McLaurie, I haven't been to Avogaria. I'll have to check it out on the next trip. I have heard conflicting reports. It looks fantastic on their website.

traveller - YES, stop by Harry's for a drink! Go in the middle of the afternoon when it is not too crowded. Espresso or prosecco are the best things to order if you don't want to spend a fortune.

I hated Al Covo. Da Fiore and Corte Sconta are very expensive, but worth it.

"I hated Al Covo."

...and this comes from a supposed food critic/author? Give us a break, PLEASE! Just one more reason to ignore slowtrav.

No reputable food critic would EVER use the word "hate" in a critique of any restaurant, especially one of Venice's top 10. "Chow! Venice" is one publication I will NOT be reading.

I'm not a food critic. I doubt I will ever write another book about food.

Al Covo is a restaurant that some people love and some people wonder what all the fuss was about. Is that better? I personally would not go there again.

I appreciate the commentary. There are def. top restaurants here in NY that I just don't get, despite the lavish praise. Diff people look for diff things in a restaurant...

Fodorites -- Of the "fancy"/top-rated restaurants in Venice, which is the best bang for the buck?

Fodorites, in case you didn't know, opinions are like @#%holes, everybody's got one.

We liked Da Fiore; we just went for lunch (can't remember if that was because we couldn't get a dinner reservation or to save money :))

Definitely go to Harry's, and also to one of cafes on Piazza San Marco :)

Bacaro Jazz - that' it exactly. I really enjoyed it.

"I'm not a food critic. I doubt I will ever write another book about food."

Oh my! I think that's a very good idea, dear. It's best to stick to a subject you know something about. (Isn't it amazing how many thousands of people audition for "American Idol" and all of them actually believe they can sing?)

"Al Covo is a restaurant that some people love and some people wonder what all the fuss was about."

You know, I've met many people throughout my life who have said the same thing about Italy. Can you imagine? As soon as I meet someone like this, I walk away. The very same thing has been said thousands of times in reference to Corta Sconta and Da Fiore.

In her book "Eating In Italy," Faith Willinger (who knows much about Venice cucina) says of Corta Sconta, "What a wonderful treat it used to be to eat under a grape arbor...But, the thrill, at least during the tourist season, is gone. Hordes of diners, famished for food of quality, descend on this ten-table restaurant and seem to have changed the perspective of the cucina."

She probably would say the same thing about Da Fiore and Al Covo, today, because both suffer miserably from all those tourists looking to brag about "getting in." It's OK to do this at Harry's because you're just going for a Bellini.

Al Covo is much easier to find and much more accessible to Piazza San Marco than the others which makes it seriously vulnerable to the hungry hordes of status-seeking tourists who are looking for something beyond description. If I were Cesare Benelli, I'd close up shop, move, and start all over again under a different name. Yet, Diane, his lovely wife, hails from Texas and they love their American customers. So, the cycle would occur all over again.

I've learned to avoid Venice at peak season and I visit Da Fiore and Al Covo only when there are almost no tourists in Venice and nothing can be more divine. I'll simply say to Cesare, "whip up something special" and with a handsome smile pure magic will unfold before me. Diane, who loves pleasing anyone with a sweet tooth, will present a tasting of the most delectable offerings one can find in Venice. I've been to Al Covo over a dozen times and I can't imagine a trip to Venice without a visit here.

If traveller212 is looking for a brilliant bang, may I suggest the dining room at Monaco e Grand? I'll go here only with a lover but always find the evening truly glamourous and without fault. In many ways it beats almost anything Cipriani has to offer, minus the boat.

And to rialtogrl, may I suggest a screename change?

You are right, NYCSnob, I am not really cut out for writing guidebooks. It is easy to write something in a journal, very difficult to write something other people will read. Not to mention the year it took and the cash I spent. Or that it takes all the joy out of dining. Whatever. Another life experience.

I think it probably helps to know Cesare and Diane at Al Covo. Maybe some day I'll give it another try. The "rants and raves" on this board about Al Covo are similar to what I've heard about it over the years - people either love it or they hate it.

I've started quite a debate here! NYCFoodSnob and Elaine, what are your favorite restaurants in NYC (not to get off the subject, but as a point of comparison). Thanks!

No hard feelings, rialtogrl. Another life experience, indeed. Writing can be a lonely life and expensive, too. Boy did HBO get this wrong with "Carrie" in "Sex In The City."

I've been writing about food (and other things) for over 20 years. Dining-as-theater will always be a crap shoot. Everything is "live" and it takes real people to make magic happen, night after night, year after year. Even the best fail, sometimes. That's no reason to write anybody off with the words "hate" and "never" and wesley is right, no credible writer would use these words.

Most restaurant owners care deeply about their customer's experience, especially the one's who sparkle with acclaim. But, with this acclaim comes a double edged sword. God forbid you have an off night or don't meet one patron's expectations.

Yes, it helps to know the owners but even first time visitors can make a connection if they learn how. Many veteran actors on Broadway love to talk about making a connection with the audience because the electricity is riveting. It always take two to tango and I think fine dining is a dance. I'm just lucky I've got plenty of rhythm.

Oh, is that what you've got plenty of? I must have been confused, for some reason I thought it was something else...

In the case of Al Covo, I will side with NYCFood Snob. One of the single most memorable and delectable dishes I have every tasted was the gnocci with cauliflower and red mullet at Al Covo. The entire meal was wonderful but that dish remains on my lifetime Top 10.

Al Covo was good but not great and I thought quite pricey for the portions. I would not go again.

I am still looking for good food in Venice at a reasonable price.