Last updated on .
Venice has some fantastic restaurants. It also has the other kind that cater to tourists serving sub-par food at high prices. We had experiences at both types of restaurants but were generally happy with what we ate.
L’Olandese Volante
Our very first lunch started out with an unexpected bang. We wandered through some of the narrow streets in the Castello district before settling on L’Olandese Volante, located on Campo San Lio.
We shared a seafood stew that was out of this world, a plate of delicious grilled prawns, and a very good vegetarian fettuccine. Service was a bit slow but the food was appropriately priced. We were very surprised later that night to see the terrible ratings on TripAdvisor. Maybe we caught them on a good day and this place is hit or miss, but our experience was great.
Birreria Barbanera
Our first dinner was at Birreria Barbanera before heading out for the New Year’s celebration. Located in Castello not too far from Piazza San Marco, this restaurant specializes in pizza. We started with a bruschetta and each had a decent pasta dish. Overall it was a good affordable meal.
La Calcina
For lunch on New Year’s Day, we sat on the water at La Calcina near the Zattere Gesuati ferry terminal in Dorsoduro. La Calcina is a hotel that doubles as a restaurant. It was a cold day but it was tolerable enough to sit outside on their lovely terrace on the Giudecca Canal.
To start we shared a salmon carpaccio. I had the osso buco while Marisol had a grilled fish. The food was good but we think sitting outside cooled it off too much. It wasn’t as enjoyable as it would have been if the food had stayed hot. Another negative was the seagulls swooping down and trying to steal bread and food as the tables around us became empty.
Ristorante da Sabrina
Our dinner at Ristorante da Sabrina was a disaster from the moment we walked in. With nearly every restaurant near our hotel completely full, we walked by and were shown the menu by an enthusiastic young waiter. The prices looked right and it looked like a nice place although it was the only empty restaurant in the area. We thought we would give it a try.
We ordered a bistecca alla Fiorentina and a spaghetti with grilled jumbo prawns to share. First, the spaghetti came out. It tasted like pasta topped with water and the “jumbo prawns” were frozen baby shrimp.
When the steak came out, we completely lost it. The waiter brought it to the table and said “this is the steak of exactly 450 grams that you ordered”. It wasn’t anywhere near 450 grams, and to top it off it was extremely greasy and overcooked. We each took one bite and told the waiter it was disgusting.
The host came and apologized, then offered to give us the meal for free. We said we would pay for the two glasses of wine and the cover but they insisted and profusely apologized as another table that had filled up looked on. We walked out to look for another place to eat.
Caffè Saraceno
After we left, we walked over the Rialto Bridge and found Caffè Saraceno, located along the Grand Canal in the San Polo district. It was about half full and the menu looked appetizing so we decided to have a seat. Marisol had a salad while I had spaghetti cooked in squid ink. The food wasn’t that great but it was much better than what we had to endure at Sabrina.
Ai Leoncini
For lunch on our third day, we went to Trattoria Ai Leoncini, just off Piazza San Marco. My mother and her husband visited this restaurant a year before and recommended it, so we thought we’d give it a shot.
To start, we shared a plate of fried calamari served with polenta and ordered a bottle of Amarone della Valpolicella from Domìni Veneti to wash it down.
Marisol had spaghetti frutti di mare while I had the spaghetti mamma mia (spaghetti with meatballs). The food was very good and reasonably priced for the huge portion sizes.
Our only problem with the restaurant was that on top of the service charge in a country where tipping isn’t customary, the waiter had the audacity to ask for a “generous tip”. That turned us off.
Marco Polo
One of the best dinners we had on our entire trip to Italy was at Ristorante Marco Polo. We had walked by this restaurant near our hotel several times and it was always full so we wanted to see what all the fuss was about. We popped in the day before and made a reservation for dinner.
Marco Polo specializes in Venetian cuisine and has an extensive wine list. Our waiter and the hostess did an excellent job of pairing our meals with the perfect wines. We ended up having two bottles – Ca’ Rugate “Rio Albo” Valpolicella and La Zerbaia Rosso della Ghiaia.
For dinner, I had a succulent steak while Marisol had vegetable ravioli. We finished it off with one of the dessert specials.
Overall, the service was amazing. The hostess and waiter were stopping by the table frequently to see how the meal was going and to fill up our wine glasses. It was a little more expensive than other meals we ate in Venice but definitely ranks up at the top.
Ai do Archi
After a day trip to Burano and Torcello, we decided to try Osteria Ai do Archi, which was located not too far from our hotel in Castello. It’s an intimate little place with a few tables.
We each had a risotto dish. I had the risotto with white beans while Marisol had a lobster risotto. It was good but we expected it to be a bit tastier. Other than that, the price was very reasonable and service was good.
Majer
For lunch on our final day in Venice, we had pizza at Majer in the Venetian Ghetto in Cannaregio. The pizza was good but service was terrible.
Al Vecio Canton
Our final dinner was at Al Vecio Canton in Castello. Dimly lit, atmospheric, and with a fun waiter, we couldn’t have been happier with our choice.
We started off with grilled scallops and fried stuffed olives which were both incredible.
I had a simple yet delicious spaghetti pomodoro while Marisol had a grilled sirloin steak. We finished it off by sharing a tiramisù. Everything was perfect for our last night in Venice.
Suso
Finally, if you’re looking for an amazing gelato, head to Suso in San Marco near the Rialto Bridge. We went there twice and I could honestly say it would have been irresistible to pass it up without stopping for more.
