Venetian cuisine often comes from the sea, granseole (spider crabs), melecche (soft-shelled crabs), and seppie in nero (squid cooked in its own black ink, served with pasta or polenta). Another famous dish is fegato all veneziana (calves liver with onions). For dolci, try the ring shaped cookies (bussolai), the light & dry baicoli, the lemony zaleti and during Carnevale look out for frittelle--small doughnuts that must be eaten immediately, & crostoli--light thin flakes of fried pastry dusted with icing sugar.
Wines from the Veneto, though not well known as other areas, are quite good. You have the white Soave and the red Valpolicella & Bardolina. Among the most interesting of whites is the Prosecco, a delicious sparkling wine--it will be light, dry, inexpensive & guaranteed not to give you a headache the next day. Four dessert wines are Verduzzo Dorato, Reiotto di Soave, Fragolino and Clinton. Lastly, watch out for Amarone, a bittersweet wine made from partially-dried Valpolicella grapes.
The most famous drink from Venice is, alas, the Bellini (a fresh peach juice & sparkling wine combination). A less touristy but true Venetian drink is the Spritz. Its base is innocent enough: half a glass of white wine, a twist of lemon peel--the kicker is the strong measure of the apperitivo added to the drink.
- Restaurants in Cannaregio
- ALL ANTICA MOLA-fondamenta degli Ormesini, 2800, tel:717 492 - welcoming family run trattoria. A terrace on the canal & a garden in the back.
- VINI DA GIGIO-fondamenta San Felice, 3628A, tel:528 5140 - based on the quality of the food & the wine, this is considered one of the best valued restaurants in Venice.
- TRATTORIA CA D'ORO ALLA VEDOVA-ramo Ca D'Ora, 3912, tel:528 5324 - charming decor, intimate atmosphere. Get the fried artichokes.
- Restaurants in Dorsoduro
- ANTICA LOCANDA MONTIN-fondamenta Eremite, 1147, tel:522 7151 - 17th Century inn, hit or miss dining, go for the atmosphere. Where Peggy Guggenheim & her regulars hung out.
- IL DOGE GELATERIE-campo Santa Margherita, 3058A, tel:523 4607 - best gelato in Venice, family owned & run, do not leave Venice without going here.
- L'INCONTRO-campo Santa Margherita, 3062a, tel:522 2404 - local and extremely popular, dependable & well-priced food.
- AL BOTTEGON (CANTINONE GIA SCHIAVI)-fondamenta Nani, 992, tel:523 0034 - set on the picturesque San Trovaso canal, is an institution for in-the-know expatriates & professors. Boasts one of the city's best wine cellars.
- OSTERIA DA CODROMA-ponte del Soccorso, 2540, tel:524 6789 - artsy bacaro, catch poetry readings, jazz concerts or just read a book & hang out.
- Restaurants in San Marco
- OSTERIA AL BACARETO-salizzada S. Samuele, 3447, tel:528 9336 - a winner: wine is good, welcome is warm & the other diners are interesting.
- HOSTERIA AI DO LADRONI-ramo del Fontego dei Tedeschi, 5362, tel:522 7741 - nouveau rustic bacaro is a favorite among locals.
- OSTERIA AI ASSASSINI-rio Terra dei Assassini, 3965, tel:528 7986 - there's no name outside, so look for the yellow light over the door. Stop for ciccheti (finger food snacks) & sipping wine.
- OSTERIA ALLA BOTTE-campo San Bartolomeo, 5482, tel:520 9775 - Campo San Barolomeo is Venice's liveliest meeting place every evening, & the Botte is where many young venetians head off to for a quick ombra (glass of wine).
- Restaurants in San Polo
- TRATTORIA ALLA MADONNA-calle della Madonna, 594, tel:522 3824 - friendly, no-frills service & great prices keep packing in tourists and locals alike. Minutes walk from the Rialto bridge.
- ANTICHE CARAMPANE-rio Terra de la Carampane, 1911, tel:524 0165 - Compact trattoria, hard to find, good for fish dishes.
- CAFFE DEI FRARI-fondamenta dei Frari, 2564, tel:524-1877 - rambunctious caffe, good for people-watching, neighborly service & made to order sandwiches.
- IGNAZIO-calle Saoneri, 2749, tel:523 4852 - family-run, some of the best food in Venice.
- OSTERIA DA FIORE-calle del Scaleter, 2202, tel:721 308 - simple elegance, mostly seafood.
- Restaurants in Santa Croce
- ALLA ZUCCA-ponte del Megio, 1762, tel:524 1570 - breaks from traditional Venetian cuisine, with oriental and macrobiotic influences. Some meat on the menu, but a strong emphasis on vegetables.
- TRATTORIA ANTICA BESSETTA-salizzada de Ca'Zusto, 1395, tel:721 687 - Slice of real Venetian homecooking without pretense.
- ALLA RIVETTA-calle Sechera, 637A, tel:718 111 - great selection of opera on the stereo, excellent Prosecco & some wonderful ciccheti & panini.
- Restaurants in Burano
- AL GATTO NERO-fondamenta Giudecca, 88, tel:730 120 - better value meal, faces the Fish Market, excellent, attentive service.
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"Any excursion, even when it was only to pay calls or to go shopping, was threefold and unique
in this Venice where the simplest social coming and going assumed at the same time the form
and the charm of a visit to a museum and a trip on the sea..." Marcel Proust
- Fantoni Libri Arte-San Marco 4119, salizzada San Luca - beautifully illustrated books focusing on art, architecture, design, photography & textile. Small cookbook section.
- Erboristeria Mediterranea-San Polo 1735, calle dei Botteri - cute little shop where a skilled herbalist will mix up concoctions for you, or choose from a wide variety of ready-mixed herbal creams & perfumes.
- Fashion: all of the big name boutiques (Armani, Versace, Prada etc) are clustered around the four streets in the vincinity of San Marco: call Vallaresso; salizada San Moise & its continuation calle Larga XXII Marzo; Calle Goldoni; and the Mercerie
- Vinaria Nave de Oro-Dorsoduro 3664, campo Santa Margherita - offers wine by the liter, bring your own bottle & the staff will fill them with anything from Tocai and Pinot Grigio to Merlot. The lates craze is for Torbolino, a sweet and cloudy first-pressing wine.
- Buy a mask at Ca'Macana-Dorsoduro 3172, calle delle Botteghe. Mask from the traditional Commedia dell'arte, as well as typical Venetian styles. Always an artist in residence to give a mask-making explanation.
- Another place is MondoNovo-Dorsoduro 3063, Rio Terra Canal-Campo Santa Margherita. This is where Stanley Kubrick came for his film, Eyes Wide Shut.
- Internet Cafe: Le Cafe Noir-Dorsoduro 3805, Crosera San Pantalon. Ambience is warm Mediterranean.
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