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VENICE restaurants

Venice’s restaurants aren't cheap but you'll certainly eat some of the best seafood in Italy. However, it's still possible to eat well, but you will have to look around. Below you'll find a few restaurants that the Hotel Enthusiast team has personally tried.

Venice San Marco Restaurants

Osteria Enoteca: [Frezzeria - San Marco, 041 5285242] The best modern Italian food we've eaten here; sensational wine, great service, wonderful ambiance, friendly staff, what more can we say. Medium price range. [Bookings necessary] - Closed Sundays

Da Ivo: [Calle dei Fuseri 0415285004] If you want to take your partner to one of the most romantic, charming and cosy restaurants in Venice then look no further than Da Ivo's. You can dine in this long-standing establishment that combines Tuscan and Venetian cuisine while being surrounded by paintings and the customary candlelight by dinner. Famous for it's bistecche fiorentine [2-pound beef steak grilled over olive-wood charcoal] or try the tagliolini with mullet roe. It's not cheap but well worth it. [Bookings necessary]

Ristorante da Raffaele: [ Calle Larga XXII Marzo 0415232317 ] Ristorante da Raffaele is a relaxed restaurant that has tables right by where the gondolas are moored. It has bags of venetian charm and atmosphere with it's high-beamed ceiling, chandeliers, a huge fireplace and hundreds of hanging pots and pans. The food is great from fish to meat and if you're on a diet, try to avoid the deserts. [Open Fri-Wed lunch/dinner, closed Dec-Feb]

Ristorante De Pisis: [ Bauer Il Palazzo, San Marco 1413/d 041 520 7022] Ristorante De Pisis at the famous BAUER has been voted No. 1 in the city of Venice. Le Guide de l’Espresso, Italy’s premiere dining guide. This fantastic restaurant has a vast terrace overlooking the Grand Canal where you can sit back and enjoy such pleasures such as bigoli al torchio with broccoli and black truffles in anchovy sauce, white polenta cream & baby cuttle-fish in squid ink, or fillets of sole in 'saor'.

Opening Hours: Almost everything in Venice - shops, museums, churches, tourist offices are open from 9am to around 1pm and from around 3.30pm to 7.30pm Monday to Saturday. The ones dedicated to the tourist trade generally stay open during lunchtime and open on Sunday.

Venice Dorsoduro Restaurants

Trattoria Dona Onesta: [ Calle Dona Onesta 041 710 586 ] As with all good Italian trattorias, Dona Onesta is simple, friendly and serves up excellent food. This is generally packed with locals which is always a good sign. Give the sarde in saor a try which is typlically Venetian (sardines marinated with onions). The fish is generally good and pasta is just like mama makes. [Closed Sunday]

Ai Gondolieri: [ Dorsoduro 36, Ponte Del Formager 041-5286396 ] This is one of our favourite restaurants in this very cool area. Make sure you've worked up an appetite during the day because the food here is superb as is the wine. The decor is fairly simple and they generally have jazz playing while you eat. Highly recommended but make sure you book before. [Closed Tuesdays]

La Bitta: [ Dorsoduro 2753a, Calle Lunga San Barnaba 041 5230 531 ] A tiny but very cute and good and good Venetian restaurant. If you don't like fish this place is perfect for you. The menu is short but very interesting with meats and game. With a fantastic wine list and cool ambient jazz tunes, you'll be coming back to this restaurant again and again. . [Closed Sundays]

Venice Rialto / San Polo Restaurants

Antica Birraria La Corte: [ Campo San Polo - San Polo 2168, 041 2750 570 ] Antica Birraria La Corte is in Campo San Polo. Not just a pizzeria but THE pizzeria in Venice. Great speedy service makes it the perfect place for lunch but try not to drink too much of the wine as you’ll find it hard to move all afternoon. [Closed Monday]

Il Réfolo: [ Campo San Giacomo de l’Orio 041 524 0016 ] This up-market restaurant is more of a pizzeria than a restaurant but good none the less. [Closed Monday].

Venice Cannaregio Restaurants

Algiubagiō: [ Fondamente Nuove, Cannaregio 5039, 041 5236 084 ] Not only a bar where you can have a drink from an extensive wine list with views if the island of San Michele, but a great restaurant where you can feast from an interesting menus of beef, duck and reindeer. [Open all week with dining outside available]

Osteria La Frasca: [ Corte della Caritā, Cannaregio 5176, 041 5285 433 ] A nice cosy restaurant and bar in a quiet courtyard near the Fondamenta Nuove vaporetto stop. There are tables outside and you can dine on either fish or meat here. The seppie al nero con is to die for. [Closed Tuesday evenings]

Al Fontego dei Pescatori: [ Sotoportego del Tagiapera, Cannaregio 3711, 041 5200 538 ] Located on a canal, there’s fish on the menu here including cuttlefish, sea bass and salmon marinated with dill and Marsala. With good service you’ll enjoy the experience at this relaxed good quality joint. [Closed Tuesday]