Restaurants and eating out in Venice

Venice is the most romantic city of the world and people come here to enjoy life in full measure. Logically you expect from Venice inimitable cuisine and irreproachable service, but it is absolutely not what it offers.

Venice doesn’t have that diversity of food you would find in New York, Moscow and other world’s greatest cities. Most restaurants of Venice remind each other like twin-brothers. Odd furniture, prices on an average of 10 - 15 euros for a dish and same menus: pasta, pizza, ravioli, tomatoes with mozzarella (caprese as they put it) and a so-called “tourist’s menu” – a discount set-price lunch that includes nothing interesting.

In Venice you can get a really good hearty dinner only in several restaurants remote from the centre. Go to Castello, to Cannareggio, because at San Marco you would hardly find a tolerable place.

You can have a quick and inexpensive snack in one of numerous sandwich-bars of Venice where they sell Italian sandwiches – panini – that are made of fresh bread, tomatoes, mozzarella, summer sausage and other fillings. There are sandwich-bars at every turn but people eat here mostly standing – if your sit your sandwich will immediately be doubled in price. These are the rules.

The limited choice offered by Venetian cuisine makes you give a new look to the so-called fast-food restaurants. There are several MacDonald’s, a Burger King and an Italian fast-food Spizzico. In such places a tourist can always feel comfortable: here you find the same rules as in all world’s fast-foods and the food is always predictable.

A special place in Italian and Venetian cuisine is occupied by coffee. In Venice people drink coffee standing at a bar. You won’t find a traditional European coffee house with tables, relaxing music, a vast choice of desserts, coffee-cocktails and boiled tea. Some olden cafes at San Marco Square form an exception from this rule. A special word should be said about “Florian”.

“Florian” is the oldest cafe in Venice and in Europe. It was opened in 1720 and is now by right one of the symbols f the city.

Not a one, even the most aesthetistic, the most Bohemian “spot” can come up with this cafe situated behind the dilapidated walls of San Marco gallery.

It is enough to say that Lord Byron, Carlo Goldoni, Giacomo Casanova, Russo, Hemingway, Josef Brodskiy were here… Just like today’s visitors of “Florian” they were sitting on the benches covered with red velvet, and drinking coffee.

These simple facts take your breath away, that’s why people go to “Florian” as if it was a museum: not just to drink coffee and admire the interiors of the 18th century but to breath this air. In spring and in summer the tables are put right onto the square. Traditionally people com here to watch the sunset: savouring flavoured coffee and observing the sun disappear behind San Marco domes.

It scarcely needs to be said that the prices at “Florian” are very high. You are unlikely to find anywhere else in Venice a cup of coffee for 10 euros or a pot of tea for 8 euros. Besides, if you are lucky enough to be accompanied by life music in “Florian”, be ready to pay additional 5 euros for the musicians.

Where do they liquor in Venice?

If you want to deeply feel the spirit of Venice you should visit the so-called osteries – wine bars where drinks and appetizers are served.

Classical Venetian drink is bellili (a cocktail from fresh peach juice and sparkling Prosecco), ombra (white wine) and, of course, spritz (white wine with soda and bitter liqueur like Campari or Aperol).

For appetizers Venetians like sea-food on forks, eggs with anchovies, sausages or crispy artichokes. There are several osteries by Rialto Bridge. They are so close to each other that you can drink during the whole evening in the area of Rialto going from one osteria to another until you are dead on your feet.