rtwin80days

Hi,

I'm spending 3 nights in Venice, hotel close to San Marco. Kindly suggest authentic restaurants that are vegetarian friendly. I'm living in the main touristy area, hence the question. I don't want to eat at the main square where restaurants might cater to tourists only.

Further, I'd visit Murano & Burano as well. If you know of any good restaurants there, please share.

I'm getting a lot of help from this forum to plan my last minute Europe trip and I appreciate it.

sandralist

If you don't eat fish, there really are no "authentic" vegetarian friendly restaurants in Venice, since the local cuisine is lagoon-based, by necessity. It isn't built on tillable land. So vegetarian-friendly restaurants are catering to visitors, not natives. Venice has largely lost its native population, and restaurants catering to local tastes and expectations can't survive. This is true throughout Venice proper, not just around San Marco. If you can find a vegetarian restaurant, eat there. Otherwise, study the posted menus and see what meatless and fish-free dishes they serve. Most every restaurant will grill vegetables for you as a second course, and many first courses of pasta or rice are vegetable dishes, although they may have some small amounts of pancetta (bacon) used as the underlying fat, or anchovy for flavor.

jamikins

This is a mostly vegetarian restaurant in Venice that gets good reviews - we enjoyed our meal there in 2010

http://www.lazucca.it/en/

Whether it is authentic or not...? But it was tasty and offers lots of choices of veggie dishes. No idea if they use lard etc though.

rialtogrl

La Zucca started out as a vegetarian restaurant so you do not have to worry about hidden bits of meat in your pasta. Nowadays they serve meat as well. The veggie dishes have more of a fusion theme though you will find some vegetarian versions of "authentic" pasta dishes. It is a very popular place, you must reserve especially for dinner.

On Via Garibaldi there is a shop/deli/lunch place called Le Spighe that is strictly vegetarian. You can eat there or get food to go. Just down the street is a wine bar called Refolo that has fantastic mini panini with eggplant or zucchini and cheese. This street is east of San Marco and both these places cater to more locals than tourists.

As mentioned above many restaurants have pasta dishes with no meat. Rice dishes (risotto) are cooked with meat or seafood stock. So if you are a strict vegetarian I wouldn't order any risotto.

Rubicund

Try www.happycow.net
It gives listing for vegetarian restaurants in most cities.

NYCFoodSnob

La Zucca explicitly states on their website:

<i>"La Zucca isn’t a vegetarian restaurant, but it can satisfy people looking for a place where to eat fresh vegetables courses made with natural ingredients."</i>

The restaurant is nowhere near San Marco. San Marco is the most challenging place to find decent food, let alone food with restrictions. You can find decent places a brief walk away from piazza central, but you better be armed with a fabulous map and you better know how to read it.

tarquin

For La Zucca, which really is worth the trip, get off the vaporetto at San Stae. You should reserve there.

If you eat fish, your options are huge including some of the best restaurants in Venice, eg Algiubagio, Corte Sconta. On Murano, La Busa alla Torre (called da Lele locally) is good.

suze

I don't know of a specific restaurant, but I think you'll be able to find food. Though it may be along the lines of sandwiches (egg/tomato, roasted vegetable are common), pizza, pasta, salads.

MonicaRichards

If you find pasta with sea asparagus, order it! Super yummy and I'd never seen it on the menu in the US.

annw

I like La Zucca and have had some quite nice meals there.

I suggest getting over to Cannaregio for some meals (but not near train station) -- way better prices, way more authentic such as you can find; Bea Vita and some other small cafes have plenty of pasta along with their fish dishes.

rtwin80days

Thanks all. That's what I meant by veg 'friendly' restaurants. As long as they serve some pasta sans meat & fish. Apart from a regular penne in pesto sauce kinda thing, I love melanzane parmigiana, gnocchi, and ravioli stuffed with diff cheeses & mushrooms / spinach / butternut squash etc. I'm sure, especially after today's stroll behind San Marco square, that the only problem regarding food is going to be over-eating!!

I have noted all suggestions by each of you and will keep in mind!

For now, after a fabulous day of 2 full rounds on vaporetto early morning, lots of photos clicking, 'getting lost' in the narrow lanes of Venice, having a good meal at Osteria No 1 ten mins walking from the area behind San Marco (gnocchi pomodoro!), and then escaping CROWDS on my way to San Marco, listening to the music played at Florian (the cafe is so underwhelming!) and the cafe right opposite Florian, now back to my room for some rest before I head out again. Truth be told, I am a small eater and I always share my dish when not dining solo. Today I ate the whole plate of pasta and feel quite stuffed now. Wanted to have a gelato but absolutely no space!

Ciao for now!

sandralist

I am sorry you didn't like the historic interior of Florian's, if that is what you are describing as "underwhelming." Maybe a rich interior like that and has less appeal in summer than in winter, but the espresso has been, in my experience, superb.

rtwin80days

@sandralist, maybe I went at the wrong time. In the evening, when I headed to San Marco again on my way to Rialto, Florian was absolutely gorgeous! And the music....it became magical at night..don't know whether it's the ambience or also I feel the artists were more 'into it' in the evening! I was at the square listening to the live music for couple of hours (between Florian & Lavena) and going by my own personal experience and clear contrast in the crowds gathered to listen and cheer for the live music, tonight, Lavena won hands down! Not that there is a competition! Just saying, the ambience at Lavena was buzzing and the artists were playing quite passionately.

socaltraveler

Don't apologize, we all see things differently, and none of us here are ever able to experience Italy as does sandralist. It's not you.

tarquin

I understand Lavena has a higher proportion of locals than does Florian's, so well spotted.