I'm going to Venice in early June and I'd like to surprise my fiance with a special, romantic dinner for his birthday. Any restaurant suggestions? I'm looking for a very romantic place with lots of ambiance and good Italian food & wine. Budget is not too much of a concern.<BR>Many thanks!

www.anticomartini.com - - see numerous previous comments I have posted here on this forum - - and I am quoted on their website too!<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR><BR>

Oh, and I forgot to mention - - Signor Baldi is happy to print up a special souvenir menu by prior arrangement for you - - "Happy Birthday, &lt;&lt;his name&gt;&gt;" etc.<BR>

We ate at the Cippriani Hotel restaurant and thougt it was very nice. You can take their private boat over from an area near St. Marks, unless, of course, you're staying there. Saw a few celebrities in the restaurant which was fun. Food and service were excellent.

Antico Martini comes highly recommended<BR>by my go-to-Venice-every-year friends.<BR>I will say that one of the best meals of my life was at Da Fiore.<BR>My second "splurge" favorite is the above-mentioned restaurant of the Cipriani hotel. And you get a short luxurious private boat ride thrown in.

Fiaschetteria Toscana is a superb restaurant that serves some of the best fish you will ever eat. We have been there 5 times and it never dissapoints. Our favirite waiter is Roberto. Hes also the wine buyer and cheese buyer. They have one of the best wine lists in all of Venice and the cheese course is the best I have ever had (and I was in the cheese business for 7 years.). Its not expensive for what it offers<BR>

Consider also dinner on the floating dock in front of the Monaco and Grand Hotel. The view back to the Santa Maria della Salute church is fantastic and the food is excellent. Service is also of highest quality.

My husband and I were in Venice in Oct. 2001. We had dinner at Da Fiore for his birthday. It was superb! Great service, terrific food and wine, charming intimate atmoshere, their back room opens onto an side canal, lots of locals all dressed very nicely. My husband wore a sport coat. It's expensive but worth it. They even personalized a menu for us to keep wishing him happy birthday. Make sure you have good directions. It's down a small alley that requires lots of twists and turns to get to. Out last night we had dinner at Fiaschetteria Toscana. This was our absolute favorite place! The food was great like Da Fiore but not as expensive. Da Fiore's atmoshere is more romantic though. This place was full of locals and a line out the door when we left. The waiter was very friendly, had great recommendations and spoke very good English. We had reservations at Antico Martini, we checked it out during the day and thought it looked to old and stuffy and it was very expensive, so we didn't go there. Lots of people recommend it though. Have a great trip. You'll love Venice. It's a magical place. Make sure you have drinks in Piazza San Marco at night. It's so pretty.

Julie: For what you are looking for, by all means, Da Fiore.

up<BR>

Da Fiore. Book soon, you can book online at www.dafiore.com<BR><BR>

Julie<BR><BR>Another restaurant we went to was the rooftop restaurant "La Terrazza" in the Danieli Hotel. It was very nice and romantic even for a nice long lunch. The view of the lagoon and of San Giorgio Maggiore, the beautiful church across from the entrance to St. Marks, is lovely. I wasn't up there at night but I suspect it would be wonderful. You sit out on the terrace about 5 - 6 stories up looking straight out over the lagoon. Throw in a breeze and a good bottle of Italian wine and look out! Enjoy....<BR>

ttt