an evening in Venice
 

My hubby & I are taking a Mediterranean cruise in a few weeks.
It's my hubby's first time ever in Europe - and for me it's been many yrs - so we decided on a cruise as a sampler. However, our boat docks for an overnight in Venice and so we plan to take advantage of that & spend the night in the city.
Any suggestions on a good place to dine? where to go/what to do w/ our evening?

It has been a while since I visited Venice, but I remember the dueling orchestras on St. Mark Squares. You can spend some time in the evening on the Square enjoying the music, people watching and maybe even sit down for drinks at one of the Square's outdoor cafes, but they're very expensive though.

How about a romantic evening gondolar ride. Perhaps overpriced but when are you going to get the chance to do it ;) ?

For restauarnt recos it owuld help if you give us a budget - or expectations. Do you want fine dining? Casuale? Local budget?

the first poster is willing to spend more than I am - good suggestions tho! I would take a vaporetto ride the whole length of the Grand Canal - maybe go both ways! If the weather is nice, I would look for a mid-priced restaurant that "floats" on the Zattare or get a restaurant name from another poster - beware, you can spend alot of money for mediocre food in Venice. You could also do a "pub crawl" - many of the bars have tapas like snacks with their drinks - you could make a meal that way. To end the evening - get "lost" - just wander thru the little streets, you can't really get very lost as it is a rather small island and even in the back alleys, its safe. Finish with a gelato. Throw a coin in the Trevi fountain so you can be sure to return - ooops! you'll have wo wait until Rome for that.

La Zucca is good. The mid-priced floating Zattare restaurants make a nice place to have dinner in Venice, but the quality varies among them.

One strategy might be to concentrate on activities other than dining, since you have only one night. Possibilities:

a. A Vivaldi concert at one of the local churches.
b. A glass (or two or three) of wine and hors d'ouevres at a one of the outdoor hotel bars on the Grand Canal. That will be slightly expensive for what you get, but hey, it's the Grand Canal; it's Venice.
c. A glass of wine in San Marco while listening to the orchestras. It's expensive for what you get, but see b.
d. Walk through the Rialto Market. Have a glass of wine there.
e. Gelato somewhere scenic.

What I wouldn't do (with some alternatives)
a. Wander. Yes, everyone tells you about how enchanting it is to get lost in Venice. It is, but probably not if you have just one night. You could end up wandering nowhere. Instead, head out the Dorsoduro and walk along the waterfront promenade.
b. Gondola ride. I have nothing against the gondolas, but you're going to pay a lot of money for a short ride. As an alternative, consider booking with a group gondola ride down the Grand Canal, with a singer. Maybe you can do it through an office on your cruise ship.
c. The vaporetto down the Grand Canal. To tell the truth, I don't get it. You're going to get packed into a crowded boat/bus, and the only good seats are outside at the very front -- and are almost always taken. And you may have to take standing room amid a crowd of dozens of tourists. Maybe for about 50 euros you can hire a water taxi to take you from San Marco to the train station area. Better view. Better ride. Better everything.

Thanks all! As far as our preferences for dining -- we are not super foodies, and we're not stuffy formal types. We tend to like a lively, fun atmosphere w/ good food, but not super-gourmet. My hubby is a vegetarian, although he does eat fish.

If you like music, i second the opinion about the concert. I went to a Vivaldi concert (there are a lot of them there since that was where he was from). It is something I still remember. Something about actually being there .... In Venice.....and listening to the music that was actually created there....it was lovely. Have a great trip.

Sorry, I humbly disagree with k9 only as to the vaporetto- we were in Venice 5 months ago and found that the vaporetto was a great way to see the canal - but true it can be crowded - however, I found that we could always make our way to the front or back for unobstructed views and I didn't mind our fellow travelers. It was a cheap way to see some extraordinarily beautiful places. If you can afford the freight for water taxi, that seems like a good alternative.

We have budget restrictions - you might not - but here's what I would do if I had an afternoon in Venice again:

I would ride the vaporetto the length of the grand canal and back, eventually getting off at the academia bridge. Rather than have a full dinner, I would go to a chicetti place and eat my fill on delicious little bites while I sip a prosecco or few. Then, I would make my way to St. Mark's Basilica and wander through admiring the mosaics. I would then stop at one of the cafes on the square and have an espresso while I listen to the music. I would end the day by getting my favorite gelato flavor before making my way back to where I need to be.

that to me, would be ideal.

Jujubean -- thanks. However, we are touring the famous sites during the day.
But we're in port overnight, so we have the NIGHT free.
Would you suggest chicetti maybe for dinner, instead of a whole sit-down?