We'd love to experience a romantic dinner by the Grand Canal during our visit to Venice - can anyone make a recommendation? We'd also love to stay in a hotel where we can breakfast by the waterside, but I guess that's going to expensive!

Pensione La Calcina is a 3-star with a deck on the Guidecca canal where they serve complimentary breakfast. It is not terribly expensive but IS very popular so book well in advance of your trip. www.lacalcina.com

I think the luxury hotels on the Grand Canal have dining terraces. The hotels that I remember are Gritti Palace, Europa and Regina, Monaco and Grand Canal.

Hi D,

Does it have to be on the GC?

That's like sitting on a main street with buses going by.

See my report for the Cantinone Storico.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34451044

Monaco and Grand has an uninspiring breakfast included in the room rate (at least it did when we stayed there on a discounted rate) which is served on their fantastic terrace at the St Mark's end of the Grand Canal.

It also tends to be cheaper than the other top end Grand Canal hotels.

When we stayed at the Bauer breakfast was in a breakfast room overlooking the Grand Canal which had a terrace; I would think they would open the terrace in summer (we were there in February). Again, breakfast was included in a discounted room rate, and this time the breakfast was good.

Part of the Cipriani's restaurant is over on Giudecca right by the water with a great view back over to St Mark's square, it's not technically the Grand Canal. It's expensive, but I'm sure it would be romantic.

For a cheaper option, there are restaurants next to the Grand Canal in the section around the bridge across it near the station. These tend to be better value than those around the Rialto section; I've had some very nice meals there very cheaply (I didn't keep a record of the resturants' names unfortunately).

For outdoor dining near a smaller canal, Trattoria alla Zucca has a lovely setting. It's specialty is vegetarian food.

I would not recommend any of the GC restaurants by the Rialto. They are tourist traps with mediocre food. There are many beautiful side-canal restaurants that would serve you better...literally and figuratively.

The Riviera restaurant is on the Zattere with views over the Guidecca, and the food is superb. There are reviews on slowtrav.com and here: www.restaurantsomh.com/v14.htm. I recommend it highly.

Here are a couple of good ones -

Pizzeria Accademia (pizza and sandwiches, well priced) at the foot of the Accademia bridge on the Dorsoduro side. Not exactly romantic, but on the Grand Canal.

Bancogiro, Campo San Giacomo in San Polo, near the fish market - they have great food and tables on the canal.

I have never eaten at the Monaco & Grand, but I have heard it is good.

I second the pizza place on the canal by the bridge mentioned above. Busy fun place reasonably priced.

We stayed at the Monaco Grande Hotel a few years back. Loved the hotel but don't bother with their breakfast. I suggest breaking the bank for one night and have dinner at the Gritti. We had a drink on their terrace and I have wished we had stayed for dinner, just for the memory. My folks took the family there when I was 17 (51 now) when it was alot more affordable. I never forgot the place(or the handsome and charming bellhop). Hope you have fun.

La Calcina keeps coming up as first in most people's recommendation, and I'm still wishing it had been available for our trip.

But otherwise -- it's not the Grand Canal at all, but take a look at Al Wagon, at least for the dinner. http://www.venice-hotel.hotelalvagon.com/
I can't say anything about how it is as a hotel (go to tripadvisor for that), but the dinner in the arcade next to one of the "feeder" canals was lovely -- gondolas would come soundlessly slipping by with just the little light and a couple.. it was very romantic in its own way, and the food was pretty good, too (seafood, of course).

OK: Just looked it up on tripadvisor out of curiosity, and first: it's Al Vagon (with V, not W) and second: they don't rave about the hotel part. But you might wander by it some evening, anyway, and consider dinner. It was our last dinner in Venice and we enjoyed ourselves quite a bit.

I'll second La Zucca. It is alongside a lovely little canal. They highlight fresh, seasonal vegetables, but there are plenty of meat dishes and pastas there as well. The thing you won't find there is seafood, so if you are fish-ed out at some point, I would recommend this lovely little restaurant.

When you dine outdoors along these canals in the warmer months, does anyone know if mosquitoes are a problem?

We were there in the middle of summer and never had a problem with mosquitoes....even dining canalside.

I second the recommendations for Osteria Bancorigio (my favorite canalside restaurant) and The Terrace Restaurant at Hotel Cipriani. The former is mid-range and the later is on the expensive side.

Both my trips to Venice were in August, I don't remember any mosquitos. I know there were no screens on the hotel room windows either.

I second Sandy_travelnut's comment about the Rialto area. My experience was less than satisfactory and I felt hustled by the barrage of restaurteers who barked at me like a carnival booth person to come eat at their establishment as you walk by. I thought I would give them a chance and my meal seemed processed not fresh.