Ideas for celebrating daughter's birthday in Venice
 

I am looking for ideas on where to celebrate my daughter's fifteenth birthday and my neice's eighteenth birthday. There will be fifteen of us in Venice on Oct 1, when dd turns 15 and I am responsible for arranging the dinner party. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. When I asked dd what she might like to eat, she said with a smile "I don't know - something Italian?"

This will be our second of three nights in Venice, after nine days in Rome and Florence. It's our first time in Italy and dd's first time out of the country. We are staying in San Marco and probably would want to find something fairly close to the hotel, but of course I am open to suggestions.

I am looking for someplace that is not too expensive, but not cheap either. Someplace fun and memorable for my family to remember Italy by - we range in age from 15 to 75, four generations gathered in Italy for a family reunion. I can't wait! Your thoughts and ideas will be appeciated.

With that large a group, I'd start by asking your hotel for recommendations. You're going to have to be more specific about cost, though, because no one (here or at your hotel) knows what "not too expensive, but not cheap either" means to you.

Agree to work with your concierge on this - and be very open about 1) what you want to spend and 2) how you will handle the cost of wine - which can add significantly to the cost.

Also check out the menus of the places suggested. Venice really focuses on seafood and make sure everyone is comfortable with that (and that doesn't mean lobster and shrimp).

Agree to work with your concierge on this - and be very open about 1) what you want to spend and 2) how you will handle the cost of wine - which can add significantly to the cost.

Also check out the menus of the places suggested. Venice really focuses on seafood and make sure everyone is comfortable with that (and that doesn't mean lobster and shrimp).

Agree to work with your concierge on this - and be very open about 1) what you want to spend and 2) how you will handle the cost of wine - which can add significantly to the cost.

Also check out the menus of the places suggested. Venice really focuses on seafood and make sure everyone is comfortable with that (and that doesn't mean lobster and shrimp).

Ristorante La Piscina is the restaurant at the well-respected Pension La Calcina. It has a gorgeous covered outdoor patio, on the canal with a beautiful view at the buildings across the water. We ate brunch there a few years ago. It would be the perfect setting for a party.

If you go to this webpage for the pensione, you see the restaurant patio featured in the picture:
http://www.lacalcina.com/

Where will you be staying, all in one hotel or scattered around?

www.ristoranteriviera.it on the water dorsoduro/zaterre area

or similar overlooking that canal at sunset where lots of

artists i the know tourists go.. get there a little early

and watch the big cruise ship go out truly amazing did it

last May....

Thanks for the input - we are all staying together in one hotel and most all of the party love seafood. I'm thinking I could spend up to $1000 for the dinner, hopefully that will include the cost of the wine. I assume we will need reservations - how much time in advance do you recommend for the reservation?

Sounds like the Ristorante La Piscina is at the same area area, on the water dorsoduro/zaterre area.

You can contact them directly regarding reservations.

Have fun!

Let us know where you go and how it is.