Venice and Rome Eating

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I review all the threads and cut and paste what interests me then print and bring with me.

Follow the locals. Seriously.

Rome has hundreds of casuale places with good food. Look for places filled with locals and avoid any with picture of the food or menus in multiple languages.

In Venice it's everyman for himself. There are so many visitors in proportion to the number of locals that really awful restaurants survive. We have found a couple of decent inexpensive ones on back streets (and could probbly never find them again) or stayed with top quality places (and prices) to be sure of edible food.

We had 2 instances of really inedible food, one place we just happened on, but the other had a name and a reputation. In the first we walked out after tasting the appetizer - nothing but salt. In the latter we let them replace the offending dishes - but the replacements were little better. We ended up arguing about the bill - as were the people at the able next to us - and finallt left what we thought they deserved - after deducting those things that were not edible. (Fish should never be cooked until it is crispy all the way through - and pasta sauce should not have have consistency of red water.)

Venice? Osteria Al Bacareto (assuming you're in the area)

Rome? Alfredo e Ada.

HTH
K

Thank you all for your helpful information

In Rome, I can help. For one thing, if you go to the Trastevere or San Lorenzo districts you can't swing a cat without hitting good food. So since you're all central, Trastevere is easier and some good places are:

Ivo A Trastevere-Via San Francesco A Ripa 158 They have a miz of firsts and seconds and really fantastic pizza so you'll love it. And they're cheap. It's not ALL fresh, but if a dish is frozen, they do note it on the menu.

Augusto-Piazza Dei Renzi....if I spelled that right. Locals are often lined up outside on Friday and Saturday nights and that's promising. The food is whatever they have that day and the quality is superb.

Taverna Rossini-Via Rossini, on the other side of the Borghese Gardens from Via Veneto, an easy walk from the Trevi area. Another like Ivo, and again, fantastic pizza. Trastevere may be slightly cheaper considering wine.

Il Bacaro-Via Degli Spagnoli 27-Right between piazza navona and the pantheon, you're bound to be in the area. Fresh gourmet food at a reasonable price (high end of average) and they have a seasonal menu. DO NOT leave without dessert.

Alice-Via Della Stelletta-Close to Il Bacaro, and open from like 10:30 am-3:00 every day but Sunday they are the best pizza by the slice place in Rome, dirt cheap, and full of variety. EVERYONE who works in the area eats there. Make sure to go, between 12:30-2:15 for the most varied selection.

Hope that helped!

In Rome I often use the diningcity website to choose restaurants can recommended L'Angoletto near the Pantheon, Trattoria Priscilla if you go the old appian road, Pasquino near piazza Navona

Bookmarking for April trip

Thank you for all the replies.........'food for thought'!!

Agree about Trastevere area in Rome -- lovely food, cafes/ristorantes, very nice, especially along a street to the right as you face the front of Santa Maria Di Trastevere (I think is the name) -- I liked Ristorante La Scala.

In Venice you might really like La Zucca; a bit hard to find but get directions; it's away from the San Marco center and a nice artsy area. Excellent food, emphasis on vegetarian but hearty and have some meat as well.

Consider looking at Chow Venice (a book) but I think there are lots of little casual spots that are good. I like Osteria Antico Dolo along the first left turn after crossing the Rialto area (lot along the canal but the next major calle past that). Casual, familyish, very tasty, nice to people.

Of course Campo di Fiori has lovely little spots too (Roma).

I can also recommend the book "Chow Venice" We've used it on our 3 most recent visits to Venice and found the descriptions of the food and directions to the restaurants (important in Venice) to be spot on. There are many lovely places to eat in Venice that don't just serve food to the one time visitor and really do care about the quality of the food.

AnnW writes...In Venice you might really like La Zucca; a bit hard to find but get directions...

Kaz: Just returned from Venice and Al Zucca was a favorite...went there twice...(very small, so make reservatons...if it's too cold to eat outside there are only four tables inside...so be aware)..

Be sure to try the tagliettele with melted gorgonzola and pistachios...wow. Wife Roz had the lasagne...superb. With half carafe of wine and one split dessert, total cost was €25 (about $38)...

stu

We stayed nearby at Hotel Mocenigo. Get off vaporetto at San Stae, walk down Via S.Stae...take right after the gelateria, then jog left and right...and there it is...ask anyone.

Thank you tower -shall look that place up......we will be there in July next year, so it will be quite hot.

ttt

<< somewhere cheap and nice >> are relative terms.

Here's where we ate during our recent stay in Venice & we enjoyed them all:

Osteria a la Campana Calle dei Fabbri 4720 S. Marco Tel: 041/5285170

Ostaria Antico Dolo Ruga Rialto, 778 Tel: 041/5226546

Osteria Barababao Cannaregio 5835-5838 Tel: 041/5221061

Anima Bella Calle Fiubera - S. Marco, 956 Tel: 041/5227485 (Note: This is a tiny restaurant - 5 tables. They do not take reservations so, go early or be prepared to wait if you want to eat here!)

We stayed near St Mark's Square and we walked to all of these restaurants.

2010

Le Tamerici in Rome is close to the trevi fountain, and we loved it. Expect to pay about 100 Euro for two.

Hi, I would like to recommend a nice local restaurant in Venice, my husband and I have been there in two different occasions and love it.

http://www.algiardinetto.com/ristorante-venezia.htm
it is not in the touristy area you can look it up in google, the food is delicious specially the seafood risotto.