Romantic Restaurant Suggestion for Venice?
 

Hello fodorites! I am hoping you can recommend a romantic restaurant in the San Marco district in Venice!

I will be traveling here at the end of March.

Any other romantic advice would be wonderful. First time to Venice!

;;)

I am assuming since you are limiting yourself to San Marco, that you want to spend big bucks on this romantic restaurant? Because San Marco restaurants are always going to be more expensive than in other parts of the city.

That said, however, the dollar is now officially $1.20 to the Euro, (like Wow! I've not seen it this low in years!) so this would be the time to splurge! I would suggest three very grand restaurants-two right on the Canal Grande, and the other right there overlooking the Piazza San Marco. The first is the restaurant at the 5 star Hotel Bauer, outside dining right on the Canal Grande, looking across to Salute-the restaurant is called "De Pisis" and it gets VERY good reviews, both for the food and the incomparable view. I believe it is considered by some surveys as one of the very best of all restaurants in Venice, hotel or no.

Another would be the restaurant "Quadri" on the second floor of the Caffe by the same name on the Piazza S.M. across from Caffe Florian, but up a floor, with gorgeous chandeliers, red-flocked wall paper and mirrors, the whole elegant scene-and those views looking right down on Piazza San Marco. With the candlelight, orchestra in the warmer months and that lovely (now largely pigeonless) view of the Piazza, you can't go wrong here. Everyone who is anyone in the celebrity world has dined here as well, Sir Elton, Sting, you name it. I've not dined here, but I would like to sometime, because the setting is so romantic and elegant.

Between the De Pisis at the Hotel Bauer on the Canal Grande and the Quadri directly on the Piazza San Marco, there is the fab rooftop restaurant at the Hotel Danieli, a few steps from the Bridge of Sighs and the Piazza, and right on the waterfront. The Danieli is yet another of one of Venice's most elegant and chic dining spots, with both a terrific view up and down the basin of San Marco, across to Salute and the Punta della Dogana (the Dogana, Venice's 16th century customs building is now being renovated into a fabulous museum of contemporary art) and excellent food, lunch or dinner.

With any of these three, three of the best, you'll not be lacking for an elegant, chic, and oh so romantic restaurant locale in Venice.

You'll also want to hop on the vaporetto and go visit Ca'Rezzonico, (vaporetto stop "Rezzonico")-which is a must-see, in terms of the history of Venice, as it was once a fabulous palazzo for a wealthy Venetian family in the 16-17th century. The interior is just breathtaking, with the Tiepolo frescos, the priceless Canalettos, Bellinis, Tintorettos, etc., the furniture, this is an amazing place to gain a sense of the Venice that once was. At the end of your visit, there is a very nicely appointed little cafe on the ground floor where you can grab a quick caffe latte and a cake for a pick-me-up. You can enjoy their lovely gardens as well.

For lunch or dinner, just past Ca Rezzonico on the Calle Lunga San Barnaba, is one of my favorite restaurants, Ai Quattro Feri-excellent seafood and wonderful fresh vegetable dishes here-everything is very fresh, and not too expensive. The place is very crowded, every day, because locals love this restaurant as well due to its inexpensive pricing-you need to stop by and make reservations for dinner, or get there just before 7pm in the evening when it opens-the dining crowd arrives at 7:30 and doesn't let up till closing. Lunch is also a good time to try the restaurant, but it is still crowded then as well. Of course, you will get back on the vaporetto and continue up to Rialto, to visit the ancient fish and vegetable market, and then go back behind the market to the wonderful "bacaros" or wine bars, that are located in and around the Rialto market area. Number one on the list is the 14th century Cantina do Mori, on calle do Mori, with its excellent "cichetti" the incomparable little dishes that you choose at the counter, like a buffet, some vegetable, some meat, a lot of little seafood selections that you can have with a glass of prosecco or an "ombra" which is a small glass of wine. Venetians stop in to have "lo spritz" which is a cocktail, peculiar to the Venice region, consisting of prosecco mixed with Aperol or Campari or Select, (your choice) a little mineral water and served with an olive and slice of orange. The Venetians will take this and a couple of cichetti, do their chit-chat, and move on to the next bacaro. You can also do this around 5;30pm as well. After Do Mori, wander back onto the Canal Grande to the bacaro "Bancogiro" which is the only bacaro right on the Canal, a bacaro with great cichetti, inexpensive, but Bancogiro also has a regular restaurant menu as well-you can dine outdoors on the Canal, or upstairs looking out on the Canal-your choice. Both of these "bacari" are my favorites, and I always go to them when I am in Venice.

In between cichetti, prosecco and walking around, the Rialto area is an excellent shopping area-for Murano glass and also leather goods (like handbags) in the stalls and shops lining the Ponte di Rialto. You can spend a great chunk of your time in Venice just exploring this most ancient area with its color and great restaurants. Another excellent restaurant in the Rialto area is the Trattoria alla Madonna, on the calle Madonna, just before the Rialto bridge. Excellent seafood, well loved by tourists and locals alike, with a very charming interior.

Trattoria alla Madonna
www.ristoranteallamadonna.com./eng/locale.htm


Mind you, the above is only just a start-you can spend months and years here and not see all of Venice's wondrous charms!

You are WONDERFUL! This is exactly what I needed. We are in Venice for 3 days. I want something very romantic and to remember forever for at least one of the nights and am willing to pay extra for the views.

I was in London / Dublin a year ago and the Dollar to Euro ratio was HORRIBLY not in my favor so I am happy to learn it is closer to even.

You're welcome. Cwo, you'll want to spend some time at the Doge's Palace and the Basilica, of course, but don't neglect the Museo Correr, at the far end of the Piazza, which tells you about the history of Venice from the 13th to the 16th century, through priceless art, coins, weapons, etc. (just as the Doge's palace does) and the Correr has a magnificent Tiepolo-frescoed library "libreria Sansoviniana" that is a don't miss, all right there on the Piazza San Marco. You can buy a 2 for 1 ticket for the Doge's Palace and the Museo Correr, thus saving on costs. After exploring San Marco, then make your way up on the Grand Canal from San Marco by vaporetto to Rezzonico, and onwards. Make sure and take the vaporetto all the way up past Rialto and the train station to see Venice's newest and most controversial attraction-the new fourth bridge over the Grand Canal, a work of modern contemporary art in itself, designed by controversial Spanish "starchitect" Calatrava-it's called the "Ponte della Costituzione" or Constitution Bridge. It's very beautiful, but very costly, it opened around midnight of this past September 11th, and recently the City of Venice had to do something about the glass steps, because everyone has been slipping and falling on them when it rained! This ponte is a good place to take pictures of yourself standing on a new piece of contemporary art, though!

And if you want a little late night entertainment, head over the wooden Accademia bridge from San Marco to Dorsoduro, then make your way to the ever lively Campo Santa Marguerita at night. (this Campo is easier to reach from "Rezzonico" vaporetto stop, but you can go without the vaporetto by walking over the bridge, and heading north). Go to the new, fab bar called the IMAGINA CAFE-THE place to go in Venice now, late night, with its collection of modern art as well as great cocktails-stays open until 2am.

Cwo-one more thought, since you are going to be there at the end of March, it could still be quite cold, and they might not have outside dining on the rooftop at the Danieli-but I'm sure they will at the De Pisis at the Hotel Bauer-they'll have warming lamps to put out on the outside terrace. This is a link to the hotel, and from there you can click the link to the restaurants: www.bauervenezia.com.

Here is a link from a wedding website, which gives pictures of the elegant interior of the Ristorante Quadri, located on the second floor of its ground floor Grand Caffe Quadri-this is a restaurant/coffee bar since the 17th century, and it is chock full of fascinating history, having been owned by a Corsican originally, and started as a Turkish coffee bar! You may want to consider this for lunch, as it is less expensive, but the opulent interior by candlelight looking out on the Piazza would really be magnificent-you can order a la carte or from their Venice menu-I hear from my Venetian friends that the food is excellent, a very special and romantic dining experience.

http://www.davenezia.it/wedding_in_v...ffe_Quadri.htm