Sheila

A former native of Venice who works in an Italian cafe here in LA recommended at restaurant there called "La Madonniata" and said it was a must! Has anyone heard of it? <BR> Also, this being our first trip abroad and having been postponed to the "rainy season" --are umbrellas sufficient or are rainboots needed?

Jody

Are you sure you don't mean 'alla Madonna'. If you do it is great . It's beenthere for years at calle Alla Madonna. Wonderful seafood

mimi

Easy to find if it is the Madonna which is on a street after you cross the Rialto Bridge. Would have enjoyed the meal much more if the table near us did not have cigar smokers. The seafood was good at reasonable prices for Venice. Remember that fish is charged by weight and this can be very deceiving when reading prices on the menu.

Jerald

The La Madonna restaurant is indeed a great restaurant, as Mimi states its just over the Rialto bridge then left then you turn rt. down a little side street. When we asked about it at our hotel, the clerk was impressed that we knew of ( also recommended by a friend of ours). It is not a tourist restaurant, & the menu is in Italian. I did not have a clue & a German couple @ a nearby table helped us order. It was excellent & an Olive Garden it wasn't. They have a waiter there that looks & acts like Kramer from Sienfield. You should love it!

JOdy

Jerald, <BR>Your Olive garden restaurant comment cracked me up... where I live it was voted in our newspaper as the BEST ITALIAN restaurant in town,, talk about living in NOWHERE!!!!!

Jack

Hi, <BR> Re rainy weather gear - - last Oct/Nov, in Venice, we had small umbrellas - wore water-proof Doc martins - and carried super light rain jacket and pants from Helle Hanson. We're due back in Venice at the end of Oct and plan on bringing the same gear. The rain did not hinder a wonderful time. <BR>

Logan

I too had a good meal at Madonna and found the prices reasonable. (Just remember: don't order fish on Mondays in Venice. That's because their famous fresh fish market is closed on Sun & Mon, so the fish you eat on Monday night has been bought on Saturday.) <BR> <BR>Favorite splurge rest.in Venice, also off the tourist trail and kept quiet by the locals: Ristorante da Ivo (meaning Ivo's Restaurant) on a small side canal near the old La Fenice opera house. Best meal I had in Venice, and their seafood soup was the best I've had anywhere. <BR>

Sheila

Thank you all for your replies. Very helpful and most informative for a novice. What a great site this is! <BR> My family now advises that I cancel my trip because of the state of the world. Are people still travelling abroad from the US?

Jerald

I hope so, We are booked out of here on the 13th to Greece. Our cruise has dropped Egypt as a port of call & has replaced it with Venice, see you at La Madonna....

Piero

Ciao I'm a Venetian, <BR> <BR>Madonna is good. Did you talk to Giorgio?

Nancy

Sheila, we are scheduled to be in Venice on Friday - still planning to go. My own very humble opinion is that Europe is not the problem, being an American, at this time,is. I am trying to dress very European and not talk alot -- any one else have any hints? God bless your trip - and God bless America!

sheila

We're leaving Tuesday and finally getting excited about our trip. We have no fears about the state of the world affecting us, it's just the mood of the time... <BR> Anyway, we've gotten more restauant recommendations: <BR>Cibreo and Mamma Gia in Florence, <BR>Agata e Romeo and Ambasciata D'Abruzzo in Rome. Any comments on these? <BR>I may just use the previous recommendations from this board, posts from Deb and "j" had some good info. <BR>Thanks everyone for your kind input.

Dean

Hi Sheila <BR> <BR>In Florence Cibreo is superb but there are three Cibreo's. The most famous is the Ristorante. But right behind the kitchen is the trattoria where you will sit at one of four communal tables. the food comes from the same kitchen at about half the price. The crowd is very international and native mixed. We love eating there. come early or late as they don't take reservations at the trattoria. There is also a Cibreo cafe across the street for sandwiches, salad and simple plates. <BR> <BR>We also loves Agata e Romeo in Roma. Very creative food. I still remember the house smoked duck with muscat grapes and the cheese course selected by the daughter. We alos love the fact that they confiscate cell phones at teh door! <BR>In addition, we also love La Rosetta for seafood and Checchino 1887 for the cw deconstructed. La Rosetta is right by the Parthenon and is one of the best seafood restaurants we ahve ever been to. Thier signature is the mixed antipasto of seafood 13 small servings of seafood salads raw and cooked. That and a whole fish, baked in salt, is all you need for a spectacular meal. The wine list is superb. <BR> <BR>Checchino is in the old butchers district adn you can have any part of the cow you want. This is cooking from another era. It was a superb meal. My wife had lamb stew and I had sweetbreads after a primi of testa (or head). The only dissapointment there was the cheese course. Testacchio is a great neighborhood for strolling and night life. <BR> <BR>In Venice our favorite is Fiaschetteria Toscana. Great seafood and a beautifully selected wine list. If you get roberto as your waiter you are in for a treat. He is the sommelier and the cheese monger so place your trust in his hands and enjoy. For a less pricy treat in Venice we also love Da Pinto in the fish market. Stick to the antipasto and the grilled fish and you will have a bargain meal with super wines for not a lot of lire. Also in the vegetable market is a tiny restaurant that had no sign at the time we visited. It does not have a formal kitchen and just offeres 2 selections in each category. The flavors were very nice and the spirit of the place infectious. <BR> <BR>In Vence the best way to eat is at the Bacari or wine bars. Our two favorites are Do Mori and Achiugette. Just stand at teh bar, point to the food you want to try and enjoy small glasses of wine. <BR> <BR>Enjoy

Michael

Hi Sheila: <BR> Not familiar with the other restaurants you noted w/ re to Roma. However, I do have a recommendation: La Taverna Da Giovanni on Via B.S. Spirito 58. It is located just across the Tiber River from Castel San Angelo. This is a NON-tourist restaurant (consequently, the prices are very low and, more importantly, you get the true feel/flavor of Italy). This taverna was recommended to us by a friend who lives in Roma. The food is wonderful (and plentiful)!! The service is incredible!! The owner's name is Domenic - he is very cool.

richard j vicek

Good evening, Sheila <BR>Was in Venice last November 6th during <BR>an unsually high water. The sirens <BR>started about 3pm and water was starting <BR>to come up in the Pza S. Marco, It <BR>continued raising till about 9 pm <BR>when it reached about 6" inside the <BR>Hotel Saturnias lobby, by 11pm water <BR>started to recide. Did purchase rubber <BR>boots, however some hotels do have them <BR>for the use of their guests. <BR>It was a memorable but not unpleasant <BR>experience. Richard of LaGrange Park, Il..

jenny

Alla Madonna was delicious, if you enjoy seafood, you have to have the seafood soup, so good and so cheap, this restaurant was recommended by the concierge at the Gritti Palace Hotel, the food was great and very cheap for Venice. Most people seemed to be ordering the crab dish, and the lobster looked good as well, maybe next time!! We found lobster to be very fresh and tasty in Italy and cheaper than in California.

Barb

I was in Venice 9/28 - 10/1. The Trattoria Madonna was very good. If you don't speak Italian it is a little hard to know what to order. There was a long line up to get in, but it was worth the wait. That's so funny, I thought one of the waiters looked just like Kramer too. I had a wonderful grilled veal chop and roast potatoes and my sister had grilled liver and onions with polenta. She loved it. Didn't sound very Italian to me. We also really enjoyed a little place near the Accademia called Trattoria Al Cugnai. We just had lunch there, but it was wonderful. I had a fresh seafood misto antipasto and grilled scampi on a screwer with eggplant and peppers and a salad that was SO fresh and crunchy. 3 sisters run it and wait tables. They are worth the price of admission. The only day it rained in the 3 weeks in Italy was in Venice. It poured and in a matter of hours the Piazza San Marco was flooding. I had my umbrella, but was still getting wet so I was forced to buy one of those disgusting plastic ponchos that all the vendors were selling. You will see platforms all over that they set up in case the streets flood. My feet were soaked. But I loved it anyway. Have a great time.