We know it! Restaurants are expensive in Venice. BUT. Now we have extraordinary got the chance to visit Venice for three days in February - so - can you help us with hints about cheap, good restaurant? <BR>Kind regards <BR>Kim

Hi Kim, <BR> <BR>Well my boyfriend and I went into two or three restaurants and they were pretty much normal - nothing to write home about. We mainly stuck to the self-serve places which we found to be as good and cosy as restaurant withouth waiters walking up and down. <BR> <BR>Amanda

Hi Kim, <BR> <BR>Well my boyfriend and I went into two or three restaurants and they were pretty much normal - nothing to write home about. We mainly stuck to the self-serve places which we found to be as good and cosy as restaurant withouth waiters walking up and down. <BR> <BR>Amanda

Hi Amanda <BR> <BR>Thanks! <BR> <BR>Kim

In Oct, we ate at Madonna which is near the Rialto Bridge. It is a very good moderately priced restaurant which is recommended by some of the big tour guides. We were not disappointed but go early or make reservations!

Our concierge (at the Londra Palace) recommended a restaurant called the Two Bishops (or the Italian equivalent). It is a family run trattoria near St. Mark's Square. We ate there twice in three days. It is very popular, especially with locals, so it may be worth booking. Although I do not know the number (or even the address), if you ring the Londra Palace, they will give it to you.

We ate very good food at a restaurant called Alla Vedova. I can't remember the exact location, it was not far from Rialto, but was close to another vaporetto stop. They had a selection of antipasto, and a couple of pasta dishes. No menu, just choose the antipasto from the counter, or ask the waitress to bring a selection. The meal was excellent and relatively inexpensive. And didn't require a reservation.

The vaporetto stop referred to by Beth is the Ca' d'Oro. The alla Vedova is on the right corner, straight ahead across Strada Nuova. Othe good, relatively cheap osterie/restaurants are: <BR> - Rosticceria - Calle della Bissa, San Marco 5424 - Tel: 041/5223569 <BR> closed Monday - cc accepted <BR> - Taverna S. Trovaso - Fond. Priuli, Dorsoduro 1016 - Tel: 041/5203703 <BR> closed Monday - cc accepted - reservations essential <BR> - L'Incontro - Rio Terrà Canal, Dorsoduro 3062/a - Tel: 041/5222404 <BR> closed Monday - cc accpeted - reservations essential <BR> - Al Mascaron - C Lunga S M Formosa, Castello 5525 - Tel: 041/522-5995 <BR> closed Sunday - no cc - reservations essential <BR> <BR> The Rosticceria is one of our preferred places to have a quick lunch when near Rialto. There's a street level cafeteria with a few tables where you "see" what you order. Quick service and delicious food. Specialities are seppie (squid) con polenta, spaghetti alle vongole, three bacala dishes (different collours), mozzarelle in carrozza and <BR>arancini. There's also a restaurant upstairs, serving essentially the same dishes, but considerably more expensive. <BR>The San Trovaso has a cozy first floor dining room with wood paneling and brick vaults. The good food ranges from cotoletta and spezzatina to pizza and seafood. <BR>L'Incontro offers exquisite sardinian dishes like culingiones (big raviolis with saffron, ricotta, peccorino and flavoured with orange peel), Angus steak, wild duck, boar, etc. If the weather is ok you might sit outside and watch the movement of people in Campo Santa Margherita. I highly recommended this place. <BR>The Al Mascaron is also one of our preferred economic places. It's always very lively and crowded. The atmosphere is completely informal. It's one of the most popular osterie in town. Very good are the pasta dishes, with caparosoli (vongole), l'astese, col nero de sepe (squid ink). <BR> <BR>Finally, there are a couple of restaurants I use to go to when I was a student (with a big hunger and empty pockets &lt;g&gt. These are the rather touristy Provoledo and Bella Venezia. Their touristic menus are nothing special, but are very cheap, generous and quite good (or was my hunger such that just about everything would be <BR>acceptable?) <BR> <BR>Bacari Tour - Before sitting down for dinner, we usually first go to a bacaro (wine bar) for a glass of wine and snacks and experience one of the interesting aspects of Venetian daily life. That's what thousands of Venetians do after work, from 6 to 7:30pm, before going home for dinner, where they meet with friends and have a chat. Eventually, we might go to several of these bacari, skipping dinner altogether. In the Veneto dialect, this is referred to as "andare a ombre e cicheti", or to tour a number of osterie and bacari tasting cicheti (small dishes of fish, ham, salami, etc.) and sipping ombra, a small glass of wine. One may choose bacari that are close to each other in the same sestiere or group bacari in different sestiere and make a long evening/night walk (Ombralunga). Though Rick Steves recommends such a tour (he's got a specific example) not many tourists do it ... it certainly is fun, though (and cheap). <BR>Pa

Thank you very much for the hints. Very nice of you! <BR>Kind regards Kim

Kim, <BR>Some years ago in Venice, we sat in a sidewalk cafe enjoying a cup of coffee. We were served by a young, personable waiter. I asked him where he would take his wife or girlfriend for dinner. He gave us the name of and directions to a bacaro where we had a delightful and inexpensive meal. Although we found our way there the following night, I have no idea what its name is or its whereabouts. What I did learn however is, when prowling through Venice, where you find laundry drying from upper windows of houses, you'll invariably find inexpensive and good restaurants in the immediate neighborhood. Venetians dine out, too, and not at the places habituated by tourists. Look for the locals!

Vino Vino is a great place to eat. It is a wine bar with delicious food at low prices- not too far from American Express and La Fenice. <BR>Also La Rivetta is reasonable and has very good food. It is behind San Marco .

Thanks again - weŽll try as many as we can and inform here about which ones we liked best. <BR>Kind regards <BR>Kim