Bucket list experience:
Venice, Veneto, Italy
Dishes, both fish and meat-based, are seasonal, prepared with the minimum of fuss and often dressed with just olive oil, a little lemon and seasoning. In spring and summer, menus feature abundant fresh vegetables, many sourced from the island of Sant’Erasmo.
You’ll find unique ingredients in Venetian restaurants such as moeche (soft-shelled crabs), and schie (tiny grey prawns).
Meals are traditionally divided into antipasti (starters), primi (soup, pasta), secondi (meat, fish) and dolce (dessert).
Venetian specialities include baccalà mantecato (creamed salt cod), sarde in soar (sardines with onions and vinegar) and seppie (inky black squid) with polenta. Fegato alla Veneziana (liver with onions) and beef carpaccio are good choices for non-fish eaters. Also see Nicky’s round-up of the traditional Italian foods you must try in Italy.
Cichetti are Venetian tapas, tasty morsels to whet the appetite and soak up a glass of wine or two. A plate of cichetti is one of the cheapest ways to fill up in this expensive city; 6 or 7 make a light meal, and at an average price of €2, along with a glass of inexpensive local wine, that’s a bargain.
Veneto wines are among Italy’s best. Reds include Valpolicella, Bardolino and the hefty Amarone while whites include Prosecco, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Manzoni Bianco.
Spritz, the ubiquitous orange-coloured aperitivo, is a Venetian institution; served on ice with a green olive and a slice of orange, it is made with Aperol, Campari or Select (a Venetian bitter) plus prosecco and a squirt of soda.
Like all cities, Venice has its share of white-cloth, Michelin starred establishments serving (pricey) gourmet riffs on the traditional cuisine. Locals mainly eat at simple neighbourhood trattorias, serving hearty home-cooked local food.
Cicheti are traditionally served in a bacaro (wine bar), which also offer wines by the glass; Venetians eat cichetti before lunch or dinner, usually standing at the bar.
Avoid anywhere touting a set ‘menu turistico’.
Want more recommendations in this destination?
Destination Guide >In Venice, it pays to steer clear of the most touristy areas to avoid inflated prices and mediocre food. Instead, wander through some of the quieter neighbourhoods (along the Fondamenta Misericordia in northern Canareggio, in and around Via Garibaldi in Castello, the area in and around the Zattere in Dorsoduro) to find places where Venetians go to eat and drink.
Venetian resident Monica’s blog about life and food in Venice is a reliable and interesting source of information about the city, and has excellent foodie recommendations.
A fun way to enjoy the cicheti tradition and to sample the wide variety on offer is to take a cicheti crawl.
Venice is not a late-night city; normal dinner time is 7.30pm or 8pm (maybe 8.30 in high summer), and the streets in all but the most central areas are often deserted by 11pm. Cicheti are traditionally eaten before lunch (from around noon) or dinner (from around 6pm). A Spritz works at almost any time of the day!
Venice, Veneto, Italy
Cicchetti are Venetian tapas, traditionally served in a bacaro (wine bar), and often eaten by the Venetians before lunch or dinner. Take a cicchetti tour – guided or independent – and sample these weird and wonderful dishes.
Best for ages: 13+ | £0
Venice, Veneto, Italy
Dating from 1720, world-famous Florian’s is a jewel-box of a café, all mirrors, stuccoes and frescoes. Join the locals perched at the bar rather than pay way over the odds for a table seat where a simple espresso is likely to set you back €10.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Venice, Veneto, Italy
A perfect place for foodie gifts, this deliciously retro grocery shop sells a fabulous range of exotic spices, dried fruits and mushrooms plus wines, olive oil and vinegars from all over Italy. The range of coffees and teas is also excellent.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Venice, Veneto, Italy
For a special lunch on a beautiful garden terrace, hop over to Torcello and this iconic restaurant; Ernest Hemmingway and Princess Diana were fans. People come for the peaceful, bucolic setting as much as the food – pasta with scampi and seabass with artichokes, maybe.
Best for ages: 18+ | £30
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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
Venice, Veneto, Italy
Perfect for a honeymoon or other romantic celebrations, this intimate, stylish and sophisticated bolt-hole lies just across a pretty bridge from the Salute church in artsy Dorsoduro. The rooms are extravagant and sexy, the service personalised and charming.
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Venice, Veneto, Italy
A legendary 5-star resort hotel that combines the beauties of La Serenissima with A-grade facilities and service. Its dreamy Giudecca location is a boon when the calle of Venice’s historic centre are clogged with tourists in high season.
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Venice, Veneto, Italy
An 11-room boutique hotel with a lovely courtyard, personalised service and a centralissima location within easy reach of the Accademia, the Rialto and Piazza San Marco. The contemporary, design-led interior provides a refreshing contrast to the usual flock wallpaper and swathes of brocade.
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Venice, Veneto, Italy
The grandest Dame of Venice’s classic hotels and wonderfully opulent, the Gritti lords it over the Grand Canal from a superb spot across from the Salute church and just 10 minutes’ walk from Piazza San Marco.
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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Veneto, Italy
Crammed with picturesque canals, Renaissance palazzos and artistic masterpieces, this unique and alluring city is heaven-on-earth for art lovers and romantics.
