Colleena

Ok here is my dilemma, I am going to Sorrento, Rome, Cinque Terre (Vernazza) and Venice... I hate seafood. Am I going to starve? Rome I think I will be ok, but with the other 3 being on the water and boasting about seafood I am worried.

traveller1959

You can easily avoid seafood. Any restaurant at any place will offer plenty dishes without seafood. A typical Italian meal consists of 4 courses:

1. Antipasti: Cold, fried vegetables and, yes, often fish and seafood. Many restaurants have antipasti buffets, so you can select.

2. Pasta or risotto: Many options without seafood, including many vegetarian options.

3. Main course: Meat or fish.

4. Dessert. Usually seafood-free.

LilyLace

LOL- no but you will be a pain in the neck to your partner - only a joke!

My husband does not eat seafood at all and we always manage to find him something! Italy was not even a little problem with all the pasta dishes.

Have fun!

sandi_travelnut

I am not a seafood eater and I was far from starving. There will always be grilled veg, roasted chicken, pastas and beef dishes. Enjoy!!

Colleena

That makes me feel better. thank you. One more question regarding prices... I know it is more to sit down and eat then stand and eat at the bar but is it pretty easy to take and eat at a bench or something? Like in St.Mark's square, do they have benches we could take our food to and sit or should we keep walking?

caroltis

My most memorable Italian lunch...we gathered bread, fruit and cheese as we wandered through the streets of Venice and then sat on steps next to a tiny canal that ran next to the Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari church where we proceded to soak up the sunshine, the sights and the sounds while we enjoyed our simple but memorable lunch.
Our first trip to Italy we fretted over paying extra to sit down but quite honestly we soon realized that this extra charge often afforded us the opportunity to be entertained by watching all the activity outside. Splurge on this occasionally. But it does seem there are always steps leading up to churches that make a good lunch spot.
As far as seafood - I don't eat it and oh my, it's not a problem at all. You'll laugh once you get there and you'll wonder what were you so worried about!

annhig

Hi colleena,

one thing you CANNOT do it picnic in St. Mark's square. either pay [some might say through the nose] to sit at one of the cafes, [where you wil not be able to eat your own food of course] or go elsewhere to eat your sandwiches.

there is a park to the west of st. Marks' or there are plenty of other squares.

in Italy and other countries such as France, generally if you stand at the bar, your drinks, and any food like sandwiches, [cichetti in venice] tapas, etc. will be cheaper. but if you want a full meal, you will usually be "invited" to sit at a table in the restaurant proper.

but you wil certainly survive eating meat and veg.

regards, ann

Lexma90

I think you might have things mixed up a bit.

Yes, when you go to a bar, if you sit down at a table and receive waitress service, the prices will be higher than if you go up to the bar and order. In my experience, this is true whether you order just drinks, or (at breakfast) order drinks and pastries. Most people (the Italians/locals), if they order at the bar, will stay standing at the bar to eat and drink. We (tourists) will take our cups of cappuccini & croissants to sit at a table in the bar; I don't know if that's appropriate, but nobody's ever told us not to.

But we don't take the food and drink and just walk away to somewhere else entirely. You could do that, of course, from a takeout place, or a place where you bought food to go, but I'm not sure that's what you're referring to. In every bar in Italy that I've gone to, we've been served our food/drink in real china and glasses, so you couldn't walk away with their dishes.

Also, in Saint Mark's Square, there is supposedly a rule (though I can't remember where I heard this) that you can't eat a picnic lunch in the piazza there. But you could easily eat a takeaway or picnic lunch elsewhere (we have certainly done that).

traveller1959

When we were in Venice, we usually bought some supplies in a supermarket and had a picnic. Picnic on St. Marks square is not advisable (the pigeons will eat your food), but at other places you may find some stone steps or whatever..

ekscrunchy

You will have absolutely no problem avoiding seafood. In fact you will save money because the seafood dishes are often among the more expensive menu choices!

Colleena

That sounds good. I thought I had read people buying paninis and walking away from the place to eat elsewhere...or even pizza? Is this something commonly done?

LilyLace

I really can't remember St Marks Square as to the food rules (we must not have eaten there). But yes there are little sandwich stands in many of the parks and close to the tourist stops. These are not cafes anyway and are meant to be take away food.

As Lexma90 said, the cafe food will be served to you on real china - even at the bar.. You will be expected to eat it there.

We actually prefer to sit down once or twice during the day (we walk alot) so I guess in those cases the extra $ is worth it for the break.

I'm sure you'll work it out, certainly do not fret over it.

vjpblovesitaly

"Since June, stewards have been patrolling St Mark's Square and other historic sites to slap a 25-euro fine on tourists found laying out a picnic, walking around bare-chested or dropping food wrappers."

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddly...20724720070918

Lexma90

You can definitely buy paninis and pizza by the slice from stalls and to-go places, just like in the U.S. (or wherever you're from), and walk around to eat them, or find a bench somewhere. But you wouldn't buy those items from a bar or restaurant.

sandi_travelnut

In Rome, we got pizza great pizza at a carry out only place very near P. del Popolo and sat on the steps of the church to eat. It was a beautiful day and there were many people eating outside.

traveller1959

>>>"Since June, stewards have been patrolling St Mark's Square and other historic sites to slap a 25-euro fine on tourists found laying out a picnic, walking around bare-chested or dropping food wrappers."<<<

This is only a pigeon problem. If you use common sense, no problem.

Colleena

I wasn't meaning I would lay down in the middle of a walkway but maybe on a bench to still be able to people watch.

ira

Hi C,

>I hate seafood.

Probably because you have never had good, fresh seafood.

Where are you from?

Colleena

I am from Florida
I have tried many different things but none of it that I have tried appeals to me. I would rather have a steak or chicken.

annhig

Hi again,

ref buying food to eat in the street, this isn't really done very much. this is mainly because the locals know the right bars to go to where it's just as cheap to eat in as out.

for example, we found a bar in Venice where 4 drinks [2xwine, 1x orange juice and 1x coke] plus 4 panini cost E18. yes, really! but there are plenty of bars that have windows for selling on the street, or you just go in and ask "per porta via".

regards, ann