Christmas and New Year's dining suggestions in Rome and Venice??
 

I have had little luck in selecting this!! And know I need to get some reservations pronto!!

Christmas in Venice. Need idea for Christmas Eve, although perhaps a big lunch that day could suffice, as we are in an apt in SM area. Plan to go to midnight mass, so we could pick up something for a lighter dinner. Christmas Day?? had thought of breakfast/brunch at a place on St. Marks square...know it will be expensive, but will be open! and memorable!! Price? not 100 euros a head (four in family, teen sons) but 50+ is ok for the right spot...I presume the Ghetto is open...

New Year's in Rome. Would like, again, one memorable meal, either NYE or day....have seen some outrageous price fixed menus. Again, 100 euros a head is too much, 50+ is understandable for a neat place. Doesn't have to be 'high end', just good and unique. NYE dinner, and NY day. Staying near Pantheon.

Overall, I presume the better hotels in both locations are serving...any you would recommend? food? atmosphere? Have emailed several spots, but no replies.

Many thanks!

TOO...any recommendations of what to do on these holidays where much is closed??

For nye can you get your hotel or the person you rented your apartment from to give you a range if options? That usually works for us...

Is it really true that "much is closed??" or that restaurants on Christmas Day are so likely to be closed that it's worth eating in the hyperpriced gastronomic desert of St Mark's Square?

From casual web browsing (such as at http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTop...ce_Veneto.html), I thought I'd found a wide consensus that:

- most Venetians eat their Christmas food at home
- there are few tourists over Christmas
- so some restaurants close, but there are more than enough open for starvation not to be a risk, and accepting extortion not to be necessary.

I'm spending Xmas in a normally notoriously expensive Venetian hotel, currently discounted over Xmas to less than thge pub next door to my house. Our plans certainly don't include eating there (the food isn't discounted), or anywhere in St Mark's Square. In fact, they don't include any real advance planning: do you really "know" you need to reserve restaurant places 6 weeks in advance - because such "knowledge" is flatly contradicted by everything I've read?

If you've got real evidence we ought to be worried, please tell me. It's not too late to cancel.

flanneruk, thanks for the link, Hotel Carlson has a 75 euro a head menu for eve and day. Looks interesting. We would like a 'nice' meal. And for the day, I would prefer to not knock around the city looking for something, so I would like a reservation. Most days will be more unscheduled, thats just me. I'd love to now if you find something you like, and I will post as well.

jamikins, great idea. we are staying in an apt, but I have emailed the landlord/company for a recommendation.

I am sure opinions vary, but I have read enough of these holiday closings to prefer to plan ahead a bit.

Anyone else have an idea?

Don't know how the food is at the above...more investigation to come!!

Venice restaurants I can recommend. Do NOT know if they are open on Christmas Eve or Day:

A Beccaficco. Campo San Stefano. Expensive.

A Promessi Sposi. Off of Strada Nova near Ca'
D'Oro. Tiny restaurant with good food. Not posh.

La Zucca. Off of Campo San Giacomo dell'Orio. Tiny place with imaginative food. Known by many of the geezers who post here.

There are eating places every 20 feet in Venice. You will never starve in Venice.

Have an Aperol Spritz whilst there, but they are better in the hot Summer months.

Thin