I'm traveling to Venice this September with my wife to celebrate our 5th anniversary. We'd like to have dinner at a great restaurant, and I've received some recommendations - Al Covo, Osteria Da Fiore, Terrazza Danli. <BR><BR>I don't mind the expense, but when I come out of a pricey restaurant, I like to feel like it was worth every cent I paid. To me there's nothing worse than eating at a 'fine dining' establishment and then feeling ripped off (and probably hungry) afterwards. <BR><BR>What do you think? Are these restaurants worth the premium? Do you have other recommendations for an anniversary dinner?<BR><BR>Thanks!<BR><BR>Jeff Troutman

Yes, it certainly is worth it, especially at Da Fiore. But now is the time to get your reservations!!! Just book them and get ready for pleasure. And forget the prices - you're in Venice. You can skimp at home while you're paying the bills - but you'll have some fabulous memories.BTW, if you haven't, check Gourmet Magazine July 2002, pages 47-48, for some excellent suggestions. And a recent Wine Spectator covered Venetian restauranst as well. You are going to have a superb trip. I'm trying to go next February - so, after your trip, please post a report.

Thanks for the reply R&R, any others?

I'm a big fan of Al Covo's (so cozy & intimate) but I have to admit that I usually go for Lunch instead of Dinner since Dinner can be quite expensive. Although I've never been disappointed in a meal there and I love to have the occasional splurge, but given what you say you're looking for, I feel that Al Covo is a much better deal money/quality/quantity-wise if you go for Lunch. Also bear in mind that each of the restaurants that you mentioned are very different in terms of ambience/style.

We ate at a nice, expensive restaurant in Venice called Ristorante da Raffaele.<BR>It is on a small picturesque canal with outdoor seating (a must). We thought the food and wine was worth every cent.

I know Venice pretty well. Most of my relatives on my mother's side live there, and we go for a month at a time. There are several restaurants that we like such as Da Remigo, Dalla Madonna. (I'm not mentioning my favorite place. I've never seen a tourist there, and I don't want it overrun.) But none of them are special occasion, sophisticated places.<BR>Last May, my daughter's boyfriend surprised her by flying to Venice and proposing. They wanted to celebrate over a luxury dinner. Several of the relatives argued about which was the best place to go. (They tend to avoid all the obvious places.) Finally they decided that the restaurant at the (Westin's) Europa and Regina was very good though pricey. My daughter said it was fantastic, sitting on a terrace on the Grand Canal. There was a masked ball going on in the hotel, so they watched the gondolas pull up and people disembark in costume. They loved the food too.

I am a fan of Da Raffaele, and sitting on the terrace of the Europa -Regina sounds glorious, but for a special meal, I felt that Da Fiore was one of the top ten restaurant experiences of my life.

When you talk pricey, what range are you talking about-say a nice dinner and a decent bottle of wine?

It seems like you're going to pay a lot more for a "pricey meal" in Venice than in, say, San Francisco.<BR><BR>For example, dinner for two at Aqua (a top seafood restaurant in SF) cost us about $150 (wine, one appetizer to share, two entrees, dessert). Sounds like a similar dinner at Da Fiore in Venice would run about $250.<BR><BR>Seems like you just have to adjust your expectations of what you're going to pay for fine dining -- and then just enjoy it.

I simply love a tease, Caterina, except when it comes to food!!! So, just quietly post the name of the special place you didn't wish to mention, and I shall keep it all to myself. I'm not really a tourist, you know - not when my heart is already onboard the vaporetto going in from San Marco. Reply here in strictest confidence, and have a good day, of course.