We're new to the area and I had a fabulous Christmas lunch with some friends at The Venetian in early December. The service was great, food really good/reasonably priced and the place was full of regulars making the atmosphere fun and festive. Yesterday I brought my husband there hoping to recreate the experience for his birthday and while the food was still good the service was AWFUL. I think someone may have called in sick which is never fun for the employees working while understaffed but our waitress made no attempt to make our visit a pleasant one on any level. She was rude, angry and flippant and didn't try to hide her displeasure at working while short staffed. She ruined the ambiance of our birthday celebration. Personally, ​I didn't even want to pay for the less than mediocre experience but I didn't make a scene as I didn't want to further upset my husband on his birthday. read more

What a depressing environment. So dark and to quiet. I do not suggest this restaurant to anyone under 60! I did not feel like I belonged here. I am only 35, Maybe I will go back in 30 yrs! read more

Meal was outstanding. Service staff was very attentive. Michael prepared his awesome table side salad. We are never disappointed when coming here. Brought out of town guests with us, and they delevered perfectlu again ! read more

No Italian restaurant in Litchfield County can touch this place. Mike and his wife have provided the most authentic, consistent and fresh Italian dishes for decades. What is most amazing thing is that the food is as good and fresh today as it was 20 years ago. There are a lot of "Italian" restaurants in the area but, none are truly Italian.. Fresh pastas, fresh veal, fresh (not frozen) vegetables, fresh house made soups daily, house made desserts, and the list goes on and on. Mussels, antipasto, fresh roasted peppers... The interior is old school. Very Venetian. Service is always the same. Very good. Very consistent. Hard to figure out why so many locals consider it expensive and pretentious. Maybe dates back to the day when few families could afford to eat out in Torrington and the Venetian was really the only restaurant in downtown and catered to the more influential in town. . Of course that has all changed and almost any family can afford to dine at the Venetian. Whether a lawyer, plumber, trucker, car salesman,race car driver, nurse, doctor, or weekender up from City.. All can be found nightly, dining on amazing Italian food. Prices are lower than DaCapo and LaCucina, yet pastas are made in house, sauces made daily, meats are prepared and cooked to perfection. My wife and I will usually spend about $55 for the two of us. That includes one glass of wine, a pasta entree, veal entree, two house salads (or soup), fresh bread and one dessert. That does not include a tip. Can't even go to Backstage, Hanq's, or Sasso for that price point. If one is looking for authentic Italian and true Chef driven entrees, this is the place to go. read more

My husband and I took someone's recommendation and wanted to try somewhere we haven't been before so we decided to try this place. Big mistake. It was a Friday night, not too busy, we were seated and our waitress took a good 10 minutes before she greeted us and took our drink orders. After that, it took another 10 minutes to take our order. We started off with the calamari, it was served sautéed in a red sauce which was fine with us except it was Luke warm. That really turned us off. My husband got a salad with his entree and I got the pasta fagioli soup and it was also like warm and barely had taste to it. Our entrees came, he had baked manicotti which was not a huge portion but it was just plopped on a plate so the presentation wasn't great. He said his was not bad. I ordered chicken Marsala that came with potato and seasonal veggies. My potato was literally a peeled potato that was boiled and put on my plate. The veggies were really soggy and over cooked. My chicken had cold spots so I barely ate. The waitress tried to be nice but the waiting time and food taste and temperate really frustrated us. Needless to say, we skipped dessert and got out of there and will NOT be returning. For the prices, the food should have more taste and should be hot. read more

An old-fashioned red sauce restaurant. It looks like the 1960's inside, which was fun. The food was comforting and nice. Very good service and a lovely elderly owner on-site. We've been twice and I'd go back again. read more

Rude and slow service, mediocre food, kind of a joke. Not worth the money. Details, I have plenty. But the food would have had to of been half way decent to warrant effort on my part so...eat there if you like to pay top dollar for so so food and service and wait three hours for it. 3 bugs in the gin and tonic. 2 separate glasses with lipstick marks...oy vey..too much to write, man, Honest. read more

I don't know where these other people were but I found the chicken piccata nursing home quality. Very institutional. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing but the overall experience was at best mediocre. I should have tried the pasta? The salad got them the star but even that was uninspired. The waitress was cold and Gestapo-like. She was on par with the food. Go elsewhere. They won't care. read more

Located close to Rt 8 on the way to the Berkshires this charming old world Italian restaurant was a great find. The owner cmes to your table to make the ceasar salad. Fresh pasta, good service. read more

Liked the old world charm. The waitress was just as polite as she needed to be. Not friendly at all. The portions were small but tasty. The bread was stale and the salad was limp. The bill was over $50 for just the 2 of us with no appetizers and 1 glass of wine. They could do much better with a little more effort. I realize they've been there a long time, but it needs a makeover. read more

Never again!!! I truly cannot understand the people that have given this restaurant a good review. The pasta was frozen and it tasted like it. It may have been made on the premises as they claim but it is frozen for afterward. When I hear fresh pasta...that means to me...made that day and never frozen. My pasta dinner tasted freezer burned. The waitress admitted to us that this is how they do it. The owner was rude. As soon as he realized we were unhappy..he avoided us like the plague. Don't waste your money read more

Went there last night for my grandfathers 95th birthday party. Decent sized group, 20 people in the party room. Took forever for the waitresses to get our drink orders, and because there were two of them taking drink orders, some of us ended up with more than one drink and some of ours were forgotten. Significant other ordered a rum and coke, and both times they returned with his glass he said there was less than half a shot of rum in the glass, hardly noticeable. Not to mention the fact that they used spiced rum instead of a dark rum. Waitresses seemed oblivious to the idea of carding people before giving them alcohol, evidenced by the fact that every time I asked for a refill for my fathers beer they kept trying to pour me a glass, and I am only 18, and barely look that old. The food was horrible. My father ordered the Clams and Mussels Fra Diavolo, clams and mussels were underdone, and the entire dish was lukewarm. As was my significant others Chicken Parm, he ended up getting sick off of it when we got home. I ordered the Shrimp and Scallop Livornese.. utter disappointment. The shrimp were massively underdone, the scallops were overdone and definitely not fresh, you could tell they came out of a wetpack. The only thing done well on my plate was the pasta, and that was lukewarm as well so it couldn't be enjoyed. For the price of the food, this place is just not worth it. read more

Authentic to its core. Great spot to go if you are not trying to spend an arm and leg. I don't know what people are talking about when they say it's so expensive. 21 bucks for a main dish that is handmade instead of 17 for frozen from Applebee's or any other place in town ha . Any day of the week. Loved everything. read more

I go here 1x a month for lunch or dinner , love the home made raviolis, if its not on the menu ,ask, they may make it for you . I love the antipasto salad and linguini with clam sauce ,mozzarella salad is nice as well as shrimp cocktail . They do not rush you. It's relaxing to meet with friends and chat for an hour or 2 . In addition to the full menu ,they do have a yummy and affordable 3 course fixed menu for dinner . Dress up a little , its fun. read more