A seafood restaurant in Venice, where Venice eats.
We are in Santa Croce, on the Fondamenta dei Tolentini, a few minutes from Santa Lucia station and well away from the queue at Rialto. If you are looking for where to eat seafood in Venice without bill surprises, this is the place: seafood starters, spaghetti allo scoglio, risotti stirred to order, grilled fish. Below are the actual dishes, with the actual prices.
How to read the bill
Priced per portion, never by the gram
We sell fish by the portion, at a fixed price printed on the menu. We don't weigh the fish at your table and multiply by 100g — that is where 90-euro-a-head bills come from.
No cover charge
There is no coperto. There is a 12% service charge, stated clearly. On a 40-euro dinner for two that is 4-5 euros — less than a per-person cover charge would be.
Menu with photos, in several languages
Our menu is photographed and translated (Italian, English, Chinese and more), so you know exactly what arrives at the table before you order.
Santa Croce, not San Marco
Santa Croce is the entrance to Venice: the bridge from the mainland, the cargo boats and the trains all arrive here. An equivalent restaurant near San Marco typically costs about 50% more, on rent and transport alone.
Seafood starters
Antipasto di mare
Our mixed seafood starter: sarde in saor, scallops, octopus, prawns, mussels.
€20Sarde in saor
The Venetian classic: sardines marinated with onion, raisins and pine nuts.
€12Insalata di polpo
Boiled octopus, olive oil, lemon, parsley. Nothing else.
€16Cozze e vongole
Steamed in white wine, served in their own broth.
€15
Seafood pasta
Spaghetti allo scoglio
What most tables order: mixed shellfish, cherry tomato, garlic.
€20Spaghetti al nero di seppia
Cuttlefish ink, the way it is made in the lagoon.
€16Spaghetti alle vongole
In bianco, with the clams' own cooking liquid.
€17Spaghetti all'astice
Half a lobster per portion. Priced per portion, never by the gram.
€28Zuppa di pesce
Fish broth, mixed fish and shellfish.
€20
Seafood risotti
Risotto ai frutti di mare
Stirred to order, served all'onda — loose, not stiff.
€22Risotto al nero di seppia
One of the most Venetian risotti there is.
€20Risotto ai gamberi
Prawns and a thread of butter, nothing more.
€18
Fish and grill
Grigliata di pesce
For two: grilled fish and shellfish. One price, printed on the menu.
€45Filetto di branzino
Boneless sea bass fillet, grilled or pan-cooked.
€24Scampi
Grilled, with lemon.
€24Gamberoni
Grilled king prawns.
€20Seppie al nero
Cuttlefish in its own ink — the Venetian home dish.
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Want a table for the fish?
The room is small and fills up in the evening. Book a table and tell us if you'd like the grigliata — we'll have it ready for your time.
Common questions
How much does seafood cost in a Venice restaurant?
At our table, seafood pasta ranges from €16 to €28, main fish dishes from €20 to €45, and the grilled seafood for two is €45. Everything is priced per portion, never by the gram.
Do I need to book a seafood restaurant in Venice?
We recommend booking for dinner, especially if you want the grilled seafood — we prepare it fresh for your sitting. Lunch is usually easier to walk in.
Why is per-portion fish pricing more transparent than by-the-gram?
By-the-gram fish can turn a €40 bill into a €90 bill: the fish is weighed at your table and the price multiplied. We print a fixed price per portion on the menu, so you know before you order.
Where is Osteria Leone Alato located?
We are at Fondamenta dei Tolentini 187 in Santa Croce: a two-minute walk from Santa Lucia station and ten minutes from Piazzale Roma.