We arrived at night after a very long trip and ate at our hotel the first night. It refreshed us and we later took a long walk. It doesn't look like your hotel has a dinner seating, but they do say they can help with restaurants. It might be easiest to email them for a suggestion on a very close place for that first night dinner.

Getting lost in Venice is inevitable - look on it as part of the experience. If it were me I would have dinner at Harrys (despite what a lot of people say it is not a tourist trap but the atmosphere, location and food are well worth the money). But you may not be in the mood for this type of experience after such a long day.

There are some (overpriced) small restaurants not far from Piazza San Marco. If you exit the Piazza opposite the church, and go a short distance on the Calle Larga you will cross a bridge. If I recall there is a small restaurant there called Colombo near the Calle delle Veste. We had a nice dinner there once. Do a search on Google and it will show you right where it is.

You could also just grab an inexpensive pizza right near the church on the Piazza San Marco. (We've done that toward the end of a trip when our wallets got thin!) That might be all you need to ward off the hunger before you fall into bed!

Enjoy Venice--it's one of our favorite places!

Osteria Enoteca San Marco is close by. It's been awhile since I was there but I remember it being good.

www.osteriasanmarco.it

I concur with above---good choice and within 5 minutes of your hotel.

Arriving in Venice after dark is magical. When you see the grand canal all lit up at night, you will always remember its beauty. Lucky you!

The kind folks at the Locanda Orseolo will be able to direct you to a restaurant that is casual & close by. That's what they did for us! They even called ahead!

Enjoy your stay!

It is so easy to get lost in Venice! Wait until the next day after you've had a good night's rest before venturing out. I'd stay close to the hotel and grab whatever is available nearby.

We once went looking for our restaurant which didn't look too far from our hotel on our map. We walked for quite a while which seemed like forever. Everyone we stopped to ask for directions kept saying that it was "just around the corner over the bridge." I think we walked over 4 bridges and turned countless corners before we got there.

Jujubean and 2010 wrote the best advice in your case. Ask the hotel. That's a usual thing to do and besides, your hotel is known to provide excellent customer service.

if you want a cheap family style meal Al Vaporetto

from 6 euro for a decent pasta plate no tip cover

required cafeteria style.

eurocheapo.com Venezia other osterias cheap nice

Harry's my fav at San Marco right

on the grand canal easy to find right off the square historic

but can cost a lot by the time you pay the tip the cover

and the tip on the cover sort of obscene rip off for tourists

why I stick with the osterias usually cheap nice.

elnap29:

It's true that the hotel staff will be helpful in directing you to a good restaurant for your first night in Venice. But if you should venture out on your own, here's a word of warning: Avoid at all costs Ai Due Vescovi, which is in the San Marco area. It's a nightmare. If you go on tripadvisor.com, you'll find a strange mix of favorable and damning reviews of this place. Believe the latter, including the diners who've been cheated on their bills. Ai Due Vescovi is horrible.

Wow. I appreciate all the tips, even the "stay-away-froms." Thanks.