What a dining experience this was. Almost every place in Venice is within walking distance. Granted after a day of walking . . . walking is the last thing you want to do. We took our guide book's advice and headed for Trattoria Antica Bessetta.
It lies in a bit of a dead end and the sign isn't that big but it's the only one I recall seeing, so you can't miss it. The exterior is covered with vines with the quaint lamp outside.
We were welcomed into the restaurant and our waiter led us to the air conditioned area (Venice was still experiencing 30 degrees celcuis after dusk). The restaurant has quaint antique like furnishings and decor, with cutlery that resembled aging silverware my great grandmother may have had.
The menu was simple but mouthwatering. We started off with some Parma-like ham. Then came the Risotto ai frutti di mare served in a shell (heavenly). Grilled seafood was next - the waiter even deboned the fish at our table before serving it to us. We decided to skip dessert - we were pretty much stuffed by then. We also hoped to enjoy a gelati on the walk back to the hotel.