Ethnic Restaurants in Venice

This is the list of Simone favourite ethnic restaurants in Venice.

Buddha Soul Restò

Gran Viale S. M. Elisabetta 28, Venice Lido

The Buddha Soul Restò is a typical Indian cuisine restaurant located in Venice Lido. Lights, colours and flavours of India in the new restaurant on Grand Avenue. Not only rice, spices, curry and chutney, Under a sky of stars (even in the small dining room), you can taste typical dishes especially the Indian, “Thali”, main dish consists of several portions, variants that you prefer. In addition, take-away point, a small Indian grill, and home dinners and catering service.

Los Murales

Giudecca 70, Fondamenta Della Croce, Venice

Mexican food in Venice? No problem, just choose the restaurant mural in Le Zitelle Fondamenta, La Giudecca. The strong flavours and tastes spicy Central American cuisine with a blend of beautiful scenery and interesting streets and squares. 

Mirai

Cannaregio 225, Rio Terà Lista De Spagna, Venice

The restaurant Mirai comes from the philosophy of the classic Japanese sushi and observes the precepts of preparation. The creative sushi is a new and old to assemble ingredients belonging to different traditions, but whose common element is the rice. The Mirai favors the use of fish (and the best quality and freshness); Closed on Mondays and other days it is open from 19 to 23.30.

Frary's 

San Polo 2559, Fondamenta dei Frari, Venice

Frary’s Bar is a charming restaurant in the San Polo 2559, with a view across the Frari: a few tables, prepared in a simple way but tastefully . A candle light, you can immerse yourself in the tastes and smells of the Middle Eastern cuisine: the couscous with vegetables and tzatziki sauce gyros at mutton, rice Jordanian Musaka the Greek by Greek almond biscuits and walnut pudding with Arabic mint and pistachio. And then the Arab bread served warm. The Greek wines are imported, carefully selected thanks to the Hellenic Owner.

Orient Experience

Rio Terà Farsetti, 1847/b, Venice

The ideal place to try a fusion cuisine, with influences from Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kurdistan, perfectly fell within the lagoon culinary tradition. The dishes served are mainly based on rice, vegetables, meat and spices. Many spices. The quality of the food is very high, the variety of alternatives to choose from so wide that you almost feel embarrassed about making choices.

Il Giardino di Giada

Calle dei Boteri, 1659, Venice

Typical Chinese cuisine, with some markedly Mediterranean influence. A well-groomed environment where you can enjoy a wide variety of valuable dishes. Excellent appetizers, delicious first courses of rice and spaghetti, delicious main courses, especially those with prawns and beef. The ideal would be to try a little of everything, but to do it you need to come back several times.

Ghimel Garden

Sestiere Cannaregio, 2873, Venice

Jewish restaurant with furnishings and decorations intimate garden which also offers Italian foods, gluten-free and vegan.

Africa Experience

Calle Lunga San Barnaba, 2722, Venice

An African restaurant staffed by refugees and immigrants from all over Africa. 

Luna Sentada

Fondamenta S. Severo, 5018, Venice

Mediterranean menu and Venetian and Asian specialties including wood and exposed stone in a rustic-chic location.

Ganesh Ji

Calle del Scaleter, 2426, Venice

Typical Indian curry served in a simple and relaxed venue, carpeted with oriental artwork.

Our Favorite Restaurants in Venice (Nov.2018)

Which one are our favourite restaurants in Venice?? Where do we go for formal lunch?? Or for a romantic dinner? It is now time to tel.

Do leave your feedback and post below or tell us YOUR favourite venues!!

La Zucca

Vegetarian restaurants are hard to find in Venice, once you've eliminated pizza from your list of menu choices. And while Osteria La Zucca isn't a vegetarian restaurant, (No fish and a little bit of meat, lot of vegetables) it's a great place for anyone who likes vegetables--if only because Zucca's chefs turn common garden-variety ingredients like carrots and eggplant into works of culinary art. Zucca is a small restaurant with just two rooms and a total seating capacity of 30 to 35 customers. In summer outdoor tables add space for a few more guests. The atmosphere is modern with slatted wood tables and walls. Wine racks add to the cozy ambience, and an attractive display case in the front room lets you see what dishes are being served.

La Zucca is owned by three partners who take turns cooking. The chefs and of course the menus vary from one day to the next, so it's hard to recommend any one specialty.

Osteria La Zucca

San Giacomo dell'Orio

Santa Croce 1762 - Venezia

Italy

Tel. 041-52 41 570

Paradiso Perduto

The quiet district of Cannaregio is home to one of Venice’s unique restaurants. Don’t expect white tablecloths and candles at this more hip and cool place with a very local feel. A seat at the long table inside or at one of the tables outside along the canal is highly coveted and reservations are recommended. The food comes mainly from the sea.

Don’t be surprised to find the chef/owner Maurizio sitting next to you at the table; he’s known to mingle with the guests, giving generously of his time. He looks like a cross between Santa and the Swedish chef from the Muppets and the way he plays host at his restaurant helps to make it a genuine experience. He speaks several languages, but refuses to speak English.

Paradiso Perduto is one of the few restaurants in Venice where you can also enjoy live music three Sundays a month, mostly jazz or salsa.

Paradiso Perduto

Fondamenta de la Misericordia, 2640

Antica Adelaide

This restaurant Osteria is of the most ancient in Cannaregio District in Venice, opened since the 18th century! Its chief, Alvise Ceccato, Venetian and proud to be, has decided to only offer typical Venetian dishes.

Food and especially fish is fresh from the market. You will eat here for about 35€ per person plus beverages for a full meal antipasti + Primi Patti + Secondi Piatti + Desserts.

Restaurant Antica Adelaide

3728, Calle Larga Priuli Racheta

Cannaregio

Venezia

Trattoria alla Madonna

Cuisine and chaos at a old-school trattoria in Venice A veritable seafood mecca since 1954 Situated near the Rialto market, originally an antique Venetian tavern characterised by the presence of an ancient grapevine, which has maintained over the years its style and quality of its traditional dishes with the freshness of the raw materials as its strong point.

Their specialities are based mainly on a fish menu prepared to naturally enhance the typical flavours of each single dish, of the many proposals we recommend sardines in "soar", crab, risotto with seafood or squid ink, grilled and fried fish.

Meat based dishes include Venetian style liver, grilled chops and ox fillets.

The cellar offers a good choice of wines from the Friuli region, the principal Italian regional labels, such as Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti Riserva.

The restaurant is often visited by cultural and show business celebrities, who prefer an informal setting with an attentive quick service.

The service here is friendly but occasionally brusque as waiters constantly rush to satisfy diners. You won’t be able to linger over your meals here—so only visit if you’re looking for fast, delicious, traditional food, not a romantic evening out.

Trattoria alla Madonna

Calle della Madonna, San Polo, 594 - 30125 Venezia (VE) - IT

Tel: + 39 041.5223824

Fax: + 39 041.5210167

www.ristoranteallamadonna.com

Al Graspo de ua

Tradition meets the modern world in this brand new restaurant, Graspo de Ua, offering – in the chef’s own words – “Italian and Venetian style food”. The dish to try is bigoli in salsa, whole-wheat spaghetti with sardines and onions, or the fried cod with vegetable flan.

Wine lovers can count on more than 200 labels, and light tasting menus are also available. It’s not the cheapest place in Venice, but the classy atmosphere makes it worth it. And if you’re travelling with kids, keep in mind that under 12s get a 50% discount on their meal.

S. Marco, 5096, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy

+39 041 528 8285

Riviera

If you are looking for one of the most special restaurants in Venice where you can enjoy a meal from a terrace with a view, then Riviera is a great choice, as the view is superb. One of the most distinctive aspects of the menu is that it presents traditional dishes with a modern twist; it includes some seafood dishes, as well as others made from locally sourced meat. Although it might stretch your budget, dishes such as the venison with blueberry sauce and spaghetti with langoustine tails really make a trip here worthwhile.

 Fondamenta Zattere al Ponte Longo 1473,

30123 Venezia, Italy

http://www.ristoranteriviera.it/

Alle Testiere

If you manage to get reservations at this beautiful little restaurant, you can be confident that you’ll get to try some wonderfully prepared simple dishes. The restaurant only has space for twenty-four people (they do two sittings in the evening), which gives it an amazing atmosphere. They also have a great range of local and regional wines. The seafood plays the starring role, and whether you opt for squid in ink, oysters, or whatever else has been caught by the fishermen that day, you can be confident of excellent quality.

Calle del Mondo Novo 5801,

30122 Venezia, Italy

http://www.osterialletestiere.it

Antiche Carampane

This absolutely hidden local favorite is worth finding for its insiders-only, clubby vibe that still somehow maintains an unpretentious air. Standouts from the typically Venetian menu include dishes like fried soft-shell crab with delicious fried eggplant slivers, seasonal vegetables, and daily fish specials. Fish is the thing here, just about the freshest you can imagine. In fact, while I was there recently the owner had to interrupt taking my order to chat with a fisherman who had just arrived. They were discussing what he was likely to catch the following day, and if so, how much Carampane would order. That’s right. They were talking about fish so fresh it was still swimming around in the ocean.

Do feel free to look at the menu, but it’s mostly just for show. (except for the large sign out front that declares: no pizza, no lasagna, no menu turistico. That’s for real) The menu changes daily based on – as I’ve explained – the catch of the day.

Antiche Carampane

Rio Terra delle Carampane

+39.041.524.0165

Venice Real Osterie

A selection of Venice Osterie where you can get wonderful food for 30Euro or less!

La Frasca

This is a small restaurant with just the owner and his chef. Pleasant, no-frills trattoria on a quiet residential square. For a taste of tagliata di calimaro (sliced grilled squid) with arugula or pomodorini tomatoes with strawberries and violet artichokes, wend your way up quintessential calli to La Frasca. Far from the maddening San Marco crowds, this tiny eatery nestled on a remote campiello charms before you even taste the seafood sampler of grilled seppie cuttlefish, canoce mantis shrimp, excellent baccalà mantecato, or sarde in saor. 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.

Address: Corte de la Carità, Cannaregio 5176, Venice, 30121 Phone: 041/2412585 Vaporetto: Fondamente Nove No lunch Mon. and Wed.

Dalla Marisa

Signora Marisa is a culinary legend in Venice, with locals calling up days in advance to ask her to prepare ancient recipes such as risotto con le secoe (risotto made with a cut of beef from around the spine). Pasta dishes include the excellent tagliatelle con sugo di masaro (in duck sauce), while secondi range from tripe to roast stuffed pheasant. In summer, tables spill out from the tiny interior on to the fondamenta. Book well ahead - and remember, serving times are rigid: turn up late and you'll go hungry. There's a €15 lunch menu..

Cannaregio 652B, fondamenta San Giobbe Vaporetto Crea or Tre Archi Telephone 041 720 211 Meals served noon-2.30pm Mon, Wed, Sun; noon-2.30pm, 8-9.15pm Tue, Thur-Sat. Closed Aug

Trattoria Ca’ D’Oro

“This picturesque osteria [informal restaurant or tavern] has a well-stocked cicchetti [small plate] counter plus small tables in the back if you order from the menu.”—Michela Scibilia, author, Venice Osterie. One of the oldest wine bars in the city and also known as Alla Vedova; popular with locals and travelers barhopping along Strada Nova; serves Venetian classics and is famous for its polpette (meatballs).

Cannaregio 3912; tel. 39 041 528 5324.

Osteria al Garanghelo

“One of the ever decreasing number of old-time Venetian osterie.”—Ruth Edenbaum, author, Chow Venice: Savoring the Food and Wine of La Serenissima. This simple, casual restaurant is low-key and local; cicchetti (small plates) up front and tables in back; wines by the glass; menu includes a vegetable antipasta platter, seafood starters like sarde in saor (Venetian-style marinated sardines), and pastas.

Close to Rialto market. San Polo 1570; tel. 39 041 721 721.

Dai Tosi (37)

If you're stuck for somewhere to eat after a visit to the Art or Architecture Biennale and are in the mood for cheap and cheerful refuelling, this neighbourhood trattoria-pizzeria, in a residential street that always seems to be festooned with laundry, should fit the bill perfectly. In summer, when they put tables outside in the street, there are few more picturesque dining backdrops in Venice. The pizzas are fine and filling (try the gorgonzola, radicchio and walnut topping), and they also do a good range of Venetian and pan-Italian pasta dishes. This is a good place to come with kids, who can work up an appetite in the play area near the Giardini vaporetto stop. Beware of mixing this up with another nearby namesake restaurant; if you're in any doubt, ask for 'Dai Tosi Piccoli' (Little Dai Tosi).

In summer, when they put tables outside in the street, there are few more picturesque dining backdrops in Venice.

In summer, when they put tables outside in the street, there are few more picturesque dining backdrops in Venice.

Address: Castello 738, Secco Marina, 30122 Getting there: Vaporetto stop Giardini Contact: 00 39 041 523 7102; trattoriadaitosi.comOpening times: Mon, Tue, Thu, midday-2pm; Fri-Sun, midday-2pm, 7pm-9.30pm Prices: pizzas from €5, pasta dishes around €12 Payment type: credit cards accepted Cuisine: Italian, pizza Reservations: not necessary

Restaurants in Venice....my favourites

 Venice Restaurants

This is not a traditional list of restaurants ...most of the places I mention are unlikely to see the light in a "regular" guide but are the places that for one reason or another myself, family or friends tend to use. There are two golden rules for eating well in Venice. First, don’t take pot luck: this is a tourist-trap city where a recommendation by a local, or a well-researched guide, is well worth heeding. Second, "the narrow the road the better the food" !You may have heard that Italy is a country that eats late, in Venice - despite the locals will go for dinner quite late particularly in summer – some of the restaurants serve lunch from noon and dinner from 6pm or earlier!

Venice Cannaregio

£ Restaurants

La Bottega ai Promessi Sposi

Though it’s well hidden, off the busy Strada Nuova, it’s easy to spot this restaurant: the locals spilling out into the calle, wine glass and cicchetto in hand, say it all. Whether you perch at the counter (the bar stools are hotly contested) or bag a table in the dark interior, you’ll eat excellent, unfussy fare – seafood and meat – served by a dedicated, enthusiastic team. The menu changes daily but generally manages to include some Venetian stalwarts. The ample choice of meat-free antipasti keeps vegetarians happy too.

Address: 4367 Cannaregio, calle dell’Oca Contact: 041 241 2747 Prices: Around €30/£25 a head for a full meal.

 Ristorante Diana

Good inexpensive lunch or dinner sitting on the side of a quiet canal in Cannaregio!

Address:2519 Cannaregio, fondamenta de la Misericordia , Venice, Italy Contact: 392 3623092 Prices: Around €13 For Fixed Price Menu

Trattoria La Misericordia

A nice restaurant. Lovely food, excellent service. Little extras such as the free aperitif and digestive and bruschetta made us feel very welcome. Lovely location, away from the crowds, next to a canal, on the way to the Jewish Ghetto

Address:2515 Cannaregio, fondamenta de la Misericordia , Venice, Italy Contact: 0418391729 Prices: Around €13 For Fixed Price Menu

Trattoria Chinellato

If you want a good and inexpensive lunch . First course and second course for about 12 euros/person including a cup of coffee or a dessert this is the place .And you will experience an atmosphere of a positive and good service in a flash !!! The lady who I think is the owner is talking all the time and I was so exciting watching how well all thing worked ...fast !! The food is good tasting . It is those small restaurants you shall visit to feel genuine Italian food and atmosphere. Staff and owners working here makes you feel welcome

Address: Centro Storico calle dei Albanesi No. 4227, Venice, ItalyContact: +39 0415236025 Prices: Around €13 for Fixed Price Menu

Al Nono Risorto

Don’t come here for peace and quiet, or refined service for that matter, but if you want good pizza served up in convivial surroundings – plus the bonus of a garden courtyard with outside tables – then this evergreen budget option certainly delivers . As well as all the pizzas there are a few pasta dishes and classic meaty main courses.

Address: Santa Croce 2338, Sotoportego di Siora Bettina. Contact: 041 524 1169. Prices: €20 should cover a starter, a pizza and a beer. Opening times: Noon-2.30pm, 7pm-11pm. Closed all day Wed, and Thu lunch. Reservations: Not usually necessary. Payment type: Cash only.

££ Restaurants

Antica Trattoria Bandierette Run by two sisters and relative husbands is a fantastic place. Specialty is fish, You can tell this is a place where the emphasis is on what is fresh and in-season. The menus had a moderate selection and you could tell they were typed up at home. Dishes ranged from €6-18. They have Set Menus from €13I had a wonderful Gnocchi and Capesante. I have never had such sweet, tender capesante in my life! The Frittura Mista is out of this world. Bandierette's food shows that you don't need a lot of ingredients or fancy presentation to enjoy good food. Start with a few quality items and let them shine through on their own with a simple preparation and you have a wonderful meal!

Address: Barbaria delle Tole, Castello 6671 Phone: 041 522 06 19

Ristorante Riviera

This comfortable, intimate restaurant, with seating inside for 30, is just a few steps from the Accademia, facing the Giudecca canal right in front of the Mulino Stuky. Here you can savour the delights of Venetian cuisine presented with refinement and attention to detail, in a balance between tradition and innovation. Monica and Luca, the young owners, invite you to savor their specialties on the splendid terrace (seating for 50) at the Zattere from the very first sunny days of January Closed Monday Average price € 35.00 – 45.00 (excluding wine and drinks)

Address Dorsoduro 1473, Zattere Venice tel 041 5227621 fax 041 2447722

Ristorante Le Testiere

Bruno and Luca have been friends for years, sharing a love of good cooking and fine wine. After working in various historic restaurants in the city, Bruno set up the osteria in 1993 and Luca soon joined him. The antipasti, first and second courses are all exclusively of the freshest fish, preferably local, prepared with a dash of creativity and an eye to tradition. The use of spices and aromatic herbs from the lagoon islands and the littoral recall the ancient recipes of the Serenissima while also adding a touch of modernity. The sweets are all made on the premises with simple but tasty ingredients. The wine list offers about a hundred labels, mainly from small local winemakers. The menu changes several times … a day, so is spoken, immediately creating a magical synergy between host and guest. There are only 9 tables, which is perhaps the real secret of this small osteria just a few steps from St Mark’s and from Rialto.

Information Closed Sunday and Monday Average price € 45.00 (excluding wine and drinks)

Address Castello 5801 San Lio, Calle del Mondo Novo

Vini da Gigio Paolo and Laura, a brother-sister team, run this refined trattoria as if they've invited you to dinner in their home, while keeping the service professional. Deservedly popular with Venetians and visitors alike, it's one of the best values in the city. Indulge in pastas such as rigatoni with duck sauce and arugula-stuffed ravioli. Fish is well represented—try the sesame-encrusted tuna—but the meat dishes 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 (Venetian-style liver with onions). This is a place for wine connoisseurs, as the cellar is one of the best in the city. Come at lunch or for the second sitting in the evening, to avoid being rushed

Address: Fondamenta San Felice, Cannaregio 3628/A, Venice, 30121 | Map It Phone: 041/5285140 Website: www.vinidagigio.com Vaporetto: Vaporetto: Ca' d'Oro. Location: Cannaregio

Corte Sconta

The Corte Sconta is now an important point of reference on the Venetian restaurant scene. Quality and freshness are ensured by using strictly seasonal products, attentively served in a space more geared to function than to form. Try the antipasti, from clams with ginger, with gorgonzola or on their own, to baccalà mantecato and sardines in saor; savour the lightness of our own pasta made fresh daily combined with seafood and vegetables delivered every day; don’t miss the lightest, crunchiest mixed fried fish, and don’t forget the sweets (real temptations). Accompanied by a wine chosen from our interesting wine list, with limited mark-up, the entire meal will offer you a pleasant memory and another reason for coming back to Venice.

Information Closed Sunday and Monday Average price € 60.00 (excluding wine and drinks)

Address Castello 3886, Calle del Pestrin (Arsenale) Venice tel 041 5227024 fax 041 5227513

Anice Stellato

Anice Stellato sits as the Al Timon on a very nice canal in Cannaregio. Tops on my list of Venice fish restaurants is L'Anice Stellato in the Cannaregio on Fondamente de la Sensa. Using spices more familiar on far Eastern menus (Anice Stellato means "star anice" a major component of five-spice powder), the chef manages to bring the flavors together in a way that brings home the idea that you're sitting upon the western edge of a major old eastern trade route.

Anice Stellato Fondamenta de la Sensa, Cannaregio 3272 Venice, Italy Closed Mondays and Tuesdays Telephone: (+39) 041 720 744

Al Timon Nice, busy and trendy place on a canal in the Cannaregio area. For me due to prices and style does not qualify as a traditional Bacaro but more as a trendy restaurant. At the same time do not expect a formal restaurant! Food and Wine are good, and you are right on the water!

Fondamenta Ormesini | 2754, 30121 Venice, Italy

Trattoria Altanella

President François Mitterrand of France used to eat here whenever he was in Venice. But the real draw at this sweet and cozy trattoria, which has been in the same family for 104 years, is the delicious homemade gnocchi, served with tomatoes or nero di sepia (squid ink). Address Calle delle Erbe, 268, Giudecca, Venice, 30133 Phone 39-041-522-7780 Cuisine Venetian Seafood Price Average meal per person 40€ ($51) without wine

La Zucca

This alternative trattoria in San Polo (5) has been going for years, but time has eroded none of its charm, value for money, or culinary bravura. The interior, with its slanted oak panneling, comes on a little like a designer Alpine chalet, but the bottle-lined shelves and paper placemats are pure Venetian bacaro. Unusually for Venice, the menu features as much meat and game as fish, and it also includes several vegetarian options, such as the sformato (a pastry-less quiche) of potatoes and broccoli with smoked ricotta. Service is laid-back but friendly. The few outside tables are sought-after.

Address: Santa Croce 1762, Ponte del Megio. Contact: 041 524 1570; www.lazucca.itPrices: €35 a head with house wine. Opening times: Mon-Sat, 12.30-2.30pm, 7pm-10.30pm. Closed Sun. Reservations: Recommended. Payment type: Cards accepted.

£££ Restaurants

Gran Caffè Quadri

Marcel Proust used to bring his mother to Quadri (2) for lunch, and the French wordsmith would no doubt feel quite at home today in these classically plush surroundings, with their extraordinary view over St Mark’s Square. Since the recent advent of the Alajmo brothers from Padua, however, Proust might be surprised at what he found on the plate.

Address: 121 San Marco, Piazza San Marco. Contact: 00 39 041 522 2105, www.caffequadri.itPrices: Expect to pay at least €150 a head for three courses, without wine. Opening times: 12.30-2.30pm, 7.30-10.30pm Tue-Sun. Closed Mon. Reservations: Essential. Payment type: Cards accepted

Osteria di Santa Marina

Wherea beer costs more or less 18 but where the quality of food and service is reliably high, whether you are a regular or just passing through. On a pretty square a short wiggle north of the Rialto, the Osteria does what might be described as “Creative Venetian” cuisine (sea bass ravioli in mussel and clam broth ) – nothing too fancy, but with an edge of refinement that lifts it well above the uninspiring Venetian norm. The outside tables are lovely, but on sticky summer days the air-conditioned interior can be a better option.

Address: Castello 5911, Campo di Santa Marina. Contact: 041 528 5239 Prices: €70/90 a head with a decent bottle. Opening times: Mon, 8pm-11pm; Tue-Sat, noon-2.30pm, 8pm-11pm. Closed Sunday. Reservations: Recommended. Payment type: Cards accepted.

OUTSIDE VENICE

The Al Gatto Nero restaurant was opened in 1965 when the current owner, Ruggero Bovo, took over an old, popular osteria on the island of Burano. Ruggero and his wife, Lucia, then gradually transformed the old meeting place into a restaurant recommended by the most authoritative restaurant guides, presenting simple dishes but with a focus on quality and local lagoon products. The wine list is entrusted to their son Massimiliano, who has created a fine selection of wines to magnificently accompany every dish.

Information Closed on Moday Average price € 40.00 – 60.00 (excluding wine and drinks)

Address Via Giudecca 88, Burano Venezia tel 041 730120 fax 041 735570

Zingy Gnocchi

 Gnocchi con burro, limone e ricotta

Gnocchi with butter with store-bought gnocchi must be one of the easiest recipes around. Even when you give it a fresh, lemony twist.

This is a recipe pinched and adapted from the Italian version of La Cucina Italiana. They start by making the gnocchi from scratch, but this time I’ve bought them ready-made, which means you can make the dish in 5 minutes flat, provided of course you have some salted lemon. Otherwise you might have to invest 10 minutes in the preparation of a very fresh and delicious, vegetarian primo piatto.

Ingredients

1 lemon

2 tbsp salt

75 g butter

100 g ricotta

Fresh basil

salt, pepper

Preparation

Cook the lemon in boiling and heavily salted water for 15 minutes

Cook the gnocchi in boiling salted water until they pop to the surface

Meanwhile fry the butter until it becomes brown with a slight taste of nuts

Cut the lemon in four wedges, remove the flesh of one wedge, cut the peel in strips and add it to the butter

Mix the cooked gnocchi with lemoned butter, ricotta and leaves of basil before serving

The remaining lemon wedges are really good with white meat or in grain salads.

20 Great Things to do in Venice 13/20 – Eat seafood you've never seen before

The lagoon city has a long and glorious culinary tradition based on fresh seafood. A writhing, glistening variety of sea creatures swims from the stalls of the Rialto and Chioggia markets into local kitchens. Going with the flow of la cucina veneta requires a certain spirit of open minded experimentation. Not everybody has eaten granseola (spider crab) before, or garusoli (sea snails) or canoce (mantis shrimps), but Venice is definitely the place to try these marine curios.

Vini Sfusi...Wines by the pump!

Where can I buy wine in Venice? It’s easy. You enter the store advertising Vini Sfusi with your bottles ( not always necessary!), peruse the selection, noting the alcohol and the types of grapes used, and then, if possible, taste what you think you might want to buy. After than you just hand your bottles over and the rest is done by the shopkeeper. Prices in Venice range from 1.20 to 2.50 Euros per liter.Here are a few of the shops which specialize in "vino sfuso", most of which I think are still active:

Nave de Oro: Cannaregio 1370, rio terà San Leonardo (041 719 695) recognizable by a barrel out front, usually with a model ship atop, also a good selection of reasonably priced wines selected by near by producers. They also have the following shops:

• Nave de Oro: Castello 5786B, calle del Mondo Nuovo (041 523 3056);
• Nave de Oro: Dorsoduro 3664, near campo Santa Margherita (041 522 2693)
• Nave de Oro: via Lepanto 24D, Lido (041 276 0055)
• Nave de Oro, Cannaregio 4657, rio Terrà dei SS. Apostoli, near the Giorgione Theatre

Enoteca in Fondamenta Ormesini on the corner of Calle del Forner Very nice place and good choice of wines all very nice. They have most of the time Raboso, Raboso frizzante and Prosecco Frizzante. In season they stock Fragolino

Vini Sfusi S Polo 59 Small shop under the arcades in front of the church of S Giacometto. Smallchoice of Vini Sfusi but great quality!

La Cantina  S Polo 970 (041 523 5042) My Local!!  A short walk from Rialto and Rialto Market in a side alley. Wide choice of Vini sfusi very good quality. They also sell some specialty foods oils, jams, biscuits

Al Canton del Vino: Castello 3156, Salizada San Francesco, Very good choice and lot of wines by the pump!

Enoteca Vino e...vini: Castello 3566 , Salizada del Pignater (041 521 0184, enoteca@vinoevini.it)

Fondamenta di Cannaregio (near the Guglie bridge)

Rio Terà di Cristo and Calle di Cristo (entrance on two opposite sides) also has a wide selection of bottled wines and speciality foods

P.S. the Nave de Oro is not really a "chain" as much as a sort of expansion which started out many years ago as two brothers with two shops, then a third, then one of the first ones got sold, then a cousin got into it, and then one of the brothers moved across town... ... ...

Bacari, Ombre e Cicchetti - Venice Osterie

If there is a tradition I got accustomed very quickly since relocating in Venice is the custom of the  "ombra" (a glass of wine)....and you cannot possibly have an ombra without some cicchetti...that are small snacks or side dishes. Please do not call them "tapas"! I usually end my Venice Photo Walks with my clients in one...or two of them ;-)

Few photos form Bacari around Venice are here

The bacari, open just for lunch and dinner, are the local down to earth version of wine bars which serve 'ciccheti, a kind of snack  traditionally washed down with a glass of wine, and Venetians stop to snack and socialize before and after meals.

May be would be a nice idea to write in the comments a list of YOUR  favourite Bacaro!

I am working on a list of Restaurants in Venice and in the Lagoon....and is here

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Cantina Azienda Agricola or Da Roberto in Rio Tera San Leonardo in Cannaregio. Very good wines and Excellent cicheti all using top products

My review Wine 9/10 Food 9/10 Prices ££ Friendliness 9/10 Value for Money Excellent

Al Volto Calle Cavalli 4081 San Marco Venezia Having  moved not even “a ponte e una calle” from them, decided to test this Bacaro Choice is really good as is the quality. The Risotto was out of this world!

My review Wine 9/10 Food 9/10 Prices ££+ Friendliness 8/10 Value for Money Excellent

Do Spade Just behind Rialto Market Sestiere San Polo 860, 30125 Venice, Italy Another bàcaro dating back to the 15th century, Do Spade offers a great selection of traditional Venetian cicchetti in a cozy if not somewhat dark atmosphere. It is a busy little place and it is full of locals. It’s on a little calle between the Rialto Bridge and Calle dei Bottieri

My review Wine 9/10 Food 9/10 Prices £ Friendliness 7/10 Value for Money  Very Good

Ca’ d’Oro/Alla Vedova. Calle del Pistor, Cannaregio 3912. One of the most famous bàcari in Venice, this one’s both away from the city’s crowds and on the cheap (€1) end of things, ideal if you’re on a budget. Don’t miss the polpette, meatballs made of pork.

My review Wine 8/10 Food 9/10 Prices £ Friendliness 6/10 Value for Money Brilliant

Osteria Al Portego. Calle della Malvasia, Venice, Italy The place is tuck away in a quiet area near S Lio and the Ponte delle Paste. It is owned by a group of young guys. Cicchetti are nice and really fresh, wine is good and staff is very courteous. My only remark is that the prices are on the expensive side if you seat at a table, May just be me...I am used to  drink on the other side of Rialto!

My review Wine 8/10 Food 810 Prices ££ Friendliness 8/10 Value for Money Ok (I suppose)

Do Mori. Sestiere San Polo 429, Calle dei Do Mori. Myth has it that Casanova frequented this bàcaro, also near the Rialto Bridge. Even if he didn’t, it’s still thought to be the oldest in Venice, dating back to 1462. Ask for the “francobollo” (postage stamp)—a tiny sandwich with various fillings, it’s the house specialty.

My review Wine 7/10 Food 7/10 Prices £+ (Polpette are quite expensive) Friendliness 7/10 Value for Money  Good

Cantinone–già Schiavi. Ponte San Trovaso, Dorsoduro 992. This family-run bàcaro, located across from a gondola workshop, boasts raw fish, meats, more than 30 wines available by the glass, and much more. Crowded with Venetians in the evening!

Al Ponte. Calle Larga Giacinto Gallina. One of the cheapest bàcari—and, therefore, places to eat—in all of Venice, Al Ponte has pasta and fish plates and a welcoming atmosphere.

Banco Giro. Campo San Giacometto, San Polo 122. A Grand Canal view, a variety of cheeses, fish, and wine, and a lively atmosphere. What’s not to like?

All’Arco. Calle Arco, San Polo 436. Another one of Venice’s most-loved spots, All’Arco, near the Ponte Rialto, is packed at lunchtime with shoppers from the local fish market. Everything from calamari to liver to shrimp is on offer, and if it’s available, don’t miss the hot sandwich of boiled beef sausage and mustard.

My review Wine 9/10 Food 9/10 Prices £ Friendliness 9/10 Value for Money Excellent

Osteria La Ciurma Calle Galeazza, Venice,  this is a nice little wine bar on a quiet alleyway a short distance from the Rialto Mercato vaporetto stop. Wines are very drinkable and mostly 2 Euros per glass; some less, some a little more. Food offerings are tasty morsals from 1.30 Euros. A great place for a drink among neighborhood people.

My review Wine 9/10 Food 9/10 Prices £+ Friendliness 9/10 Value for Money Very Good

Osteria Ai Osti Sestiere Cannaregio, 3849 Strada Nuova, Venice, A really welcoming ( I think family run) tiny restaurant with no frills but full of real Venetian character. Great traditional food and a good chance to meet the locals

My review Wine 7/10 Food 7/10 Prices £+ Friendliness 7/10 Value for Money Very Good

Diavolo e Acquasanta San Polo 561b, Venice, Italy, Located a few steps away from the more famous restaurant "alla Madonna", this tiny Osteria is geared toward locals rather than tourists. Do not expect upscale atmosphere, or welcoming nice english-speaking waiters. But if you go beyond the unpretentious appearance and the rough manners, you'll find some genuine home-style food, priced below the Venetian average.

My review Wine 8/10 Food 8/10 Prices £+ Friendliness 8/10 Value for Money Very Good

Al Vecio Penasa (not even worth my proper review!)

If they think you are a tourist...they will try to hit you nicely. Been twice and will never get there again. I am Italian but from a different area so the accent is different... both times they charged me the wrong amount. First time was 2 Euros out of 5 E!!!  Today they asked me if I wanted a Tramezzino and Wine at the table and I said NO  still they tried to charge me the price of table service. NOT nice at all  Tramezzini can be nice but do not want to be taken for a ride!

Christmas in Venice

While preparation are taking place in Venice and the Lagoon for Christmas here are few tips:A wonderful way to spend Christmas Eve is to attend midnight mass at St. Mark's Basilica. But remember, midnight mass starts at 10:30 p.m. and you should get there early to get a seat (no tickets are needed). Try to enter through the north entrance and not the west entrance often used by tourists.

Venice's main Christmas market is at Campo San Stefano and ends on Christmas Eve. I have been told that is going to open also this year....at today there is no trace of it! There is a small market and an ice rink in Cpo San Polo

Even though December 26th is a national holiday (St. Stephen's Day), most of Venice's museums and sites will be open.

Several Venice restaurants are closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and even on the 23rd and 26th. Most hotel restaurants and Harry's Bar are open. Be sure to do your homework and make reservations ahead of time for Christmas meals. We hear Caffe Quadri and the restaurant - Piazza San Marco's famous cafe - is open on Christmas Day. Good place for Christmas breakfast and coffee!

Remember that the vaparetto schedule changes on major holidays. Check the signs posted on the platforms for schedule information.

Each year on December 26, the Frari Church in San Polo (in the Campo dei Frari) offers a free concert at 4:00 p.m. The church is filled with magnificent art, including Titian's Assumption of the Virgin, Canova's Tomb and a carved monk's chair from 1468.

For an incredible seafood dinner and a warm celebration at midnight, go to Trattoria Antiche Carampane on New Year's Eve. (San Polo 1911; (39) 041 524-0165) The price for dinner runs about £70 per person. No matter where you go that night, you must make reservations.

Another restaurant recommendation: Antica Trattoria Poste Vecie (Rialto Pescheria Venezia; (39-041-721-1822) is open on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. This restaurant also has excellent fish and a larger menu as well. The soups and Venetian-style calf's liver are terrific. Fireplaces keep the restaurant warm on cold nights.

If you're in Venice on January 6, don't miss the Befana races. Men clad in long skirts, wigs and babushkas climb into boats for races on the Grand Canal. The best views are from the Rialto Bridge.

Rosemary (Colours of the lagoon)

Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis, is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves. It is native to the Mediterranean region. The name "rosemary" derives from the Latin name rosmarinus, which is from "dew" (ros) and "sea" (marinus), or "dew of the sea" because in many locations it needs no other water than the humidity carried by the sea breeze to live.

Rosemary plant growing  on the Island of Santa Cristina

Baked Mackerel with Rosemary

The ingredients for two people are: 2 mackerels  1 garlic clove, 1 lemon, and 2 big fresh rosemary branches.

Cut the lemon in half, thinly slice the garlic and wash the rosemary branches.Now you need to clean the mackerels: You can cut the belly such that you can remove the entrails. Wash the fish well removing all the remains of the entrails otherwise the meat could get an unpleasant sour taste.

Once they have been rinsed, dry them well outside and inside so that there is no water left. Then  place some garlic slices and one rosemary branch inside the mackerel’s belly cavity.

Make two rectangles of aluminium foil and place the fish on one of them,  squeeze the lemon juice inside and on the mackerel, then folds the foil over the fish.

Lastly, bake the fish at 200 °C (390 °F) for 20-25 minutes.

Venice Frittelle - Venezia Fritole

frittele of St Giuseppe, pastry typical of mar...

Image via

Wikipedia

Frittelle...Fritoe, or fritters, are the most famous dolci or sweets of  Venice during the Carnival Season.

Frittelle begin showing up in pastry shops, Cafes and  bakeries, mid Januaryand  during the weeks leading up to il Carnevale di Venezia. When Carnival is over, frittelle disappear from the store windows almost as quickly as tourists in masks.

Frittelle come in a variety of styles, both filled and unfilled, the available choices usually include:

Frittelle veneziane. No filling, but with raisins and pine nuts mixed into the fairly heavy dough. After frying, the frittelle are rolled in granulated sugar.

Frittelle con crema chantilly. Filled with a light vanilla-flavored pastry cream and rolled in granulated sugar.

Frittelle con cioccolata. Filled with a mild chocolate-flavored pastry cream and rolled in granulated sugar.

Frittelle con zabaione. Filled with a Marsala-flavored pastry cream and rolled in granulated sugar.

The most famous and renowned places were to get the Frittelle and my vote

• Pasticceria Tonolo: Contrada San pantalon in Dorsoduro 10/10
• Pasticceria Didovitch: Campo Santa Marina     8/10
• Pasticceria Bonifacio Calle degli Albanesi San Marco 9/10
• Panifico Fornareto Calle del Forner Cannaregio  8/10
• Coffe Pasticceria Pitteri Strada Nuova Cannaregio  9/10 but poor Cappuccino!
• Dal Mas  Cannaregio Rio Terà Lista de Spagna, 150  8/10
• Rosa Salva  (6/10)

The worst Frittelle (IMHO Majer (San Giacomo dell'Orio) : just one word Terrible!!!

This year prices are around 1.10 and 1.30 Euro each  but I have seen also a few outrageous 1.80