An Italian seafood meal is not meant to arrive all at once. It has a sequence. Raw fish and shellfish come first, while the palate is fresh. Hot antipasti add warmth and texture. Pasta carries the flavour of the sea into a more substantial course. Whole fish or lobster belongs at the centre of the table, not hidden among too many competing plates.

Santo Mare follows that structure in both London and Venice. The menu is broad, but ordering it well is less about quantity than progression.

Start with crudo, but create contrast

A raw seafood opening should feel clean and varied. Ordering three tartares with similar seasoning will make the table look generous, but the flavours can quickly blur.

The Santo Mare menu includes carpaccio and tartare of yellowfin tuna, wild seabass, red prawns and langoustines, as well as oysters and a Santo Mare plateau with oysters, langoustines and red prawns.

For two people, choose one carpaccio or tartare and add oysters or shellfish by the piece. For four or more, a plateau gives the table range without requiring a separate order of every raw dish.

Texture matters. Pair the softness of tuna tartare with the cleaner bite of a langoustine or oyster. Add lemon only where it improves the fish rather than covering it.

Use hot starters to change the temperature

After crudo, one hot antipasto is usually enough to turn the meal towards pasta.

Polpette di spigola, octopus with potatoes, seafood salad, squid with chicory and mixed fried fish each do something different. Fried seafood brings crispness; octopus and potatoes make the table more comforting; chicory introduces bitterness that can reset the palate after sweeter shellfish.

A large group can choose two contrasting starters. A couple should choose one. The meal still has two important stages ahead.

Let pasta carry the sauce, not overwhelm the fish

Italian seafood pasta works when the pasta, shellfish and sauce remain distinct. The menu includes seafood risotto, risotto with cuttlefish and artichokes, paccheri with redfish and cherry tomatoes, gnocchi with red prawns and pecorino, tagliatelle with Mediterranean lobster, linguine with langoustines and mint, spaghetti alle vongole and linguine alla Nerano.

The richest choices are best shared or followed by a simpler main course. Lobster tagliatelle does not need a second elaborate shellfish pasta beside it. Spaghetti alle vongole can sit more comfortably before grilled fish.

For a table of four, two different pasta dishes shared across the table usually show more range than four individual orders of the same dish.

Italian seafood changes from coast to coast

There is no single Italian seaside cuisine. Sicily brings red prawns and langoustines; Campania gives the table dishes such as Nerano-style linguine; other regions favour different fish, herbs, pastas and cooking methods.

That variety is also why choosing the right stretch of the Italian coast matters when planning a trip. The cliffs of Amalfi, the beaches of Sardinia, the white towns of Puglia and the islands of Sicily do not produce the same holiday—or the same table.

At Santo Mare, the menu brings several of those coastal references together without trying to turn them into one generic idea of “Mediterranean food.”

Ask about the fish before deciding the main course

The fish market is the point where the meal should become more specific. Ask what has arrived, what size it is, how many people it will serve and which preparation best suits it.

Whole fish may be cooked grilled, baked, in salt crust or acqua pazza style depending on availability and the restaurant’s recommendation. Mediterranean lobster can be grilled, steamed or served Catalan style. There are also individual options such as yellowfin tuna steak, grilled squid and mixed grill.

If the table has already ordered risotto or lobster pasta, choose a simply cooked fish. If the opening was light, a larger whole fish or lobster can become the centrepiece.

The best decision is often made after the raw dishes arrive, not before the first drink.

Order differently in London and Venice without changing the principle

Santo Mare London is on George Street in Marylebone, while Santo Mare Venice is set at Baglioni Hotel Luna near Piazza San Marco. The surroundings are different, but the ordering logic remains the same: begin fresh, build gradually and let one main ingredient lead each stage.

In London, the restaurant works for lunch, dinner, business tables and celebrations. In Venice, the same seafood-first approach fits naturally into a day around San Marco, whether for lunch or an evening meal.

Use the location pages to plan the details: Santo Mare London and Santo Mare Venice.

Finish with one dessert for the table

After shellfish, pasta and whole fish, dessert should close the meal rather than restart it. The pistachio gelato is designed for sharing, while tiramisù espresso, chocolate fondant, fruit and gelato offer different levels of richness.

Choose one dessert, order coffee after it, and give the table time to finish properly.

Reserve Santo Mare in London or Venice and ask the team about the day’s fish when you arrive.

Frequently asked questions

What should I order first at an Italian seafood restaurant?

Begin with oysters, shellfish, carpaccio or tartare. Follow with one hot antipasto, then pasta, and decide on whole fish or lobster according to appetite.

Does Santo Mare serve whole fish?

The menu includes a fish-market selection with preparations that may include grilled, baked, salt-crusted or acqua pazza style. Availability changes, so ask the team on the day.

Where are the Santo Mare restaurants?

Santo Mare has locations on George Street in Marylebone, London, and at Baglioni Hotel Luna near Piazza San Marco in Venice.