching for the elusive (and non-existent) "undiscovered" restaurant, look for neighborhood restaurants that cater to a mixture of locals and out-of-towners. A good example is Trattoria All' Antica Mola in the sestiere of Cannaregio. On the night I was there, the crowd was about 50-50 locals and yokels, including a dog that barked with an Italian accent.

A touch of kitsch...

All' Antica Mola's decor leans heavily on Venetian themes, with walls covered in posters and prints of local scenery. Italian crooning oozes from the stereo speakers; it's the sort of dining room where Mario Lanza would instantly feel at home. The overall effect is one of tasteful kitsch. (Meals are also served at outdoor tables in good weather; see photo above.)

Service without a glitch.

When I dined at All' Antica Mola on a busy Friday evening, the personable owner greeted me courteously and led me to a table without delay. The two waitresses were polite and efficient, sharing customers and serving responsibilities with the kind of teamwork that's seldom seen in North American restaurants.

Good food, good prices.

All' Antica Mola's food was tasty and satisfying, and the prices were reasonable. (They're quoted in lire here, since Italy hadn't yet switched to the euro at the time of my restaurant visit.) A fresh green salad cost 4000 lire, gnochetti were 12,000 lire, and a rissoto di pesce was 9,000 lire. I had a decent pasta e fagioli (a thick bean and pasta soup) for starters, followed by a perfectly cooked salmon steak with olives (15,000 lire) for the main course. My after-dinner espresso was served with a tiny chocolate bar, which was a nice touch.

Another word about prices: Like most Italian sit-down restaurants, All' Antica Mola has a modest coperto (cover charge) of L2500 to cover bread and cutlery. This shouldn't be confused with a service charge, and you should remember to tip.

Directions to All' Antica Mola

All' Antica Mola is on the Fondamenta degli Ormesini, not far from the Campo Ghetto Nuovo in Cannaregio. Here are two ways to reach it:

1) From the Ponte d. Guglie bridge or vaporetto stop on the Cannaregio Canal, look for an arched pedestrian passage next to the Gam Gam restaurant. Head through the passage to the Campo Ghetto Nuovo, exit via the north side of the campo, and turn right after crossing the bridge over the canal to the Fondamenta Degli Ormesini.

2) From the same bridge or waterbus stop, head down the Rio terrą S. Leonardo, which curves and continues as the Rio terrą Farsetti. Cross the bridge at the end of the street, and you'll be on the Fondamenta Degli Ormesini. Look for All' Antica Mola, which isn't far from the bridge.

(Note: If you'd like a map, see page 2 of my Pizzeria Al Faro review, which shows how to reach the Ghetto from the bridge or vaporetto stop mentioned above.)

And now, a second opinion...

Reader's report: A Venice trip
Beth Cordes Thompson offers advice on a hotel, restaurants, the Palazzo Ducale, and a bead shop. Her report includes a mini-review of All' Antica Mola, which she rates as "a definite return."

And a third:

In summer of 2001, a reader wrote:

"Antica Mola is for the locals. The Asian couple at the table next to ours got even worse service. Save yourself (and them) the trouble and don't bother. There are much nicer places to eat in Venice. We have since heard that many restaurants in the ghetto have similar anti-tourist service. I would definitely rate this as a 'Ruined our last night in Venice' place."

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