Any suggestions for places to eat around Ca'd'Oro. We're more interested in great food than fancy surroundings.

Thanks

Hi md,

>We're more interested in great food than fancy surroundings.<

Check out "Da Fiore" (with the quotes) in the "search this forum" box.

Da Fiore is a very expensive Michelin-starred restaurant. It is very elegant.

I'd like to suggest that you go to the website www.slowtrav.com and check the Italy board. Do a search there for Venice restaurants. The two authors of Chow Venice met on that board and collaborated to write this great food guide. There are lots of Venice restaurant ideas for you to consider.

Yes, check slowtrav and also check www.chowhound.com. One of my favorites from my last trip is Alle Testiere, not all that far a walk. Very low-key, small room, impeccable seafood with some innovative preparations. You need to book ahead for this place as they only do two seatings a night. Much more casual is Dalla Vedova, where we ate a few times for lunch. This is off the Strada Nuova and has fabulous cicchetti and also serves sit-down meals.

One of the restaurants I enjoyed near Ca'd'Oro is the Giorgione which is right next door to the Hotel Giorgione (just off of the Strada Nuova). I had the most delicious Soar Sardines and pasta with clam sauce (the clam sauce included ginger which I found very unusual and delicious). Dinner for two with a glass of wine each, approx E80.

It's interesting that ginger is used a fair amount in Venice. I believe the use of that and other "exotic" spices (cloves, etc) not usually thought of in connection with Italian cuisine derives from Venice's location as a destination for spice traders long ago. I had local clams with ginger at Alle Testiere as well.

I agree about Alle Testiere, a tiny place with absolutely impeccable seafood, whatever they found at the fish market that day. We wanted to go back the next night but they were booked and recommended another place, the name of which I'm afraid I can't recall. But when we got there and told them that the people at Testiere had recommended them we were treated as if we were royalty, since Alle Testiere is held in such high esteem locally.

We had a different but also very good meal at Zucca, which has quite a few vegetable dishes, often hard to find in Venice.

Venice is small enough that going a little distance away from your lodgings is not a big deal, IMO.

As Margaret said, Venice is so small that you could easily go anywhere for dinner. But if it must be near Ca' d'Oro, there is one of the most pleasant restaurants of Venice nearby: Vini da Gigio. Reasonable prices (at least as compared to the general price level in Venice), excellent food, nice staff, pretty location. The service is not too quick, however, so if you are in a hurry, you won't love it. Reservation indispensable! Btw, that's also one of the few places in Venice serving good food a little later in the evening - you can arrive as late as 9.30 or (in summer) 10 pm, a time at which, in Venice, only the tourist traps are still accepting clients, in Venice. See http://www.vinidagigio.com/

...not Margaret, excuse me: shellio! I seem to become blind prematurely...

mdmgso:

Our hotel was only a few steps from Ca D'Oro (Foscari Palace). In my review I had written this, which you might find intereting:

"Early that morning I went to the supermarket down the street. Bought small bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for gifts---great prices.

But I want to note their "deli" counter...my mouth was watering even though I'd just finished breakfast. Crusty sandwiches of shrimps, chicken curry and all kinds of fillings. Salads, cheese, olives...you name it. If you're in Venice in picnic weather, this would be a great place to fill your basket. From the Ca d'Oro stop, turn left in the main street. The store is on the right, after crossing the little bridge. "

Trattoria Ca d'Oro, alla Vedova. This was one of our most pleasant meals in Venice, quite small, filled with locals, reasonable prices, no menu. Down a small alley directly across the Strada Nova from Ca d'Oro.