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We've compiled the best of the best in Dorsoduro - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
Wine lovers shouldn't miss this cozy and compact gastro-bistro run by the Spezzamonte brothers, which offers wine from more than 700 vineyards along with modern takes on classic Venetian dishes, such as scampi in saor (marinated langoustines) and grilled local amberjack. If you can't choose, let the helpful servers suggest the perfect vino to pair with your à la carte dishes or tasting menu. Snacks are available at aperitivo (aperitif) hour.
For a break from all the fish and seafood options in Venice, this is your place; the meat- and veggie-focused menu (inspired by the cuisine of the Venetian mainland) presents a new temptation at every course, and market availability keeps the dishes changing almost every day. The homemade desserts are all luscious (it's been said that La Bitta serves the best panna cotta in town), and you can trust the owner's selections from her excellent wine and grappa lists, which tend to favor small local producers.
Founded in 2003 by two men from Torino (one of them named Federico Grom), this modest gelateria (ice cream shop) has expanded across the globe, including to 34 Italian cities and 10 international cities. Natural ingredients such as Ecuadorian or Venezuelan chocolate, Sicilian lemon, and Mawardi pistachios add intense flavors, and the selection changes with the seasons. They also make fruit sorbets, popsicles, and other specialty items.
Nono ("grandfather" in Venetian) Colussi starts every day at 4 am in the pastry shop he began in 1956. Working with granddaughter Marina in the kitchen and daughter Linda at the counter, he turns out classic Venetian delicacies such as fugassa, a soft and sweet raised cake, and krapfen, a sweet roll filled with pastry cream. Each item is made fresh every morning. He uses his own decades-old sourdough for leavening, and is now also making some gluten- and lactose-free products. Take away a bag of his classic Venetian cookies such as zaletti or baicoli, made from scratch over some 30 hours from start to finish, or jar of natural fruit jam.
