We are going to Venice for 2 nights. I am interested in two excellent inexpensive restaurants. They can be no tablecloths and paper plates as long as what they serve is outstanding. It can be the best pizza, pasta etc.

How inexpensive do you mean?

Both, inexpensive and excellent, being in the eye of the beholder, I can recommend the following:

• Antica Birraria la Corte, Tel: 041 2750570, www.birrarialacorte.it, in Campo San Polo (open daily); Incredible arugula with pecorino cheese and chestnut honey salad and pizza with porcini mushrooms and wild boar salami, among other things;
• Arca in Dorsoduro, Calle S. Pantalon No. 3757; Tel.: 39 41 5242236 (open daily, 12:00-3:00; 6:00-10:00). Very inexpensive; excellent pizza; interesting/spicy meat dishes; a couple of seafood pastas that are terrific;
• Da Sandro near Campiello dei Melone, San Polo, on both sides of the "street." (11:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m., closed Fridays) Tel.: 39 41 5234964. Good pizza; steak dishes are very good.

I am sure that you will get many other excellent ideas

Anna Roz

'Excellent', 'Outstanding', and 'INEXPENSIVE'! Three adjectives not normally associated in combination with the noun 'Venice'.

Nothing is cheap in Venice, however some things are shall we say less expensive.

I got these places from a friend for my daughter who is going on a shoestring later in 2008.

I suggest to you AI RUSTEGHI, one of the best "kept secrets" in Venice, near CAMPO SAN BORTOLO, perfect for some panini and a good glass of vine.
Hosteria AI RUSTEGHI, S. Marco, 5520, Venezia (VE) - +39 041 5232205

There's a good deli and pre-prepared food section (the pre-prepared food is at the back of the supermarket near the butcher section) in the Punto supermarket at the San Barnaba end of Campo Santa Margarita. There's also Aliani at Ruga Rialto, San Polo 654 - up near Rialto, although their food is more expensive. The Billa supermarket on Zattere also has a small selection.

The Billa is a kick. Typical what they call supermeracto what we would call a well stocked 7-11.
If your buy meats etc remember to order by the etto not pound especially fish because they will bring you a whole fish which will cost big bucko's.

bookmarking

I live in New York where a great meal can cost $200. per person but you can also go to Grays Papaya and get two of the best hot dogs on the planet for $2.50 or at Ollies Noodle shop one can have a complete meal for under $10. I think in every metropolitan city great meals can be found at inexpensive prices we just have to know where to look.

but bestpuppeteer,

Venice is not a metropolitan city. It is the equivalent of a small enclosed town that, at this point, is almost totally devoted to tourism.

I live in NYC as well and would say that though Venice is minuscule compared to Manhattan, one can still be challenged to find "inexpensive" and "excellent" at the same location. I know this from 10 visits there. Venice is the one place in Italy where it is easy to eat poorly. But you can also eat well and for what I consider a reasonable price by NY standards.

Can you give a hint about what "inexpensive" would be to you . . . in euros?

Just returned from Venice last night. I plan on doing a full trip report (with restaurant names), but I can tell you that it's not cheap! We did, however, find some spots that were more reasonable.

Along Calle Dei Fabbri (on the half of the street closer to Piazza San Marco), there are several casual cafes that have menus with pictures posted in the windows. Mainly pizzas and sandwiches. While I usually avoid places with "photo menus" - we actually ate at these places twice. The kids and I shared a pizza salami (quite good) for about 8 euros and my DH had sandwiches. Seems like our total bill - pizza, sandwhich, 1 wine, 3 soft drinks, and service charge - was around 30 euros.

Also, on Spezier Mandola C D Cortesia (between Campo Manin and Campo San Angelo) there was a little pizzaria called (I think) Rosa Risso. The menu was posted out front and there were roses (stems and flowers) on the menus. Don't recall exact prices, but I think the bill for 4 of us - 2 pasta dishes, 1 seafood dish, 1 pizza, 1/2 bottle wine, and several soft drinks - was about 80 euros. Again - not cheap, of course, but cheaper than most of the other places we went.

Right near the Rialto Bridge, on R D Ferro, there is a window (facing the canal) serving pizza by the slice. The slices were 6 euros each, but my younger son said it was one of the best pieces of pizza he has had.

There are lots of casual deli/pizza places that don't really offer seating - more like takeout places. Never went to one, but they were always packed.

Oh yeah - there is a Burger King in Camp San Luca, but those meals (for 4 of us) cost +/- 20 euros!!!!

Try Trattatoria due Torre in the heart of Campo Santa Margherita.
dave

Vino Vino, a wine bar near La Fenice opera house. Shares a kitchen with the much more upscale Antico Martini. You pick out and order the dishes from a counter, then go sit down while they warm them up for you.

Trattoria Ca d'Oro, alla Vedova. A small place down an alley across Strada Nova from the Ca d'Oro. No written menu, we had a great spaghetti with clams and lasagna with radicchio.

ttt

Ellenem,

I think inexpensive is about $10 per appetizer and $20 per entree.

So by today's prices, that's about 6-7 euros for antipasti and 12-14 euros for entree.

On my most recent trip I thought the following places not far from my hotel near San Stae (in Santa Croce) were very satisfying, unpretentious, and would fit within your budget.

Trattoria Pizzeria Nono Risorto
Just over the bridge from Campo San Cassiano on Sotoportego de Siora Bettina
Recommended by our hotel and simple and unpretentious, filled with locals and some tourists as well. Prices within your budget, great pizzas, pastas, and other regular dishes as well. we all shared a good platter of grilled vegetables to start. After we got home, I found out this place is listed in Rick Steves ITALY, but we did not feel surrounded by tourist hordes-just lots of locals. We were there on a Friday and it got quite crowded and busy-feeling.

Trattoria Ponte di Megio
Right at the Ponte di Megio on the San Giacomo dell' Orio side (not far from famous La Zucca)
Also recommended by our hotel and simple and unpretentious, filled with locals and some tourists, around your price points. Not quite as teeming with people as Nono Risorto, since there's no pizza. My friend had a wonderfully cooked branzino (sea bass) that I still envy. My spaghetti alla seppie (cuttle fish), a local specialty, was as good as I've had--My friends, scared off by the cuttle fish ink sauce, tried some and commented that it actually tasted good and that the cuttle fish (squid) was unbelievably tender. Another friend tried the fegato alla veneziana (Venetian liver and onions) and said it was the best liver she ever tasted.

We also loved the food at Antica Birraria la Corte in Campo San Polo and will be going back in March, can't wait.