VENICE

PLACES TO EAT

VENICE

Most guidebooks tell you that there are a lot of lousy places to eat in Venice. It's true if you're looking for a quick pizza and a glass of wine - you'll get a dry chewy pizza and a glass of crap.

But, if you haven't reserved a special place (shame on you) check the menus and wine lists of restaurants in the middle of piazzas. We've found many with topnotch food and excellent wines. They're expensive, but Venice is expensive, worth it for those once or twice in a lifetime visits, but not a place to spend a week or two. For that you rent an apartment and eat in at least two meals a day.

Below are our favorites.

Al Covo
Castello 3968
Campiello della Pescaria
041.522.3812
Closed Wed/Thurs
Now takes Visa and MasterCard

On the left - by day; on the right - at night, with the proprietress Diane on the right and Kaye's mom Billy on the left. (Diane insisted Mom have equal billing.)

The best restaurant in Venice, and we've been to the top five from our searches of guidebooks and Internet. Reservations in advance absolutely essential. (You may still need the help of your concierge; again, it's always better to have your concierge book your reservation in advance.) Diane's cream custard may well be worth the trip to Venice all by itself. (Even if she shares the ingredients with you, once she describes the process you'll know you won't try it at home - it would take less time to fly to Venice for dessert.) A ten minute walk from Piazza San Marco, but leave yourself an extra 15 minutes to find it. If you're early, stroll to the right of the restaurant (as you face it) to a large piazza where Venetians, among the few able to live in the city instead of the mainland, hang out, kids playing soccer, lovers strolling, families unwinding from the day, with balconies of the ubiquitous geraniums. Sitting on a bench there is as good as touring the Doge's Palace.

Diane's incredible cream custard, with rastrawberries

A second visit in '04 confirmed the greatness of this restaurant, and Katie Couric left as we were eating, so she'd heard of it, too, even if the staff didn't know who she was. (American morning tv isn't played in Europe.) As you can tell from the pictures, you might not notice it unless you'd read the guidebooks or this site and been led to it. A third visit in '05 reconfirmed its status.

al Graspo de ua
San Marco 5094/A
Tel: 041.520.0150
Fax: 041.520.9389
Easy to find; take a left at the Rialto Bridge (or a right if you got lost and are coming over it toward San Marco)

Eat where Gondoliers eat. They can afford the best wine and best food (because taking a gondola trip is the most expensive per minute transportation you can hire. A private jet is cheaper). In this picture they're on strike - we're over to the right, out of frame. A fun place to eat lunch when you make the inevitable trip to the Rialto Bridge, with excellent food and a good wine list. A second visit in 2004 was even better.

From Patricia Highsmith's Those Who Walk Away, a mystery novel: "He might as well have a good bowl of soup, if that was all he was eating, and the Graspo di [sic] Ua was an excellent restaurant."

It's also a hotel popular with Italian businessmen.

Cipriani Terrace
Guidecca Island
10 minutes from Piazza San Marco by hotel launch (private dock)
www.cipriani.orient-express.com

Our waiters, and the view from our table in 2002. In 2004 the waiter on the left had moved up to doing that wonderful thing they do dribbling chocolate onto dessert plates, and the chef had come up with a simple pile of potatoes with cheese that gave Kaye dreams for days. By 2005, on the right, our waiter had become a captain, one of many employees of the hotel that make Cipriani special. A fine, serviceable menu, but made special by the private launch from Piazza San Marco and being poolside in a splendid setting.

Kaye's preference at lunch - Taglierini verde al prosciutto gratinati - fresh thin green noodles with ham, au gratin.

Cip's Club

One of the favorite star hangouts, during the Venice Film Festival or in high season, is Cip's Club at the Cipriani. As the picture below indicates, the lagoon-side dining has a spectacular view of Venice at night. Reasonably priced (but in cooler parts of the year [September to May], take a jacket and sweater).

Among specialties you might try: the Cip Salad - greens, tomato, arugula, avocado, fennel, and shrimp with olive oil/lemon dressing; whole wheat Tagliatelle with eggs, bacon and goat cheese; or broiled sea bass with baked cherry tomatoes perfumed with oregano.

SPECIAL MENTION

Antico Pignolo

Although located as part of a Best Western hotel, a chain which sent Russ' brother on one of those time-share type 'free' boat rides to the Murano factories, this restaurant is beautiful and staffed with extraordinary class and style. On our first trip we had to cancel our reservation (well in advance). The second trip, in 2004, we sat down, got our bread and some water and were studying the menu when Kaye suddenly became quite ill. Here we were in a restaurant highly recommended, one we'd been looking forward to since 2001, and we had to leave. Russ' attempt to pay for what we'd already started on was waved aside with the hope that the signora would be well. We didn't have time to go back in 2005, but we urge you to give it a try. The guidebooks praise it highly.

A QUIBBLE

Da Fiore

Generally rated the best restaurant in Venice. We disagree. And whatever you do, don't take the romantic table for two on the little balcony- the canal below 'lacks charm' (for which imagine disgusting things floating). We call it the Stupid American Tourists' Balcony. If you must go, stay inside.

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