Local

We so wanted to love this place but amount other things, they literally have «slow food.» We showed up right as they opened, but reservations are recommended – for now. Many would be diners were turned away. It seems that with all the tables full, the kitchen has a hard time keeping pace. Our baby octopus appetizer came with three whole octopus. Heads on and «full.» We tried, but ultimately we couldn’t eat the insides of the heads. The table next to us had no problem, except one head exploded onto the man’s shirt and tie when he tried to cut into it. We next had two pasta dishes and the pasta was too al dante-we’ve been eating pasta for 11 days straight and know what good «al dante» pasta «feels» like. In particular the dish with the lamb was just shy of crunchy pasta. The dish itself was flavored nicely, though my diner companion thought it was salty. The other dish we had was a special with baby shrimp. It was quite fishy and there were shells in many of our initial bites. We just couldn’t finish it because of the shells. We wouldn’t give this another chance, should we be in Venice again.

I had the pollo alla diavola and my girl had the John Dory fish. My chicken was tender and tasty. The waiter said it was marinated for two days. There were 3 pieces, each served on top of a different vegetable. The fish was light and not fishy with a tasty sauce.
The presentation of the plates was very artful. A nice touch.
The main portions were small, so you’ll need to order multiple courses if you are hungry.
The restaurant has a nice, trendy, modern ambiance. The waitstaff were all friendly and helpful.
Bread was served before the meal. There were 3 types (whole grain, white and lavosh squares).
The house white wine was very nice.
The bottom line: A solid performance all around. For the price, I’m calling it 4 stars.

We had been traveling in Italy from Florence, Cinque Terre, Genova, Verona, Vincenza and Venezia; and were searching for «new culinary» experience. We happily discover it at Local a masterful culinary experience for all the senses.
This new startup restaurant opened in late June 2015 and we were fortunate to be able to participate in its first month of operations in July 2015 with delicious savory and sweet gastronomical adventures. We were warmly greeted by host/​co-​owner Benedetta who along with her brother started Local with a family strongly rooted in the Venezia restaurant world since 1960s.
The atmosphere is modern, open, sleek, playful and inviting for diners and a comfortable visual break from the traditional Venetian restaurant setting. The menu includes various locally sources ingredients of fish, chicken and seafood as well as the abundant selection of local & regional wines.
We were amazed by the spectacular tomato salad! Our chicken and pasta selections were simply visually stunning and incredibly delicious. Benedetta and the entire Local team were extremely attentive, hospitable and very friendly & engaging. As a new restaurant we were amazed by the level of excellent service, food & wine selections and overall dining experience. Bravo!
We look forward to visiting Local again soon on future travels to Venezia!