Gino's Past and Pizza Photos
GINO'S PAST AND PIZZA ATMOSPHERE
Recommended Reviews - Gino's Past and Pizza
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First night in Venice. I came here to eat. The outside seating is decent and great to watch all the people go by. The service was okay. I didn't have any issue with the service. Polite and friendly. The food it was such a great start to my trip in Italy. Loved the meat sauce and such a difference from the US in a good way. It was simple but tasted great.
Gino's is located not far from the train station. It was the only quiet looking restaurant at the time and that's why I stopped in for a quick bite. The bruschetta wasn't how I was expecting. I was expecting tomato chunks on top of the bread, but it came drizzled in olive oil with what seems like a pasta sauce on top. It was still good, just not what I was expecting. The penne with eggplant also had olive oil all over it, with shredded mozzarella cheese on top. There was just the right amount of olive oil and cheese, and the eggplant was cooked just right. The lasagna was nothing special, it came slapped on a plate, but did have crunchy corners. I didn't eat the bread they brought out, so I don't know if they charge for bread, but they did charge an 11% service fee and a soda was €3.90. The food was alright, service was alright, but total cost for food and service, wasn't worth it.
The 3 of us were seated near the entrance. Each time the door was opened, it stuck open (an easy fix for a restaurant that cares) and I had to close it to avoid sitting in the cold. Only 2 menus were literally thrown on our table. We ordered a seafood pasta, a gnocchi with ragù and a risotto. The pasta and gnocchi were very salty, and the risotto was a watery mess. We decided not to stay for dessert and, like many other reviewers, were surprised by the 12% service charge on top of the €2 per person cover charge. How this place scores as high as it does, is beyond me. In short: bad service, bad food, criminal service charge. Avoid.
ordered mussels with tomato sauce, grill salmon, king prawn , a sparkling white, a sparkling water, about 66 euro. the mussels was not the gummy chewy , but not fresh aa daily from the sea, (skip this, octupus was sold out, that's why it was ordered) the tomato sauce was above average++ salty. (3 star) the salmon was good but lots of bone. "why salmon has lots of bone, look! where did it come from?" my friend said. (3 star) the king prawn was fresh n tasty, my friend love it. (5 star) ** free wifi :p close to the venice st lucia train station n all the boat boarding.
So the photos look pretty darn good, and my vegan friends were able to dine here. I was tempted to get something proper like seafood and polenta, but I figured hey, why not get this deal: pasta course, main course, side and a small beer for less than €15? If you see my photo, it looks like an old high school cafeteria meal. At least give it a better presentation. Serve the two courses separately. The lasagne wasn't bad. Even the burnt bottom had a bit of charm. I do like varying textures in my food. The steak is something that should not come out of a restaurant kitchen. Nonetheless it was worth a shot and unfortunately have to grade based heavily on this. They honestly shouldn't even offer this special. And the waiter should definitely not be encouraging me to get this. They have so much more going for them.
My boyfriend and I are visiting Italy for the first time and we got into our hotel in Venice late, super hungry! Gino's happened to be across from our hotel, so we decided to give it a try... Atmosphere: Small space, tables are all very close, which come to find out is typical in Italian restaurants. If you are thinking of having a private conversation with a loved one, don't plan on having it over your meal. That being said, it is also pretty noisy. I wouldn't recommend bringing a bunch of kids...it's just too small. There is outdoor seating, which we did not take advantage of because it was windy and a bit chilly. Italian's eat dinner late so we actually went out at a time that was probably more quiet than later in the evening. Everyone who was eating in the restaurant when we were was probably also a tourist of sorts. The decor is interesting, very eclectic, all sorts of things hanging on the walls. Lighting wise, overall it is on the darker side but somewhat romantic too. Service: We were actually ushered in from the streets. In Italy, it is not uncommon to see restaurant staff outside the restaurant trying to get people to come in. Someone told my boyfriend and I that the restaurants doing that are the ones we should stay away from if we are looking for a true, authentic, Italian experience. We were hungry though, so what can I say? We were waited on immediately and the waiter was fairly helpful in translating the menu. I really wanted just a plain cheese pizza, which if ever in Italy, you should know a plain cheese pizza is known as a "Margarita" pizza. However, in talking to the waiter, he convinced me I was looking for the "four cheese" pizza. So, I ordered that and my boyfriend ordered a margarita pizza. I had a feeling I ordered the wrong thing. It just didn't seem like the waiter quite understood what I was looking for and he kept just saying, "you tell me what you want and I can make it". Which is nice, but I don't think we were on the same page. Our drinks came quickly (two coke zeros) and the pizza did too actually. I was pleasantly surprised how fast they were able to whip out these pizzas. In Italy, I don't think they ask how your meal is or check to see if you need anything because it didn't happen at this restaurant or any of the other Italian restaurants we took a gamble on. You also have to wave them over to give you your check. According to our tour guide, in Italy it is considered rude to give the check quickly as it may imply they are "kicking you out". So, getting our check did take awhile but hey, this was a good learning experience to prepare us for the rest of our stay in Italy. Food: I should first mention that I LOVE pizza and am very particular about it. I am probably harder to please than the average joe. My boyfriend and I ended up switching pizzas because the four cheese pizza was not what I was looking for, but rather the margarita pizza which my boyfriend ordered, was (another learning experience). The pizzas are quite large (see photos), so at least the portions are decent. In Italy, pizza is supposed to come uncut, as per our tour guide, it is almost a "sin" to share your pizza or cut someone's pizza. My boyfriend's pizza was nice and round, my pizza was a little lopsided but that didn't really bother me. They were nice and hot! Now the elements of a pizza...CRUST: tasty-thin (as most crusts in Italy are) but still a good edge, not burnt (very important), crispy (but not overly so). SAUCE: this is where they loose points...there wasn't enough of it. They need just a little bit more in the middle of the pizzas. Around the edges you could taste the sauce (which did have decent flavor) but towards the middle it was not really there. I have to admit, I am a sauce girl though. I like a good amount on my pizza. My boyfriend on the other hand, thinks that there was plenty of sauce. So, maybe it was just my pizza or maybe it was just my personal preference, but I am going off of what I got. CHEESE: definitely a good amount, a little too much for me, but again, me being picky (sorry!). The cheese was good though taste wise. Greasy, yes, but not disgustingly so. However, please don't ask for an extra napkin because they will give you funny looks. Apparently, this is an odd thing to ask for in Italy??? My boyfriend devoured his whole pizza and I managed to eat the majority of mine-I was hungry...don't judge! Cost: We were robbed! Our bill came out to 40 something $ and all we had was two pizzas and two coke zeros. Not sure what really happened, but being our first night in Italy we weren't really thinking about it too much. However, after having eaten pizza at other pizzerias in Italy I can tell you we were definitely overcharged. I think the prices are usually reasonable??! Would I recommend the place? If you're looking for a quick, decent pizza, sure. If you are looking for the best pizza in Venice, probably not. But, yes, I think I would go back and give it another try.
This pizzeria was a few doors down from our hotel and open late. Surprisingly, it was one of the best pizzas we had in Italy despite Venice's reputation for having some of the worst foods. We had a white pizza and a tomato based pizza with proscuitto and mushrooms. The latter was so delicious! The service was friendly. We had ordered a soda to go and the guy had thrown an extra one in free of charge!
We have eaten at Gino's 3 times since we have been in Venice these past 4 days. It's one of those restaurants that never disappoints and holds up good standards! We have picked other restaurants off the beaten path that have disappointed us so we know when we come to Gino's we're going to get a delicious and flavorful meal!
2 months ago
27 days ago
3 months ago
My husband and I went here for dinner on May 10, 2026 around 5:15 pm. We stood at the door for about five minutes before a very rude waitress came and seated us. She then threw the menus at our table. Then we asked her to come to our table and discuss the vegetarian options with us. She told us about the 2 to 3 vegetarian pizzas, and then we specifically discussed the pasta options available. She told us there was a pasta option available with veggies and tomato sauce on top. Based on her recommendation, we ordered two pizzas and The vegetarian pasta that she had recommended. Then we sat there for about 45 minutes. About 30 minutes after we had ordered, we asked their manager how long it would be before our food is ready since the tables that ordered after us had already began receiving their food. He looked at us and joked that it would take another hour. Then he said it will be about 2 to 3 more minutes. The food came about five minutes later starting with the pizza. We had ordered a margarita piece pizza, but we were served with a cheese pizza. About 10 minutes later, the pasta came. It turns out that, even though we had specifically ordered the vegetarian pasta based on The Waitresses's recommendation, we were served with pasta that was cooked in squid ink. We did not know that it was a non-vegetarian dish and consumed about half of it. We then asked the manager what the pasta was that we had been served. He laughed at us and said that it was a non-vegetarian dish and it was squid. He did not show any remorse for his mistake. In fact, there was a table behind us that also said that they understood that eating the seafood pasta was against our religion. The Manager then tried to walk away and we try. We stopped him to explain to him that one of his waitresses specifically told us that it was a vegetarian pasta and safe for us to eat. They refused to listen to us. No one apologize, and they just said it was a mistake made in the kitchen. We then told them that we will not be paying for the non-vegetarian pasta and we immediately wanted the check for our two pizzas. The waitress continued to walk around, but did not apologize. The manager then came and placed the bill on our desk without saying anything. We placed our money on the table and when we were walking out, we again told the manager that we were disappointed and showed him a picture of the pasta and a search from ChatGPT showing that it was a squid pasta. He then tried to hit my husband on the shoulder and told us to leave. He also started yelling at us, even though it was his fault that his restaurant had served a non-vegetarian dish based on a recommendation made by his waitress. The waitress continued to laugh in the corner and refused to give us her name. Attached is a photo of the Manager. Everyone should avoid this restaurant. Anyone with dietary restrictions, including vegetarians or vegans or anyone with any type of allergy should definitely avoid this restaurant because they do not care about your health or your religious beliefs. Anyone with children should also avoid this place because the manager and the waitresses will take minutes to put their hands on you so it can definitely become a violent place. Everyone in the restaurant was watching as we walked away, and the manager yelled at us. Horrible place. Never going back. Wish I had checked the reviews before going here and I would never recommend it to anyone ever. read more
First night in Venice. I came here to eat. The outside seating is decent and great to watch all the people go by. The service was okay. I didn't have any issue with the service. Polite and friendly. The food it was such a great start to my trip in Italy. Loved the meat sauce and such a difference from the US in a good way. It was simple but tasted great. read more
3 years ago
Food was just ok and staff was not attentive- kept having to wave them down. Spinaci was cold with no flavor at all. Had to add salt just to make it edible read more
3 years ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
Gino's is located not far from the train station. It was the only quiet looking restaurant at the time and that's why I stopped in for a quick bite. The bruschetta wasn't how I was expecting. I was expecting tomato chunks on top of the bread, but it came drizzled in olive oil with what seems like a pasta sauce on top. It was still good, just not what I was expecting. The penne with eggplant also had olive oil all over it, with shredded mozzarella cheese on top. There was just the right amount of olive oil and cheese, and the eggplant was cooked just right. The lasagna was nothing special, it came slapped on a plate, but did have crunchy corners. I didn't eat the bread they brought out, so I don't know if they charge for bread, but they did charge an 11% service fee and a soda was €3.90. The food was alright, service was alright, but total cost for food and service, wasn't worth it. read more
2 years ago
Great stop to get out of the rain and warm up to a delicious pizza and great house wine. Excellent service. Glad we stumbled upon them Fantastico! We will return read more
We needed a quick and easy stop after arriving to Venice and we took a gamble on Gino's as it was one of the first places we saw. It definitely paid off as this was some very yummy pizza! Highly recommend for a quick and easy pizza stop! read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
The 3 of us were seated near the entrance. Each time the door was opened, it stuck open (an easy fix for a restaurant that cares) and I had to close it to avoid sitting in the cold. Only 2 menus were literally thrown on our table. We ordered a seafood pasta, a gnocchi with ragù and a risotto. The pasta and gnocchi were very salty, and the risotto was a watery mess. We decided not to stay for dessert and, like many other reviewers, were surprised by the 12% service charge on top of the €2 per person cover charge. How this place scores as high as it does, is beyond me. In short: bad service, bad food, criminal service charge. Avoid. read more
ordered mussels with tomato sauce, grill salmon, king prawn , a sparkling white, a sparkling water, about 66 euro. the mussels was not the gummy chewy , but not fresh aa daily from the sea, (skip this, octupus was sold out, that's why it was ordered) the tomato sauce was above average++ salty. (3 star) the salmon was good but lots of bone. "why salmon has lots of bone, look! where did it come from?" my friend said. (3 star) the king prawn was fresh n tasty, my friend love it. (5 star) ** free wifi :p close to the venice st lucia train station n all the boat boarding. read more
3 years ago
So the photos look pretty darn good, and my vegan friends were able to dine here. I was tempted to get something proper like seafood and polenta, but I figured hey, why not get this deal: pasta course, main course, side and a small beer for less than €15? If you see my photo, it looks like an old high school cafeteria meal. At least give it a better presentation. Serve the two courses separately. The lasagne wasn't bad. Even the burnt bottom had a bit of charm. I do like varying textures in my food. The steak is something that should not come out of a restaurant kitchen. Nonetheless it was worth a shot and unfortunately have to grade based heavily on this. They honestly shouldn't even offer this special. And the waiter should definitely not be encouraging me to get this. They have so much more going for them. read more
My boyfriend and I are visiting Italy for the first time and we got into our hotel in Venice late, super hungry! Gino's happened to be across from our hotel, so we decided to give it a try... Atmosphere: Small space, tables are all very close, which come to find out is typical in Italian restaurants. If you are thinking of having a private conversation with a loved one, don't plan on having it over your meal. That being said, it is also pretty noisy. I wouldn't recommend bringing a bunch of kids...it's just too small. There is outdoor seating, which we did not take advantage of because it was windy and a bit chilly. Italian's eat dinner late so we actually went out at a time that was probably more quiet than later in the evening. Everyone who was eating in the restaurant when we were was probably also a tourist of sorts. The decor is interesting, very eclectic, all sorts of things hanging on the walls. Lighting wise, overall it is on the darker side but somewhat romantic too. Service: We were actually ushered in from the streets. In Italy, it is not uncommon to see restaurant staff outside the restaurant trying to get people to come in. Someone told my boyfriend and I that the restaurants doing that are the ones we should stay away from if we are looking for a true, authentic, Italian experience. We were hungry though, so what can I say? We were waited on immediately and the waiter was fairly helpful in translating the menu. I really wanted just a plain cheese pizza, which if ever in Italy, you should know a plain cheese pizza is known as a "Margarita" pizza. However, in talking to the waiter, he convinced me I was looking for the "four cheese" pizza. So, I ordered that and my boyfriend ordered a margarita pizza. I had a feeling I ordered the wrong thing. It just didn't seem like the waiter quite understood what I was looking for and he kept just saying, "you tell me what you want and I can make it". Which is nice, but I don't think we were on the same page. Our drinks came quickly (two coke zeros) and the pizza did too actually. I was pleasantly surprised how fast they were able to whip out these pizzas. In Italy, I don't think they ask how your meal is or check to see if you need anything because it didn't happen at this restaurant or any of the other Italian restaurants we took a gamble on. You also have to wave them over to give you your check. According to our tour guide, in Italy it is considered rude to give the check quickly as it may imply they are "kicking you out". So, getting our check did take awhile but hey, this was a good learning experience to prepare us for the rest of our stay in Italy. Food: I should first mention that I LOVE pizza and am very particular about it. I am probably harder to please than the average joe. My boyfriend and I ended up switching pizzas because the four cheese pizza was not what I was looking for, but rather the margarita pizza which my boyfriend ordered, was (another learning experience). The pizzas are quite large (see photos), so at least the portions are decent. In Italy, pizza is supposed to come uncut, as per our tour guide, it is almost a "sin" to share your pizza or cut someone's pizza. My boyfriend's pizza was nice and round, my pizza was a little lopsided but that didn't really bother me. They were nice and hot! Now the elements of a pizza...CRUST: tasty-thin (as most crusts in Italy are) but still a good edge, not burnt (very important), crispy (but not overly so). SAUCE: this is where they loose points...there wasn't enough of it. They need just a little bit more in the middle of the pizzas. Around the edges you could taste the sauce (which did have decent flavor) but towards the middle it was not really there. I have to admit, I am a sauce girl though. I like a good amount on my pizza. My boyfriend on the other hand, thinks that there was plenty of sauce. So, maybe it was just my pizza or maybe it was just my personal preference, but I am going off of what I got. CHEESE: definitely a good amount, a little too much for me, but again, me being picky (sorry!). The cheese was good though taste wise. Greasy, yes, but not disgustingly so. However, please don't ask for an extra napkin because they will give you funny looks. Apparently, this is an odd thing to ask for in Italy??? My boyfriend devoured his whole pizza and I managed to eat the majority of mine-I was hungry...don't judge! Cost: We were robbed! Our bill came out to 40 something $ and all we had was two pizzas and two coke zeros. Not sure what really happened, but being our first night in Italy we weren't really thinking about it too much. However, after having eaten pizza at other pizzerias in Italy I can tell you we were definitely overcharged. I think the prices are usually reasonable??! Would I recommend the place? If you're looking for a quick, decent pizza, sure. If you are looking for the best pizza in Venice, probably not. But, yes, I think I would go back and give it another try. read more
8 years ago
Excellent pizza and service delicious meatballs too. Near the train station and water taxi. Highly recommend it! read more
10 years ago
This pizzeria was a few doors down from our hotel and open late. Surprisingly, it was one of the best pizzas we had in Italy despite Venice's reputation for having some of the worst foods. We had a white pizza and a tomato based pizza with proscuitto and mushrooms. The latter was so delicious! The service was friendly. We had ordered a soda to go and the guy had thrown an extra one in free of charge! read more
7 years ago
We have eaten at Gino's 3 times since we have been in Venice these past 4 days. It's one of those restaurants that never disappoints and holds up good standards! We have picked other restaurants off the beaten path that have disappointed us so we know when we come to Gino's we're going to get a delicious and flavorful meal! read more
8 years ago
This 3 Generational restaurant, was fantastic. We ordered spaghetti with meatballs, brochetas. Greek salad, zupa de verdura. Food was delicious. The Bruschetta was to die for. We also met Gino the owner very nice Gentleman he posed for our picture. read more
9 years ago
8 years ago
just happened to be walking through Venice and picked this spot at random. The best choice we made this day. It's nice and cozy inside, very good prices, our waiter was so nice and the food was excellent!! I wish we could come back everyday! I recommend the pesto and the garlic, olive oil and chili pasta. definitely coming back when we travel here again read more
9 years ago
Great little pizza and seafood spot- super friendly servers! Free wifi, people watching included :-) read more
7 years ago
10 years ago
We walked by this place a few times and decided the place was too cute and quaint to pass by! We had dinner here on our last night in Venice and so good! The prices were very reasonable and the food was delicious! I got the cacio e pepe (thank you Chrissy Teigen) and it was great! Service was wonderful! read more
10 years ago
5 years ago
10 years ago
This is the best place I have ate in Venice. I can yesterday spaghetti AOP and it was so delicious that I came back today and had the carbonara. Gino the owner came and sat with is and we told lots of stories. His daughter also came and talked also. They were so nice and I loved it. This is a definite recommendation. So good. read more
8 years ago
10 years ago
Our first pasta and pizza in Venice and we loved it :) We had a seafood filled ravioli and spaghetti with clams sauce..it was very different than the pasta we know from germany :) really enjoyed it The pizza wasnt that special but still delicious! I would definitely recommend !! The service were very very nice i liked it very much :) UPDATE: It was the best place in venice to eat!! We ate a lot in venice and we are very picky :) but ginos Pasta and pizza was the best and most delicious restaurant in venice with the fairest prices! read more
9 years ago
9 years ago
We loved the food here. Their ravioli and chocolate cake were out of this world. We found this place last night and we are sad we won't be able to return here to eat again. Best restaurant so far on our Italy trip overall. Family run, not touristy. The chocolate cake comes out warm and just melts in your mouth. Definitely a must try!! read more
9 years ago
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More info about Gino's Past and Pizza
Lista di Spagna
30121 Venezia
Italy
Directions
041 71607
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Review Highlights - Gino's Past and Pizza
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8 years ago
