Alle Testiere is a tiny restaurant — nine tables — in a calle near Santi Giovanni e Paolo, run by chef Bruno Gavagnin and sommelier Luca di Vita. It has been one of Venice's most celebrated small restaurants since the 1990s, consistently praised for cooking that is simple, impeccably sourced, and focused entirely on the seafood of the Venetian lagoon.
There is no meat on the menu. The pasta with scallops, the warm carpaccio of tuna with capers, and the selection of raw shellfish are all outstanding. The wine list is thoughtful and priced fairly. Bookings are essential and sometimes hard to get; the restaurant operates two sittings per evening and closes Sundays. This is the restaurant most serious food-minded visitors to Venice try hardest to get into.