In the age of dating apps, romance has become pretty damn terrifying. After years of swiping right, we've been conditioned to keep our dates low-key. Sure, maybe you bought or received some nice grocery store flowers in the last six months. But we’re talking balls-out romance here: a candlelit dinner where you both get more dressed up than necessary, drink too many glasses of champagne, and go home and have sex in a bubble bath. Instead, most date nights these days consist of a couple cocktails, some chickpea fritters, and a weird Uber ride home. And we all seem content with that.

Barrique, a dimly-lit Italian restaurant in Venice, is not content with that. And the place is a good argument for why you should up the ante once in a while. You might be a bit scared of the romance thing, but Barrique doesn’t care. They're going all in, and you better be along for the ride.

photo credit: Holly Liss

Located in a two-story yellow cottage on a quiet part of Main Street in Venice, Barrique has low lighting, candles on tables, and a general air of Let’s Get It On. If the highly romantic interior terrifies you too much, there are also a handful of tables on the small balcony.

You may have come here in hopes of getting laid, but you’re still going to want to pay attention to the food. This isn’t the red sauce version of Italian, and it’s not the fancy modern version either. The food at Barrique is close to what you’d get if you were actually in Italy - simple flavors, executed well. That means lots of antipasto (like tuna tartare and prosciutto & burrata), handmade pasta, and protein-and-two-vegetable entrees. Everything we’ve eaten here has been tasty, though it's worth knowing a meal here can get pretty pricey.

Ready to bring back the big time date night? Barrique is here for you.

Now go enjoy the bathtub sex.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Holly Liss

Polipo alla Griglia

Super tender grilled octopus on top of some green beans, potatoes, cherry tomatoes, and aioli. Definitely should be in the mix.

photo credit: Holly Liss

Prosciutto e Burrata

Just what it sounds like. And just as good as you’d hope - especially the prosciutto.

Ravioli di Manzo

House made, perfectly al dente beef ravioli served on top of a plain marinara sauce and topped with parmesan. Sounds boring, is definitely not.

photo credit: Holly Liss

Linguine Nere

Our favorite pasta here. Really light, with a minimal sauce that makes the squid ink pasta and big hunks of dungeness crab the stars.

photo credit: Holly Liss

Petto d’Anatra

Smoked duck with some caramelized onions and broccolini on the side. It might be simple, but it’s also really damn delicious.