We are leaving this coming Friday for Venice - yeah!! Can't wait.

Can anyone tell me if they've used Sandra Gustafson's "Great Eats Italy" book to select restaurants, and how they fared? We have so many guidebooks, which all have different listings, it is hard to choose. I'd love it if I could just rely on this book. We also have "Chow Venice", although I've seen some negative reviews, people saying the restaurants in that book were not so great, and that the authors didn't eat at alot of them.

We are trying to choose moderate, non-dressy places for dinner (something along the lines of La Zucca), and for lunch will grab pizza or chichetti or panini. Will we need to make reservations for dinner at each of our choices?

I would make reservations for dinner in Venice. I have used Gustafson's book and find her to be quite reliable. A book I like even better is the one by Maureen Fant covering restaurants in Rome, Venice and Florence. I forget the exact title..something like Trattorias of Rome, Venice and Florence. Another excellent source for food in Italy is "Italy for The Gourmet Traveler" by Fred Plotkin. And do not forget the food guides written by Faith Willinger...she is a classic read.

We've taken both Sarah Gustafson & Chow Venice to Venice twice. I'd t bother taking Sarah Gustafson again. I find Chow Venice quite good - but by far the best book we've used is 'A guide to the eateries of Venice’ - venezia osterie & dintori. This book is not available anywhere apart from in Venice - but is easily found. We got ours at the information office near San Marco. It's pulished in several languages.

You will definitely need to book for La Zucca - even in the quiet time of early December we needed to book at least a day ahead. They run 2 sittings. 7pm & 9.30pm.

Should we book from home, or will it be OK to wait until we are in Italy to book our reservations?

I remember being surprised when we went to Napa Valley, how months before restaurants were already booked. Hope I haven't waited too long.

Either book from home (e-mail or call your hotel and ask them to do it for you) or book as soon as you arrive in the city. If you are planning on eating at the well-known big-ticket places (alle Testiere, Al Covo, Da Fiore, etc.), I would definitely book as far in advance as possible, through your hotel.

Hi, Wanderer

We recently used "Chow Venice" as our restaurant guide and found it to be very reliable and accurate. However, this is a very subjective topic and everyone has different tastes and standards.

("Chow Venice" also has a website where they publish updates and new listings.)

I would definitely reserve ahead for La Zucca. We emailed our hotel about a week in advance and they made the reservation for us.

ekscrunchy,
When you say make reservations, what do they mean?

I have made reservation in Italy and found that they often gave me the lousiest table in the restaurant until I went there enough to become a "regular". Even stopping by earlier to make a reservation in person got me a better table. Did you experience this and would having a hotel do the reservation get you a better table?

We are renting an apartment, not staying at a hotel, so we are on our own to make our reservations, and with very little Italian language skills.

We plan on no "big ticket" restaurants - moderate for dinner, but not pizzerias.

What is the website for Chow Venice? I cannot find my guide! Thanks.

Greg, I usually have the hotel make the reservations simply because it is easier for me to e-mail them before I leave home with a few of my restaurant choices; easier than having to call the restaurant from the US. For more last minute reservations I have the hotel call once I am in residence. I do not trust e-mailing a restaurant for a reservation; there have been times they have not responded to my e-mail so I no longer do that. That said, I have no idea if I get a better table or not doing it through the hotel. Once I get to the restaurant, if I am not happy with the table, I firmly but politely request another. If there is no other and I want to eat in the place, I will take whatever table they give me but on the very few times I have asked for a better table I cannot remember not being accommodated.

wanderer,

We leave for Venice this Friday as well! And we're renting an apartment too. Maybe we'll bump into you without even knowing it!

I purchased the Chow Venice book and Time Out Venice - between the two, I feel like I have double to triple the restaurants we need for our week (and that was after I narrowed it down this weekend).

Anyway, I plan to make reservations for some places for dinner - only because on our last trip, we often were turned away at 8pm without reservations. I am thinking though that calling some morning this week should be okay.

Have a great trip!
Sally

The website is:

http://www.chowbellabooks.com

Thanks SRS. Here's our (tentative) list. Would love to see yours. Where is the apartment you are renting?

Would love comments from others also. We really want moderate restaurants, but seem hard to find. We definitely don't want "dress-up" places (I don't mean we will be in jeans, just don't want jacket/tie and dressy dress required). If I've erred in that regard, or of there are better choices, please let me know!

Sat - late lunch or early dinner at Vecio Fritolin, then a bottle of wine on our deck before crashing.

Sun - Lagoon Islands with drink at Cipriani before heading back - this one we haven't figured out for dinner (no, we can't afford Cipriani)

Mon - Castello/San Michele - dinner at Corte Sconta or Alle Testiere

Tues - San Paolo/Santa Croce - dinner at La Zucca

Wed - San Marco - dinner at Altanella

Thurs - Dorsoduro and San Giorgio Maggiore - dinner at L'Incontro

Fri - our last night - Cannaregio - dinner at Vini da Gigio or Anice Stellato

Somewhere we want to fit in Drink at Harry's bar, Drink at Florian when the Orchestra is playing, Gondola ride at sunset, and Canal Ride on Vaporetto (yes, I know, not food related).

Question - if we want to go somewhere - like Cipriani on Torcello - just from drinks, is that OK, we just show up? I've also read drinks are great at Hotel Monaco deck? Again, just show up?

Wanderer, don't worry about fitting in a drink at the Florian when the orchestra is playing. You will likely find yourselves gravitating over to San Marco after dinner most nights to enjoy the piazza, and the music, and the moonlight, when all the daytrippers are gone and everything is just magical.

You should be right to book La Zucca 2 to 3 days ahead.
There's a good inexpensive restaurant in Campo San Polo called Birraria - it's a bit of a barn - but really good food reasonably priced.

I'd also recommend Da Ignazio - in San Polo or Alla Madonna near Rialto for wonderful fish.