Restaurant recommendations for Venice

[reajackson]

I am sure there are many folks here with recs for restaurants / food in Venice IT

My daughter and I will be staying in Venice a mere two nights before a long trudge in the Dolomites.

We are staying in the San Marco district - we walk alot and not averse to being in other quarters - quality of food / drink is important to us.
Looking for the following:
a) A couple of good Pasticcerie with coffee - espresso (I hear Cafe Florian is nice at San Marco - please verify.
b) Bars with a nice vibe for Ciccheti and a cocktail
c) Plaza for a nice cocktail or Prosecco and people watching
d) A couple of moderately priced nice off the beaten path restaurants for lunch and dinner - really prefer small and not touristy

Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance.
Rea J.
Colorado

 

[JMichael]

Cafe Florian is indeed lovely, though some folks believe it pricey. Read up on its history if you decide to give it a try. The interior is beautiful. However, sitting at an outside table on a sunny day, with the orchestra playing is a wonderful experience. Just keep an eye out for the birds.

The Rialto area near the fish market has several bars where you can get a spritz and cicchetti. All'Arco comes to mind but wander about to find one that's a fit for you. Cafe Del Doge, also in Rialto is a fine coffee spot.

Vini da Gigio just off the Strada Nova has never disappointed us for dinner. Tell your waiter what you like and ask his recommendation.

 

[Ian Sutton]

Sorry I've got no insight into Venice, but if the Dolomites includes Trento or Lago Molveno, I can offer suggestions there.

 

[Kathy (Trekcapri)]

Hi, on my last trip we stumbled upon a small family run restaurant.
Hostaria Osottoosopra, Calle S. Pantalon, 5754, 30123 Venezia VE

Food, service and vibe are all amazing. We loved this place so much, we ate there the entire 5 days we were there. Great reviews. They do get very busy so it’s best to make reservations.

it is very near to Campo Santa Margherita where there is a gelato place and benches to sit, eat your gelato and people watch.

 

[reajackson]

All - thank you for the suggestions. The HostariaOsottosopra looks really good - might be hike for us but the menu looks very nice. Vinida Gigio also looks good. So thanks again - we really like to be off the beaten path as it were.
We will go to Cafe Florian just given its history and it being on the Piazza. And it is directly across the Piazza from the Olivetti showroom - me being an architect I am very happy to see it open again after being closed for so many years - a classic by Veneto architect Carlo Scarpa.

 

[GailS]

Another location to see the work of Carlo Scarpa is the Querini Stampalia where he redesigned part of the interior as well as the garden.

Near Campo Santa Margherita is Campo San Barnaba which is also good for people watching. The Bar Ai Artisti has outdoor tables with umbrellas and has recently upscaled a bit with nicer wines. A very casual place for a drink - not so much for cicchetti. It's not to be confused with the nearby Osteria Enoteca Ai Artisti which is a good restaurant that has a frequently changing, limited menu (usually 4 options each for antipasti, primi, secondi) and may be bit more than moderately priced. Between Campo Santa Margherita and Campo San Barnaba, right next to the famous vegetable boat, is the sister bar of Bar Ai Artisti - Osteria Ai Pugni. They have a good cicchetti selection and also nice wines by the glass. They have only a few tables along the canal with additional seating inside.

 

[braindoc]

We will be back in Venice for 5 nights in mid-October. Vini da Gigio, Ai Promessi Sposi, and Antiche Carampane are almost certainly repeats for us. @reajackson I posted reviews from our last visit 2 years ago.

During our research we’ve seen several newer rave reviews for Anice Stellato. Has anyone been recently? It was wonderful years ago but then we had an awful meal there and heard others complain as well. Did ownership change again?

Another question: Gatto Nero or da Romano on Burano?

 

[GailS]

I've never managed to attempt a reservation early enough for Gatto Nero - always booked by the time I tried (often many days in advance). A Venetian friend recommended da Romano when I expressed frustration in not being able to book a table at Gatto Nero (again). We enjoyed our meal there and the paintings on the inside, obtained in exchange for food by the artists years ago, are interesting. This was last October and we had reserved an outdoor table for lunch. If you do want to try Gatto Nero I would recommend booking very early.

 

[braindoc]

Believe it or not, the first time we ate at Gatto Nero we were seated without a reservation. This was 8 or 10 years ago.