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
