Where to Eat in Venice, Italy: Chit Chat #32

City of Bridges: Love it or... not so much?

Spilled Milk: Italy Week continues with Venice.

Please note: I keep endless lists. Many apologies to any I don’t acknowledge for their tips and recommendations. I have so many Italian lists from the last 20 years it’s like a jumble of info that I can barely figure out for myself. Too much cutting and pasting. Mea Culpa. Also, check to be sure places are open.

Other Italy posts:
Where to eat in Rome
Where to eat in Sicily/the Amalfi Coast/Naples

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Venice, Italy: Have you been? Did you love it or did it fall short of expectations?

Al Covo in Venice.

I love it, but I’ll be honest: Venice isn’t an easy town to eat in.

Especially in the summer. 60,000 residents and 20 million visitors a year. You do the math.

I think the key component to whether or not this famed city meets your expectations depends largely on when you visit. I would want you to go in the shoulder seasons, smaller crowds and don’t miss dinner at Al Covo, after a drink at Harry’s Bar.

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But if you are there this summer, here’s a few things to keep in mind. Most restaurants feed the tourists. I like to seek out the places where serious chefs use excellent local ingredients, with emphasis on seafood… do that and you will eat like royalty.

It’s worth noting that most Venetians rarely eat in restaurants. They graze at bacari which fill their counters with cicheti (little snacks). Several plates of these jewels with a glass of wine makes for a good meal too.

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20+ Places to Eat in Venice, Italy:

Osteria Alle Testerie has a daily menu that depends on availability of fresh fish at the market. The daily seafood dishes from chef and co-founder Bruno Gavagnin are always superb.

Locanda Cipriani is stunning, with a shady old-fashioned garden on the beautiful little lagoon island of Torcello, with old-fashioned service and old-fashioned food that verges on the hotel variety. This is a Grande Tour experience shared by everyone from Ernest Hemingway and generations of British royals, to mid-20th-century A-list actors and presidents.