15 Best Restaurants in Venice, Italy

In a small dining room made warm and cozy by its pleasing and unpretentious decor, proprietor Giordano makes all diners feel like honored guests. Unlike many elegant restaurants, Al Paradiso serves generous portions, and many of the delicious antipasti and primi are quite satisfying; you may want to follow the traditional Italian way of ordering and wait until you've finished your antipasto or your primo before you order your secondo. Pappardelle "al Paradiso" takes pasta with seafood sauce to new heights, while risotto with shrimp, Champagne, and grapefruit puts a delectable twist on a traditional dish. The inspired and original array of entrées includes meat and fish selections, such as salmon with honey and balsamic vinegar in a stunning presentation.

Judging by its rather modest and unremarkable appearance, you wouldn't guess that Piera Bortoluzzi Librai's trattoria is among the finest fish restaurants in the city both because of the quality of the ingredients and because of the chef's creative magic. You can choose from a selection of classic dishes with a modern and creative touch. The perfectly grilled fish is always freshly caught; in spring try the fried local soft-shell crabs.

Wine lovers shouldn't miss this cozy and compact eatery run by the Spezzamonte brothers, which offers a fantastic selection of organic wines 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 from their list of more than 700 bottles to pair with your à la carte dishes or tasting menu. Snacks are available at aperitivo (aperitif) hour.

For those who can afford it, lunch or dinner at Harry's Bar is as much a part of a visit to Venice as a walk across Piazza San Marco or a vaporetto ride down the Grand Canal. Inside, the suave, subdued beige-on-white decor is unchanged from the 1930s, and the classic Venetian fare is carefully and excellently prepared. Harry's is not just a fine restaurant; it's a cultural institution. When founder Giuseppe Cipriani opened the doors in 1931, the place became a favorite of almost every famous name to visit Venice (including Charlie Chaplin, Orson Welles, and Ernest Hemingway) and still attracts much of Venetian high society as regulars. Today, many still remember Harry's as one of the few restaurants in town that continued to serve Jewish patrons during the period of the Fascist racial laws. Try the delicate baked sea bass with artichokes, and don't miss the signature crepes flambées or famous Cipriani chocolate cake for dessert. Because a meal at Harry's is as much about being seen there, book one of the cramped tables on the ground floor—the upper floor of the restaurant is the Venetian equivalent of Siberia (take heart if seated there: views from the second-floor windows look like framed paintings). Be sure to order a Bellini cocktail—a refreshing mix of white peach puree and sparking prosecco—this is its birthplace, after all. On the other hand, true to its retro atmosphere, Harry's makes one of the best martinis in town.

Longtime restaurateur Gianni Bonaccorsi (proprietor of the popular Aciugheta nearby) has established an eatery where he can pamper a limited number of lucky patrons with his imaginative cuisine and impeccable taste in wine. Ridotto means “small, private place,” which this very much is, evoking an atmosphere of secrecy and intimacy; the innovative menus tend toward lighter but wonderfully tasty versions of classic dishes. Ask them to recommend a wine from the excellent cantina.

In a simple yet charming setting with beamed ceilings and terrazzo floors, a sister and brother team oversee their "New Venetian Cuisine," where local ingredients are used to prepare reinvented traditional dishes, often with Japanese influences. It's tasting-menu only, with seven or nine courses (or a less expensive three-course option at weekday lunch), and wine pairings from their extensive list are a recommended treat.

The understated atmosphere, simple decor, and quiet elegance featured alongside Da Fiore's modern take on traditional Venetian cuisine certainly merit its international reputation. With such beautifully prepared cuisine, you would expect the kitchen to be run by a chef with a household name; however, the kitchen is headed by owner Maurizio Martin's wife, Mara, who learned to cook from her grandmother. The other surprise is that, while this restaurant is in a higher price category, it is hardly among the priciest in Venice. The menu is constantly changing, but generally fritto misto or Da Fiore's tender, aromatic version of seppie in nero (cuttlefish in ink) is almost always available. Reservations, made a few days in advance in high season, are essential for dinner, but you can try just dropping in for lunch. Da Fiore is consistently awarded a Michelin star, although—unlike many other honored restaurants—it does not publicize the fact. Do not confuse it with Trattoria da Fiore, which is in Campo Santo Stefano (San Marco).

Although the lavish interior has been updated by designer Philippe Starck, this restaurant above the famed café of the same name is still steeped in Venetian ambience and history (it was where Turkish coffee was introduced to the city in the 1700s). When the Alajmo family (of the celebrated Le Calandre near Padua) took over, they put their accomplished sous-chef from Padua in charge of the kitchen, resulting in the addition of dishes—best sampled with a tasting menu—that are complex and sophisticated, with a wonderful wine list to match. Downstairs, the simpler Quadrino (located next to the café)—with impeccably restored neo-rococo wall paintings—serves more traditional Venetian fare and some of the best martinis in town. As for Quadri itself, the prices, cuisine, and decor are all alta, so beware. Be sure, also, to book one of the few tables with a Piazza San Marco view.

Stroll across the bridge from Burano to the islet of Mazzorbo to see some of the Venetian islands' only working vineyards, amid which sits this charming restaurant where seasonal dishes incorporate vegetables, herbs, and flowers fresh from the garden and fish fresh from the lagoon, served in seven- to nine-course tasting menus (there's also a more casual osteria). To accompany your meal, pick out a local wine like the Dorona di Venezia, made with the island’s native grape. If all the food makes you sleepy, stay the night in one of the lovely guest rooms.

Located on the water's edge, looking out at the Venice skyline, the Belmond Cipriani's exclusive outdoor-indoor Cip's Club bar and Oro restaurant is best known for its breathtaking views, but the exquisite tasting menu of Venetian classics and extensive wine list certainly don't play second fiddle. Taking the complimentary 10-minute boat ride to and from San Marco also adds to the thoroughly James Bond sense of drama and romance.

A charming new concept in Venetian eateries, diminutive CoVino offers a fixed-price, three-course menu, from which you'll choose among several traditionally inspired antipasti, secondi, and desserts with innovative—and satisfying—twists. At this Slow Food presidio, you can watch the cook construct your sliced tuna dressed with Bronte pistachios and eggplant; Bra sausage "imported" from the Piedmont alla Valpolicella with tiny green beans; or perhaps even fresh gazpacho. The wine selection is passionately created; if you're looking to be more adventurous on this front, ask enthusiastic owner Andrea for his take. Cash only, for now anyway.

If you'd like to attend happy hour with the ghosts of Ernest Hemingway, Aristotle Onassis, and Orson Welles, head to Harry's Bar. Despite astronomical prices, undistinguished 1930s-1950s decor, and some rather brash foreign clientele, Harry's is nevertheless a Venetian institution, and is still patronized by those Venetians who want to see and be seen. Many still remember proprietor Arrigo Cipriani's courageous stand— in contrast to the acquiescence and even profiteering of many Venetian hoteliers and bar owners— during the Nazi occupaton; Jewish patrons were still welcome at Harry's. Although you'll have to use your imagination to conjure up images of the bar's former glory, Harry's still boasts Venice's driest martinis, and makes a Bellini according the original recipe (invented at Harry's). The food, while outrageously expensive and conventional, is nevertheless quite good.

The name refers to the intimate garden where co-owner Larisa will welcome you warmly, once you've wound your way from the Rialto or San Stae down the narrow calle to this romantic locale. (There's an indoor dining room as well, but the garden is covered and heated in winter.) Larisa's husband, Virgilio, mans the kitchen, where he prepares such dishes as sea bass in salt crust and a grilled fish platter. Be sure to try the homemade gnocchi or pasta—perhaps the tagliolini (thin spaghetti) with scallops and artichokes. You'll also find some fine meat options here. Desserts, like the chocolate mousse or crème caramel, are homemade as well. The wine list features some excellent regional selections.

Outstanding fish, from the simplest steamed sea bass to decadent swordfish ravioli, is served at Bakan, its name a reference to the part of the lagoon near Sant'Erasmo that's popular for swimming and clamming. You'll see more students and locals than tourists here, and there are tables outside. Classic Venetian dishes such as bigoli in salsa (spaghetti with an anchovy-onion sauce) and baccalà mantecato (creamy, whipped salt cod), are well prepared, but there are also dishes like fegato alla veneziana for those who prefer calf liver and onions.

The impressive panorama from their Zattere terrace attracts travelers yearning for a view, and the Riviera certainly offers that. Choose from contemporary takes on a variety of traditional Venetian dishes, including calf's liver with figs; "guitar string" pasta with shrimp, tiny green beans, and mint; and venison with blueberry sauce. A regional wine list is well matched to the cuisine; don't be surprised if the owner stops by to be sure you're enjoying your meal. Perhaps suited more to travelers than locals (who never worry about a view), while pleasing, the Riviera is definitely a splurge (note the €6 cover).