Trattoria Ai Frati

Nice location and service on a canal in murano
Food was ok with a few varieties of spaghetti and ravioli for pasta. I had the ravioli which was good. They get pretty busy and seem a little understaffed but the servers were working hard and kept us served.

Open for lunch only, in a great location with outdoor seating. All your standard dishes are served here: spaghetti or ravioli served many different ways, black tagliatelle with cuttlefish (sweet and delicious, seriously, try it!) and a few hidden gems, like «granseola» — crab meat served in the shell. It’s a little pricey for what you get, but you’re paying for the view.
I’ve seen reviews elsewhere criticize the service, but we were happy enough. Servers were slammed, but attentive and pleasant as they could be in the chaos.

A-​MA-​ZING!!!
For our last day in Venice-​Murano, we decided to hang out in town and find a restaurant for lunch with a nice view. Ai Frati has nice tables next to Murano’s canal, so why not?
Let’s start by the staff: Friendly, smiling, and although we were the only not-​italians customers, they didn’t make us wait at all. Very good point, especially considering some other restaurants in Murano.
Then, the food.
The Bolognese Spaghetti were very classic, very fresh, and good, but the fact is it’s difficult to make bad Bolognese — as long as the ingredients are fresh. Still, a good point.
But here goes the Nero Tagliatella — Squid Ink Pasta. If you never tried it, be careful, the taste is very particular. I personally love this dish, and I tried it in every restaurant we’ve been during our Venice Trip. Ai Frati made the BEST ONE!!! Oh my god! Just thinking about it makes me hungry! It was exactly the perfect amount of sauce, pasta and calamari, an extremely great mix of flavor, for which you can taste the freshness of the ingredients and the quality of the pasta. In one word: Perfect!
As for the wine (we are in Italy, so what would you drink other than wine?), we had the Red wine house. I know what you’re gonna say: white wine is better with the Nero Pasta, and you’d be right usually.
However, their red wine was a nice Chianti/​Cabernet, smooth on the palate yet fruity enough to goes perfectly with the Bolognese. And no idea how, but it goes perfectly with the Nero Pasta.
To conclude the experience, we had the Tiramisu for desert. And after a few disappointment (way too creamy, I think adapted for american tourist…), the Tiramisu was exactly what it should be: lightly creamy, a bit bitter (with the coffee) and a nuance of Amaretto as a final touch.
As a whole, if you are in Venice and you need to eat somewhere, do yourself a favor and go here. You’d be missing a great opportunity. And considering the fact they are not advertising themselves, it makes me believe that only the local go there, which is a good sign.
Damn! I’m now jealous of you for going there…