Food and Drink

General Information and Shopping

Dining in the Veneto
Venice and nearby towns dish up meals for every taste and budget, with dishes ranging from baccalà to pizza.

Gelato in Venice
Italy's version of ice cream may be the best gastronomic bargain in Venice. Read our gelato-buying tips and mini-reviews of famous or favorite gelaterie.

Rialto Food Markets
Venetians have shopped at the Rialto's produce and fish markets for 900 years. Now it's your turn.

Venice Supermarkets
In recent years, supermercati have spread throughout the city. Here are several brands to look for, with tips on how to shop.

American Fast Food in Venice
When you're in Venice and you crave mass-market food from the U.S., you have three options at four locations: McDonald's, Burger King, and KFC.

Venetian Spritz
Grey-haired Venetians may prefer white wine, and tourists from the Temple Fielding era can't resist Bellinis. But for today's younger locals, students, and visitors in Venice, the Spritz is the drink of choice.

I Tre Mercanti
This may be the best Italian wine and food shop in Venice. If you're buying wine in bulk, ask about VAT-free shipping with customs duty prepaid.

Book Reviews

Chow! Venice
Shannon Essa and Ruth Edenbaum have written a lively, informative guide to scores of Venetian restaurants and bars. The book includes tips on how, when, and what to eat in Venice.

Café Life Venice
This "Guidebook to the Cafés and Bacari of La Serenissima" is great reading--and an irresistible gift for Venetophiles.

Restaurant Reviews

Serra dei Giardini
The Serra dei Giardini is a restored 19th Century municipal greenhouse near the Venetian waterfront that has a delightful coffee bar.

All' Antica Mola
This pleasant restaurant in Cannaregio has good food and prices, with outdoor tables in nice weather.

Gam Gam
The menu is Israeli and Italian, the staff is Hasidic, and the food is first-rate at this kosher restaurant in the Ghetto Nuovo.

Osteria Vivaldi
This family-run wine bar and restaurant near the Campo San Polo is a prime candidate for the title of "Venice's Friendliest Restaurant."

Pizzeria Trattoria La Perla
Our family has been dining at this neighborhood restaurant in Cannaregio for more than 10 years. The pizza is decent, many of the customers are local, and prices are reasonable by Venice standards.

Taverna San Trovaso
The San Trovaso is one of Venice's best restaurant values. The taverna attracts a mixed clientele of Venetian families, students, and tourists.

Trattoria Pizzeria da Alvise
This friendly, moderate-priced restaurant on the Fondamente Nuove serves pizzas and full meals to a clientele that includes neighborhood families, tourists, and gondoliers.

Zucca
The name means "pumpkin," and this vegetarian-friendly restaurant is a garden of culinary delights.

Brek Self-Service Restaurant
Can't afford Da Fiori, Antico Martini, or Harry's Bar? Join the hoi polloi at an inexpensive buffet near the railroad station.

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