Need Restaurant recommendation around Dorsoduro area in Venice
 

We will arrive early evening in Venice and I know we will be overwhelmed and tired. I would like a restaurant nearby the Hotel Calcina in Dorsoduro if possible. It usually takes me a day to get my bearings so I'd prefer something that is easy to find (will also be hungry). Any good recommendations for a moderate priced restaurant for our first night in Venice?<BR><BR>Thanks,<BR>Denise

Denise, good choice of hotels! Ask the helpful staff at the desk for a dinner recommendation. They'll be glad to phone ahead for a reservation for you.

La Rivista restaurant is in the basement of hotel ca pisani (we didnt stay there) in the Dorsoduro area and is very very good.<BR><BR>www.pisanihotel.it<BR><BR>Let me just find what I wrote about our meal in my diary:<BR><BR>The bread basket is just fantastic. As well as short homemade crunchy breadsticks and a very thin crunchy sheet of similar taste there are fresh white and brown slices, white rolls studded with moist chunks of olive and walnut rolls full of flavour and walnut chunks. I am in heaven and ask for extra walnut rolls mid-meal. We share two pasta dishes. One is a dish of garganelli pasta with rabbit ragout and spring onions - the flavour of the rabbit gently permeates the oil/ butter coating the pasta and sage leaves lift it further. The second is pasta with cauliflower and pan fried goose foie gras with parsley leaves to garnish. The pasta is spaghetti or similar, and the sauce is nothing more than olive oil/ butter. The three slices of foie gras are perfect. After the pasta we share a chocolate mousse with orange sauce. This comes on a huge flat dinner plate: 3 dollops of unctous mousse laid out in a line across the plate, orange sauce containing strips of orange zest drizzled over and around, segments of blood orange around the plate and whole dish scattered with tiny yellow and purple petals and small mint leaves. With a litre of water and a peroni the bill is just 41 Euros plus our tip. There is no cover or bread charge and no included service, tip being left solely to the customer. The menu is small but includes about 3 or 4 pasta dishes, some main meal salads, a risotto and some meat dishes. We do see some customers also ask for sandwiches which we didn't notice on the menu.<BR>

Kavey,<BR><BR>Sounds great. Do you think we will need a reservation? Should I email the hotel ahead of time to make a reservation?<BR><BR>Denise

We didn't have one, we went over Easter, but it wouldn't do any harm to have a reservation.<BR>There are only a couple of outdoor tables and more inside, we went inside because it was breezy.<BR>Hope you like it, we ate there twice we liked it so much.

Denise, try Taverna San Trovaso on Fondamenta Priuli 1016, tel. 041-520-37-3, closed Monday. It was recommended by a couple of people to us and we really liked it. Must get the lasagne and fried shrimp + profiteroles for dessert!

Second the Taverna San Trovaso! <BR>We only had threee nights in Venice, earlier this month and ate twice for dinner there. Get there at least 15 minutes ahead and to save a seat. Great service but not rushed. Good menu choices, I had a difficult time picking since everything looked great.

Denise:<BR>I recommend L'incontro, at the edge of Campo Santa Margharita. A Sardinian chef who knows his beef. Almost next door is Gelateria Doge, my favorite in Venice. Ciao e buon viaggio.

Denise, when will you be there? We're arriving on July 16 and will be at that hotel for four days. I've been told the hotel serves food late -- evening meal of Italian dishes for E20 pp for hotel guests. I've also heard from another Fodorite that the food isn't too bad, although the options listed above also sound excellent.

Heather, <BR><BR>We will be there on the 19th of July, so we should see each other, even if for a short time. <BR>Thanks for the suggestions. My brother just told me he also ate at the Taverna<BR>San Trovaso and liked it.<BR><BR>Thanks,<BR>(and to Heather-see you soon)<BR>Denise<BR>

We stayed at La Calcina last July (loved it - absolutely great location) and the people at the desk directed us to a restaurant that was excellent. The best Calamari I've ever eaten! Unfortunately, I forgot the name of the restaurant, but it is right down the promenade from La Calcina, 5 minute walk, they have tables right on the edge of the canal with a canopy overhead. Linen tableclothes. A little pricey but absolutely worth it. I'm sure the people at the desk will know which restaurant it is because they directed us to it.<BR><BR>Have a wonderful time.

Thanks Jane. I appreciate your info.