Ristorante Ai Mercanti in the heart of Venice between the Rialto Bridge and Piazza San Marco is an upmarket, romantic restaurant in very cool style that enjoys a high-flying gastronomic reputation. The vaulted dining room is decorated in sophisticated terracotta and black with impressive shining globe lighting. The bar is wittily decorated with dressmakers’ forms and sexy corsets – great conversation starters. The menu is classically-inspired Venetian of a high order, focusing on things from the sea and changing every two months to take advantage of the and array of the freshest ingredients in true Italian style and pastas and desserts are all made in-house. In warm weather the dining room sprawls out onto the adjoining campiello for the loveliest al fresco dining anywhere – the Venetians who crowd Ai Mercanti certainly think so.