Must-see restaurants in Venice

  • Al Giardinetto da Severino

    Venice

    Date nights don't come better than sitting among a sea of greenery in Al Giardinetto's vine-covered courtyard. For nearly 70 years the Bastianello…

  • Trattoria alla Rivetta

    Venice

    Tucked behind the Ponte San Provolo, this trattoria hums with the chatter of contented diners even in the dead of winter. It is staffed by a clutch of…

  • Pasticceria Tonolo

    Venice

    Long, skinny Tonolo is the stuff of local legend, a fact confirmed by the never-ending queue of customers. Ditch packaged B&B croissants for flaky apple…

  • Alle Corone

    Venice

    The stupidly romantic view of gondolas floating past the windows helps to distract from the hotel-restaurant vibe of Ai Reali's dining room. The excellent…

  • Venissa Ristorante

    Murano, Burano & the Northern Islands

    The sleepy island of Mazzorbo is an unlikely setting for a Michelin-starred restaurant. Chefs Chiara Pavan and Franceso Brutto use the produce from…

  • La Bitta

    Venice

    Venice is known for its seafood but this cosy, woody bistro taps into the other side of the cuisine, serving a concise menu focused on meat and seasonal…

  • Acquastanca

    Murano, Burano & the Northern Islands

    A modern sensibility imbues both the decor and the menu at this wonderful little restaurant. An array of old-fashioned Murano mirrors adorns a wall, while…

  • Marchini Time

    Venice

    Elbow your way through the morning crush to bag a warm croissant filled with runny apricot jam or melting Nutella. Everything here is freshly baked, which…

  • Osteria L’Orto dei Mori

    Venice

    Not since Tintoretto lived next door has this neighbourhood seen so much action, thanks to this bustling osteria (casual tavern). Sicilian chef Lorenzo…

  • Antinoo's

    Venice

    Be the envy of the passing Grand Canal traffic by nabbing one of the few tables on the deck of the Sina Centurion Hotel, or hide away inside the dazzling…

  • Osteria alla Staffa

    Venice

    With fish fresh from the Rialto every morning and a preference for organic veg and cheese, chef Alberto does a take on Venetian classics that has…

  • Osteria da Carla

    Venice

    Diners in the know duck into this hidden courtyard, less than 100m from Piazza San Marco, to snack on cicheti (Venetian tapas) at the counter or to sit…

  • Hostaria da Franz

    Venice

    Known in Venice for its tiramisu, da Franz is also a phenomenal seafood stop. Two dishes spring to mind: the melt-in-mouth seppie (cuttlefish) prepared in…

  • Antico Forno

    San Polo & Santa Croce

    The counter at this friendly hole-in-the-wall takeaway is a sea of oven-fresh pizza perfection of both the thin- and thick-crust varieties. Join the queue…

  • Alle Testiere

    Venice

    Make a reservation for one of the two evening sittings at this tiny restaurant and come prepared for Bruno Gavagnin's beautifully plated seafood feasts…

  • The Nomboli snack bar has plenty of outdoor seating

    Bar Ai Nomboli

    San Polo & Santa Croce

    This snappy place is never short of local professors, labourers and clued-in out-of-towners. Crusty rolls are packed with local cheeses, fresh greens,…

  • Africa Experience, the restaurant entrance in the narrow Calle Lunga San Barnaba.

    Africa Experience

    Venice

    Staffed by refugees and migrants from all over Africa, the menu at this attractive restaurant reflects that diversity, with dishes from Egypt, Morocco,…

  • The entrance to Trattoria alla Rampa del Piave

    Trattoria alla Rampa del Piave

    Venice

    Hidden behind a little working-class bar is a low-slung dining room serving up some of Venice’s heartiest lunch specials. A largely male, Venetian crowd…

  • The pretty shop window of Le Spighe

    Le Spighe

    Venice

    All vegetarian, all organic and largely vegan, this tiny cafe and wholefood shop offers a counter full of salads and grains that are shovelled onto plates…

  • The impressive entrance to the Querini Stampalia museum complex

    Caffè Letterario

    Venice

    The Querini Stampalia's gorgeous cafe is a great place for a coffee or a snack, and also serves a range of reasonably priced pasta and rice dishes at…

  • The inviting entrance to La Tecia Vegana

    La Tecia Vegana

    Venice

    Venice's only organic vegan restaurant serves delectable dishes such as Thai rice noodles, seitan lasagne and tempeh mafè (peanut butter sauce) with rice…

  • The entrance to Spaghetteria 6342 A Le Tole

    Spaghetteria 6342 A Le Tole

    Venice

    This eatery serves pizza and freshly made pasta that you can see being prepared in the immaculate kitchen. There is also a small choice of mains and an…

  • Ostaria dai Zemei

    San Polo & Santa Croce

    Running this closet-sized cicheti counter are zemei (twins) Franco and Giovanni, who serve loyal regulars small bites with plenty of imagination:…

  • Al Ponte Storto

    San Polo & Santa Croce

    Once an anarchist clubhouse, intimate, art-slung 'At the Crooked Bridge' serves up scrumptious cicheti (Venetian tapas), whether it's quiche or the famed…

  • Osteria al Pesador

    San Polo & Santa Croce

    Watch the world drift down the Grand Canal outside or canoodle indoors, but prepare to sit up and pay attention once the food arrives. Pesador reinvents…

  • Osteria da Alberto

    Venice

    All the makings of a true Venetian osteria (casual tavern) – hidden location, casks of wine, chandeliers that look like medieval torture devices – plus…

  • Ai Bisatei

    Murano, Burano & the Northern Islands

    Seek out this vintage osteria (casual tavern) where glass-blowers head for plates of frittura mista (mixed fried fish), seafood risotto and spaghetti…

  • Toletta Snack-Bar

    Venice

    Midway through museum crawls from Accademia to Ca' Rezzonico, Toletta satisfies starving artists with lip-smacking, grilled-to-order panini (sandwiches),…

  • Gelato di Natura

    San Polo & Santa Croce

    Along with a dozen other things, Marco Polo is said to have introduced ice cream to Venice after his odyssey to China. At this gelato shop the…

  • Trattoria da Ignazio

    San Polo & Santa Croce

    Dapper white-jacketed waiters serve pristine grilled lagoon fish, fresh pasta and desserts made in-house (‘of course’) with a proud flourish, on tables…

  • Acqua e Mais

    San Polo & Santa Croce

    Ignore the proliferating pizza stalls and head to Acqua e Mais where you’ll find authentic Venetian street food wrapped in a scartosso (paper cone). The…

  • Trattoria Anzolo Raffaele

    Venice

    Husband-and-wife team Luigi and Patricia conjure up inventive dishes that excite the palate, drawing from the cuisines of the Veneto, Fruili and Sardinia…

  • Impronta

    Venice

    When other restaurants close, Impronta stays open to accommodate late lunches, tea sessions, and midnight snacks of club sandwiches. The menu is a mix of…

  • Orient Experience II

    Venice

    Despite its dialogue with the East, Venice lacks good ethnic eateries, but this wildly popular place aims to set that straight. Run by Ahmed, it dishes up…

  • Aiki

    Venice

    The dishes at this sushi specialist are as beautiful as they are delicious. Specials include succulent grilled eel with figs topped with lemongrass and…

  • Il Refolo

    San Polo & Santa Croce

    With outdoor tables occupying the campo in front of San Giacomo dall’Orio, this is a sunny spot from which to watch gondolas drift by. The food, too, is…

  • Sacro e Profano

    San Polo & Santa Croce

    Musicians, artists and philosophising regulars make this hideaway, positioned under the arcade leading to the Rialto bridge, exceptionally good for…

  • Dalla Marisa

    Venice

    At this Cannaregio institution, you'll be seated where there's room and get no menu – you'll have whatever Marisa's cooking. Serves are absurdly abundant…

  • Vecio Fritolin

    San Polo & Santa Croce

    Traditionally a fritolin was an eatery where diners sat at a communal table and tucked into fried fish. This is the modern equivalent, albeit smarter,…

  • Ristoteca Oniga

    Venice

    Oniga serves exemplary sarde in saor (sardines in onion marinade), seasonal pastas and the odd Hungarian classic like goulash (a nod to former chef Annika…

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