any price, any area except Lido. Also, does it have a view of Grand Canal?

La Boutique del Gelato for the best gelato on our Italy trip.

The best places for food are not going to have a view of the Grand Canal. The BEST food? Try Al Covo or Alle Testiere. Or Da Fiore. Or let Franco guide you. But please do not think that you have to be on the Grand Canal.......unless you want hotel dining.

Not on the grand canal, in fact it's on a little street (almost an alleyway) off the canal, but my favorite was Al Paradiso on Calle d. Paradiso. From San Marco, go across the Rialto, immediately turn left along the water, walk down and turn right on Calle d. Paradiso. Wonderful food!

La Corte Sconta for the best seafood and gnocchi that tastes like seasoned clouds.

My favourite is definitely Osteria alla Botte, www.osteriaallabotte.it
Since I've already told on many threads about good restaurants in Venice, please use the search function to get information on:
Osteria alla Botte
Do Spade
Vini da Gigio
Capitan Uncino
La Zucca
...and browse the respective threads, there are some more recommended places.
On the Canal Grande, as the others have already told you, you're not going to be happy - all the restaurants there are terrible tourist traps. Only exception, is you want to spend a fortune: Hotel Europa & Regina - certainly not the best food in town, but the food is quite good, and the location is unbeatable: you're dining on a Grand Canal terrace opposite S. Maria della Salute...

chichi,

I lost my message..you may get a duplicate....when we want to eat on the Grand Canal, we always choose Do Leoni at the Londra Palace Hotel...the view is lovely when you can see "through" the crowds of tourists..the food is very good, though not exceptional...the staff is really friendly and always greet us as if they remember us!! If you do nothing else, sit on their terrace and drink their Bellinis...the best in Venice IMO...I was so taken with them I had the barman make one for me while I watched and took notes, imagining I could recreate them at home (could not)....I think the secret is in the white peaches...

Traviata - they DO remember you. Italians always remember their patrons, and becoming a patron requires normally just three or so subsequent visits - even in Venice! That's one of the things that make Italy so special!!

franco,

Thank you for telling me that...it has happened to us several times, and at first, we were skeptical and thought it just "good business", but personal little comments have made me think it genuine...they really do remember us, in a sea of faces...the warmth and hospitality we have encountered is memorable...

My top restaurants:

Trattoria alla Rivetta
Ponte S. Provolo 4625
Phone: 041-528-7302

Pizzeria Al Vecio Canton
Castello, 4738/a 4739 Venice
Phone: 39-041-528-5176
Closed Tuesdays
Excellent pizza!!

Taverna San Trovaso

Dorsoduro, 1016, Venice
Phone: 39-041-520-3703
Email: [email protected]
Closed Mondays

Osteria da Alberto
Calle Giacinto Gallina
Cannaregio, 5401
Phone: 39-041-5238-153
Closed Sunday
www.mettingvenice.it/daalberto

Here's my page with all my Italian dining and comments:
http://www.homestead.com/luvtotravel/italyrest.html

Monica

ttt

Thank you all for recommendations. Bookmarking for trip next month.

Don't know the name but maybe someone will recognize the description. Leaving the train station turn left and walk about 100-150 yards. On the left is one of several coffee bars. The one that I am thinking of has a cafeteria in the back - you walk through the coffee bar to the cafeteria entrance. The cafeteria food is typical Venetian, cooked as you watch, fresh, tasty and cheap. Can you believe that I am using the words cheap and Venice together? The rissoto is particularly good - better than in many places that were much more expensive.

Basingstoke1,

You are probably thinking of the Brek cafeteria on Lista di Spagna, which goes off to the left from Santa Lucia station.

There are Brek cafeterias all over Italy, and they are an excellent resource for an inexpensive, freshly cooked meal at lunch.

Have three favorites, however none have a view of the Grand Canal.
1. DA RAFFAELE, Ponte delle Ostreghe, S. Marco 2344 $$$ located just about two bocks west of the Pza. S. Marco.
2.POSTE VECIE, Rialto Pescheria, Ven. $$$$ located over the Rialto Bridge and
within the Venice fish market.
3. LA CARAVELLA, San Marco, via XXII Marzo, 2396 $$$$ located about a block and half west of the Pza S. Marco within the Saturnia Hootel.
Reservatiions suggested for all place.s
Richard of LaGrange Park,m Il..

thank you for the great recommendations!

I vote for Trattoria alla Madonna on Calle della Madonna, just down the street from the Rialto - great food, fun wait staff, reasonable prices. Not on the Grand Canal (or any canal) - in fact almost in an alley - but very worthwhile.

Another one we tried more than 15 years ago that was wonderful and wonderfully expensive was Antico Martini just a few steps from La Fenice. We dined like royalty there in 1989, before the fire. My recollection is that it cost about 240,000 lire. Thank goodness for the euro - that's "only" about 145 €

KC

Our favorite in Venice is Da Ivo. Its a small restaurant with fabulous food on a canal in San Marco. You really need a reservation as its few tables are in great demand. We also enjoyed Do Forno this summer for a quiet dinner, but its not on the water. Great wait staff and the food was yummy.