Venice is famously a minefield of overpriced, tourist-trap restaurants offering depressingly mediocre food. Happily, for those in the know there are also some wonderful authentic local finds, and dazz...
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The Telegraph
2022-08-03T11:00:00Z
Venice is famously a minefield of overpriced, tourist-trap restaurants offering depressingly mediocre food. Happily, for those in the know there are also some wonderful authentic local finds, and dazzling fine dining establishments, confirmed in 2022 by a dusting of new Michelin stars.
Below our expert shares her favourite places to eat in Venice – from intimate Michelin-starred canal-side establishments offering delicately presented seafood dishes; to old-school Venetian trattorias where punters can savour delicious seafood pasta and a carafe of local wine while watching the world go by.
The area around San Marco is full of bland, overpriced touristy restaurants. The Osteria San Marco is a rare exception – an oasis of quality in a sea of



Chef Massimiliano (aka Max) Alajmo is a creative genius who delights in sleight of hand party pieces such as his cappuccino di laguna starter – an exquisite seafood mix posing as a breakfast beverage. But his straight-up creations (ravioli with clams, mussels and tomato fillets; sole with cuttlefish sauce) are extraordinary too. If you can bag a table for two with a piazza view, you've got the marriage proposal sorted. Also under the tutelage of the Alajmos, the downstairs Quadrino bistrot (booking generally not necessary) offers simple but impeccably turned-out Venetian dishes at prices that seem almost a bargain. Alajmo is also behind the Amo bistrot at the heart of the T Fondaco and Hostaria in Certosa, the seasonal haute-trattoria on the island of the same name.




It's a little hidden away, but once you find it this 'gastrosteria' provides what is so often lacking in Venice: high-level cuisine in an ambience of contemporary elegance, at prices that will not leave you feeling fleeced. Service and table settings are informal, and the culinary approach is to serve up simple ingredients in creative combinations (a good example being a delicious cod in a spicy lemongrass sauce), with quite a few vegetarian options. Put yourselves in the able hands of Simone, the sommelier son of owner-chef Nadia Locatelli, if you're overwhelmed by the 300 or so bottles on the wine list.



A single, soberly elegant dining room is the venue for this ever-popular seafood restaurant where chef Bruno and sommelier Luca are an excellent double act. The former bases his daily creations on what was good and fresh in the fish market that morning, adding bursts of flavour without coming over all fusion – as in his cinnamon-scented potato gnocchetti with baby squid. Booking well ahead is absolutely essential here. There are two sittings, at 7pm and 9.30pm; they don't exactly rush you through the earlier one, but if you want a long, vinous meal, opt for the later slot.



Part of the attraction of this seafood mecca is the vine-covered inner courtyard – one of the nicest places in town for an al fresco meal. They've turned





Owner Gianni Bonaccorsi's shrine to foodie excellence seats just 18 diners in two rooms with exposed brick walls, and splashes of colour provided by some jazzy Murano water glasses. Chefs come and go (it's something of a boot camp for Michelin-star-chasing talents) but the quality stays high. The menu is ever-changing but might include guinea hen ravioli with camomile-flavoured mashed potatoes and endive, or black spaghetti with sea urchins, candied pepper and kale. Desserts are unmissable – think ricotta cheese cream with pistachio, candied orange and chocolate. At €100, the five-course evening taster menu is worth a go.



In terms of venues for a really special meal in Venice, where they get it right pretty much every time, the Osteria di Santa Marina would be up there the top five. On a pretty square a short wiggle north-east of the Rialto, the Osteria does creative Venetian cuisine (tortelli stuffed with burrata cheese, red shrip and pistachio; turbot with porcini mushrooms, broccoli and parsnips) – nothing ultra-fancy, but with an edge of refinement that lifts it well above the uninspiring Venetian norm. The outside tables are lovely, but on sticky summer days the air-conditioned interior can be a better option.



Don't come to this rustic corner bacaro (osteria) for a romantic tête-à-tête, but if you are looking for a properly Venetian experience, complete with traditional dishes like bigoli in salsa (thick spaghetti in anchovy and onion sauce) or sardine in saor (sweet and sour sardines), Al Portego will deliver. There are only a handf

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