JanisV

I keep reading guidebooks to Italy that rave about saving money by eating at happy hour type bars, etc. This sounds like a lot of fun, but we'll have a 15 year-old in tow. I know we can just peek in when we get there and see if there are teens about or ask a local, but I'm curious if anyone here has experience with this.

nytraveler

Well we've had munchies with drinks at happy hour (not called that) at several cafes - but wold never consider it dinner - unless you have a minute appetite or somehow manage to coral the food for the whole cafe. (In my experience what you get with one drink is usually 2 or 3 small bites of something - little pieces of focaccia with different toppings or pizza bits or marinated veggies - nothing like dinner.)

JanisV

Excellent to know -- y'see, that's why we need this forum! I didn't really think we'd be snagging an entire meal, but might be able to skip an appetizer/primo at dinner. Grazie!

lowcountrycarol

For me one of the main reasons for going to Italy is the food, not to try and substitute bar snacks for a course at dinner. I would find some other way to save a bit so you can really enjoy the cuisine at lunch or dinner. In fact I would consider eating chili and hot dogs for a week at home to help save $$ to spend eating in Italy.

LoveItaly

I would never consider any appetizer that came with a drink in Italy anything but just a tad of a snack, wonderful for sure but just a bit of food such as olives, potato chips, or pizza bits as nytraveler stated. It has been ages since we had a teenager with us but when we did there was no problem at all. In fact teens can order a drink such as a glass of wine but don't remember if they have to be 15 or 16 years of age. But in any case I wouldn't expect any bit of food that is served with a drink to mean that you wouldn't want to order what you would normally want when ordering for dinner, JanisV. And do keep in mind that servings are usually smaller then what is served in our US restaurants. Eat and enjoy!

kappa1

What OP is talking about is Happy Hour specifically in Milano, it seems to me, including a self service buffet of Italian snack food, small sandwiches, pasta, salad, potatoe dishes, all that makes a meal. Many cafe/bars do that. I read about that here maybe a few years ago (somebody called this a Milano institution) and tried one not very far from Duomo where I was staying. You order a drink and the buffet is included. A drink itself (I had a glass of wine) costed like €5 but considering all the food is included, it was a economical way for a light dinner. This Happay Hour (buffet included) was more obvious in Brera area of Milan I didn't try there but I saw many bars doing that.

kappa1

And I wouldn't think it a problem to take a child of that age to Happy Hour there as long as he is accompnied by adults. The child can obviously order a water or a soda. I agree it is a fun way for once or twice to have a meal.

toni_g_b

It may depend on the city and the various cafes within the city but last summer in both Genoa and Turin, we could have easily made a light dinner of the buffet spreads when we stopped for an early evening drink. And since they were each outdoor seating, I see no reason why a teen wouldn't feel welcome. It's not as if it's a bar where you have to be "carded at the door".

Zerlina

In Venice, people go to bacari (wine bars) for a glass of wine and small plates of this and that. Unlike the aperitivo buffets in Turin, the cicchetti, as they are called, have to be paid for separately, but it is possible to make a light and inexpensive meal of them. While not as lavish as the ones in Turin, aperitivo buffets can also be found in some cafes in Rome. Most wine bars in Rome sell plates of cured meats or cheese. There is no reason to avoid any of these places because there is a teenager along.

JanisV

Thanks for all your thoughts on this - most helpful. Yes, lowcountrycarol, it is of course lovely to eat well in Italy - or anywhere else you're travelling and we do so as much as the budget will allow. This is a special instance in which we are taking our godson to scatter his mother's ashes in Venice, and the money for the trip is part of his trust, left behind for him by his mother. So perhaps you can see why we are trying not to raid the entire account.

tuscanlifeedit

JanisV: have you read Rick Steves on this subject? I think he talks about inexpensive cicchetti, but I'm not sure. We did not necessarily find cicchetti an inexpensive way to eat, but we aren't really light eaters. It does add up when they are charging for by the piece.

I don't really know of any places in Venice where a cocktail buffet is included with a drink. Maybe this is because of the tradition of cicchetti, or maybe it is because Venice is expensive.

I guess I'm not really understanding your trip. It's not my business, but the way I'm reading your above response is that you are going to Venice on your godson's trust. If that is the case, can't funds separate from his ( yours) be used for dinner?

JanisV

Yes, tuscanlifeedit (did I get that right?), my husband and I will be paying for our own meals, which isn't as much of a problem as having a budget for the lad. We can supplement, of course, but are trying to keep to a moderate amount, which I realize is difficult in Venice.

tuscanlifeedit

May I suggest Il Refolo, a sort of dressy pizza/pasta place, and nearby La Zucca (no need to order much; helpings are huge and filling) and the touristed but well priced and tasty Alla Madonna? Just don't have dessert at Alla Madonna. Everything else is fresh and good. No one there seems to know how to bake, though.

With conservative ordering, none of those places should be too much, and they are all good. I know that is vague, but I don't have exact numbers. I just recall liking them all and feeling the price was pleasing.

zeppole

JanisV,

You might find this article helpful:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/201...s-cicheti-wine

and for a moderately priced dinner with a very friendly, local atmosphere, I can recommend Do Farai in the Dorsoduro (at Calle Lunga de San Barnaba, 2753)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20214580/

http://maps.google.it/maps/place?cli...82004823817214

Otherwise, go for pizza. Do some google searches for "best pizza Venice" and you'll come up with recommendations.

JanisV

Thank you so much for the specific recommendations -- so helpful!
I haven't been in Italy for nearly 30 years, and then never in Venice, which seems like a world unto itself.

We will be in Rome for three nights, too. At least I know my way around there a bit!