16 Best Restaurants in Venice, Italy

Established in 1950, this restaurant along the quiet, northern outlier of Fondamente Nove has grandstand views of the San Michele island and various menus showcasing seasonal fish, meat, and pasta dishes. The friendly staff also serve ice cream, drinks, and sandwiches, making its modern bar, chic dining rooms, and lagoon-side platform restful environs to pause any time of day.   

Filled brioche, exquisite chocolates and pastries, such as kranz (a braided pastry filled with almond paste and raisins) and strudel from the Friuli region, and bar service make Dal Mas a great choice for breakfast. It's been a local favorite since 1906.

This is the most famous restaurant in Venice for the city's working class; if you can get a table for lunch, you'll eat, without any choice, what Marisa prepares for her local clientele—generally, enormous portions of excellent pasta followed by a hearty roast meat course (frequently game, more infrequently fish), for an inexpensive fixed price. Dinner is a bit more expensive, and you may have some choice, but not much; for the authentic “Marisa experience,” go for lunch. In good weather, you'll have a better chance getting in, because tables are set up along the fondamenta. Reservations aren't really taken, and locals and steady customers are given preference for seating. Don't be put off by the occasionally gruff service—it's part of the scene.

Anchored on peaceful Campo Widman since the '90s is Ostaria Boccadoro, where purist chef Luciano Orlandi brings fresh seafood from the Chioggia market to the plate raw or lightly cooked with the subtlest of seasoning. Ask Luciano to suggest a wine from his carefully edited Veneto-dominated selection, then peruse the menu of Boccadoro classics like succulent canestrelli (tiny Venetian scallops), daily homemade pasta, tuna tartare, a crispy frittura (fritter), and perfectly grilled fish of the day like orata (gilt-head bream) with zucchini sauce; there are meat options as well. The interior decor is elegant, with traditional linens and contemporary art.

A brother-sister team run this refined trattoria, where you're made to feel as if you've been personally invited to lunch or dinner. Indulge, perhaps, in rigatoni with duck sauce or arugula-stuffed ravioli, seafood risotto made to order, or sesame-encrusted tuna. Just note, though, that it's the meat dishes that steal the show: the steak with red-pepper sauce and the tagliata di agnello (sautéed lamb fillet with a light, crusty coating) are both superb, and you'll never enjoy a better fegato alla veneziana. This is a place for wine connoisseurs, as the cellar is one of the best in the city. Come for the second seating in the evening or at lunch for more relaxed service.

Swing by this pint-sized wine bar for cicheti and crostini that are just a bit different and fresher than what you'll find elsewhere, along with a fine selection of natural wines. Though there's not much space inside, try to snag one of the coveted seats by the canal.

Off the main concourse on one of the most tranquil fondamente of Cannaregio, this small, family-run osteria is the place to stop for artful seafood and meat dishes in a romantic setting. Book a table among the wooden tables, columns, and mosaic floor of the rustic yet elegant dining room or right by the calming canal.

It doesn't get any more Venetian than this. At Marisa, a beloved Cannaregio institution, don't expect a menu, tourist or otherwise: what Marisa cooks—whether meat, wild game, or fish—you eat. Expect an abundant, five-course, prix-fixe meal of expertly prepared Venetian comfort food. The pasta and gnocchi are always fatto in casa (homemade). Primi might include tagliatelle with sugo del masaro (duck sauce), risotto di caroman (with mutton), or perhaps a zuppa di funghi, soup made with fresh mushrooms. Salmì di cervo (stewed venison) or fagiano ripieno arrosto (stuffed roast pheasant) are possibilities for secondi di carne, and on fish nights frittura mista. In temperate weather ask to eat canalside—but be on time or lose your table.

Venetians from the neighborhood frequent this friendly bacaro, not just for a glass of very drinkable wine, but also because of its excellent selection of traditional Venetian cicheti for lunch. There's a large assortment of sandwiches and panini, as well as luscious tidbits like grilled vegetables, breaded and fried sardines and shrimp, and a superb version of baccalà mantecato, along with Venetian working-class specialties, such as musetto (a sausage made from pigs' snouts served warm with polenta) and nervetti (veal tendons with lemon and parsley). These dishes are worth trying at least once when in Venice, and Do Colonne offers the best musetto in town.

Here you'll find the usual array of gelato flavors, which change with the seasons, plus more unusual ones like licorice. You can also enjoy a granita (regular and Sicilian), panna in ghiaccio (a brick of frozen cream between wafers), and some specialties (chocolate covered and otherwise) in front of the counter.

Far from the maddening San Marco crowds, this tiny eatery nestled under a grapevine on a remote campiello charms before you even taste the seafood (think: grilled seppie [cuttlefish], canoce [mantis shrimp], excellent baccalà mantecato, or sarde in saor [sweet-and-sour sardines]). Wines are an important part of the meal here; ask for a recommendation from the ample list of predominantly regional selections. With limited indoor seating, La Frasca encloses and heats their outdoor terrace to accommodate winter diners.

"The best polpette in town," you'll hear fans of the venerable Vedova say, and that explains why it's an obligatory stop on any giro d'ombra (bacaro tour); the polpette are always hot and crunchy—and also gluten-free, as they're made with polenta. Ca' d'Oro is a full-fledged trattoria as well, but make sure to reserve ahead: it's no secret to those seeking traditional Venetian fare at reasonable prices, locals and travelers alike. Vedova is one of the few places that still serves house wine in tiny, traditional palline glasses (never fear: if you order a bottle you'll get fancier glassware).

This small, popular neighborhood osteria—located canal-side, just under the nose of the campo's famous corner statue—specializes in creative versions of classic Italian (but not necessarily Venetian) dishes; don't skip dessert, as the tiramisu wins raves. Dine in the artsy and atmospheric interior or outside in the intimate, echoing square for a truly memorable experience.

Join locals at the banco (counter) premeal for an ombra (small glass of wine) and cicheti like polpette or violet eggplant rounds, or reserve a table for a full meal in the dining room or the intimate courtyard. A varied, seasonal menu includes local standards like calf's liver or grilled canestrelli, along with creative variations on classic Venetian fare, such as homemade ravioli stuffed with radicchio di Treviso or orecchiette with a scrumptious minced-duck sauce. The service is friendly and helpful, but it's very popular among locals, so be sure to make a reservation (later is better for a more relaxed environment).

This is the only place in town that still bakes traditional Venetian-Jewish pastry and delicious pane azimo (matzo bread) year round, though days of operation give away that the shop is not kosher.

A fine variety of excellent tramezzini (sandwiches made of untoasted white bread triangles) lines the display cases at this tavola calda (roughly the Italian equivalent of a cafeteria) on the main thoroughfare from the Rialto to Santi Apostoli; inexpensive salad plates and daily pasta specials are also served. This is a great place for a light meal or snack before a performance at the nearby Teatro Malibran. Whether you choose to sit or stand, it's a handy—and popular—spot for a quick meal or a snack at very modest prices. Service is efficient, if occasionally grumpy.