[ Apr.2017 ] We were planning to go to the gondoliers’ restaurant we went to during our last visit to Venice.

But to get there, we would have had to cross the crowded San Marco and the thought made me feel weary.

Then I remembered another restaurant I went when I was staying on the Lido island more than 10 years ago with my friends.

Because at that time we went there a few times, I remembered the way.

We went on the narrow alley next to the gorgeous hotel called Danieli from the harbour and turned right to a small bridge.

The restaurant was called Trattoria Rivetta and was at the foot of the bridge.

I was walking wondering ‘is it still there?’ ‘will it have the same atmosphere?’ and in the end we found the restaurant as I remembered.

When we entered, the customers already there were only locals and some Japanese.

They had a Japanese menu.

The waiters here were all elderly and wearing either a red jumper or a red waistcoat.

When we just started looking at the menu, one of them came with a dish of seafood risotto, saying “We just made this. Would you like one?”.

So we had it and it tasted very good.

When he came back to take the plates away, we told him that it was good and he looked pleased as if to say “I told you”.

We asked any other recommendation and he said in Japanese “Kani no furai (fried crab)”.

It was soft shell Moeche crab.

The one I ate the day before was stewed, but this time they were fried (pictured).

Five or six of them were on the plate.

They had a special texture and tasted good, too.

By the way, when I made an instant reply to take this dish, he asked my husband, “It costs €25, is this OK?”.

Well, asking that to him not to me was somewhat old fashioned and politically incorrect, but anyway, this was one of their expensive dishes and it was worth it.

The squid dish my husband ordered looked good, too.

While we were eating, the restaurant was getting more and more crowded and there was a queue.

All those veteran waiters were working very professionally and efficiently, which made me feel that this was the typical Italian restaurant with the rich food’s culture.

It was a really satisfactory meal.