In Rome, consider La Gensola in Trastavere for dinner. For the upper end meal, Glass would be my choice...those parmesan ravioli and the semifreddo are too good for words! We are still dying for more pizza pomodoro from Marco Roscioli...terrific and inexpensive.

Denisea - I loved your trip report - it just made it all come alive. I had Glass written down and had just forgotten it. It looks wonderful. I appreciate you!

In Venice a highlight of our trip last May was the opera performance at Musica a Palazzo, held every night of the week in a historic palazzo in San Marco in front of a small audience, we saw Barber of Seville, the lead actress sat on my husband's lap during one scene (he did not mind!) - voice quality, acting, setting all excellent. The audience moves from room to room with the performers and musicians at the end of each act. It's a lot of fun even if you are not an opera buff - highly rated on Trip Advisor. http://www.musicapalazzo.com/program/

Our favorite restaurant in Venice was L'Porta di Acqua in San Polo a few blocks away from the Rialto Bridge. Prices are upscale but reasonable for the quality.

TTT

Well done for having done your own research first!

Where are you staying in Venice?

We had holidayed in Venice a lot before being lucky enough to move here 8 months ago. In all the time we have spent here, the stand-out dinner so far, by a long way, was just 2 weeks ago at the Bistrot de Venise for DH's birthday. Website here - http://www.bistrotdevenise.com/eng/index.html and my TA review here - http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g187870-d716300-r144292031-Bistrot_de_Venise-Venice_Veneto.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT.

We also recently had a great meal at the Osteria del Ponte del Diavolo on Torcello, and really like La Zucca and the Osteria Enoteca Ai Artisti.

The best meals we ever had in Rome were at La Rosetta & Il Convivio but that was a few years ago. I see they are still listed by Michelin, though.

I was just looking at La Fenice's website so I checked 7th June and it looks as though that day's concert is actually at the Teatro Malibran - I don't know if that makes any difference to you?

Thanks for the information! I will definitely check out the recommended restaurants. NomadLass, thanks for the link - it looks to be wonderful.
Caroline - I didn't know it was at the Teatro Malibran....hmmmm..not even sure where this is. Shoot - we wanted to experience La Fenici. Do you know if you can schedule a tour at La Fenice?
We are staying at http://www.rosadivenezia.com/ which was recommended by someone on the boards (I can't remember now).
I really do appreciate all of the advice.

My favorite meal in Venice was at Ristorante da Ivo. It is a small, cozy restaurant with terrific food and service. It is rather pricey though.

I also like Ristorante da Raffaele which is also good but less pricey. It is on a rio next to a gondola station, and you can sit outside. We had a dinner reservation and arranged for a dusk gondola ride right before (back rios with a bit on the Grand Canal); it was very handy (I had planned it that way). We were returned and had dinner.

Do you have ideas for your Saturday in Venice?

Yes, you can do a self-guided tour of La Fenice with an audioguide almost any day. (The Malibran is a lot less spectacular, decor-wise.) http://www.festfenice.com/en/node/66

Ah, that's Franco's preferred apartment, I believe, so I expect you got it off his recommended accommo thread. You could walk from there to the Bistrot de Venise in about 10 minutes (if you don't get lost!) or get a number 1 vaporetto to San Stae which La Zucca is quite close to.

Delaine, I will look into both of your recommendations. I especially like the idea of the Gondolo and then dinner. Great idea. I have nothing planned for Saturday so if you have something special I would love to hear it!
Caroline, I am sure we will get lost but that is great news about the restaurant being so close. I am so glad to know about the Fenice.

In researching our trip, I found it difficult to obtain information about guided tours at La Fenice. So, we decided to do the self-guided tour and enjoyed it. Prior to the trip we read "The City of Falling Angels" by John Berendt, a non-fiction account of the 1996 fire that destroyed the opera house, and that made the tour much more meaningful.

Willowjane,

Ristorante da Raffaele is near Santa Maria del Giglio, about a 10 min. walk or less from Piazza San Marco.

There's so much to see in Venice, but I would really recommend the Church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari. It has some wonderful art inside and is completely different than the Basilica di San Marco.

I also really enjoyed going over to San Giorgio Maggiore to ascend the elevator to the top of the Campanile. I think the view you get from it is better than at San Marco. It is also much less crowded. You can take the vaporetto over and then continue on afterward, getting off somewhere along the Zattere. We stopped near the Gesuati and had gelato at Gelateria da Nico, which was very good. If you keep walking (opposite direction from the Gesuati) you will come to a Fondamenta that will lead you to the Squero, the gondola workshop. There is also a good gelateria right after you turn called Lo Squero.

One night after dinner try to go have drinks, coffee and/or dessert at one of the caffes in Piazza San Marco. Sit outside and listen to the orchestras. (I like Caffe Lavena - you can hear their orchestra as well as that of Quadri). It is magical.

Nomadlass - I had read the Berendt book before, but I have it downloaded on my kindle and I am reading it again in preparation! Delaine - Thanks! I will follow you advice. I am pasting the information into my trip notes now.

I wrote a couple of long trip reports about Venice. A bit verbose, but we were there for a couple of months, so I was writing while my wife was doing water colour paintings.

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/venice-trip-report-warning-im-most-verbose.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/venice-a-sort-of-trip-report.cfm

They might give you some ideas.

Peter - "I like the process, and I'm inclined to think that you can have an experience three times over, once in the planning, once in the doing, and once in retrospect."
I feel the same way and will savor your trip report! Thanks.