54 Best Restaurants in Venice, Italy

Florian is not only Italy's first café (1720), but also one of its most beautiful, with glittering, neo-Baroque decor and 19th-century wall panels depicting Venetian heroes. The coffee, drinks, and snacks are good, but most people come for the atmosphere and history: this was the only café to serve women during the 18th century; it was frequented by artistic notables like Wagner, Goethe, Goldoni, Lord Byron, Marcel Proust, and Charles Dickens; and it was the birthplace of the international art exhibition that became the Venice Biennale. There's a surcharge for music; those in the know opt for the comfortable back bar.

A mainstay for anyone living or working in the area, this beautiful, family-run, 19th-century bacaro across from the squero (gondola boatyard) of San Trovaso has original furnishings and one of the city's best wine cellars, and the walls are covered floor to ceiling with bottles for purchase. The cicheti (small snacks) here are some of the most inventive—and freshest—in Venice (feel free to compliment the signora, who makes them up to twice a day); everything's eaten standing up, as there's no seating. Try the crostini-style layers of bread, smoked swordfish, and slivers of raw zucchini, or pungent slices of Parmesan, fig, pistachio, and toast. They also have a creamy version of baccalà mantecato (cod appetizer) spiced with herbs, and there are nearly a dozen open bottles of wine for experimenting at the bar. You'll have no trouble spotting the Cantinone as you approach; it's the one with throngs of chatty patrons enjoying themselves. Avoid the temptation to sit on the bridge's steps—this is a common touristic behavior that inconveniences, and thus annoys, anybody who needs to pass.

Filled brioche, exquisite chocolates, pastries such as kranz (a braided pastry filled with almond paste and raisins) and strudel from the Friuli region, and bar service make Dal Mas a great choice for breakfast. It's been a local favorite since 1906.

At this contemporary cantina and hip hangout in a very Venetian neighborhood, the owner pairs enthusiastically chosen wines and artisanal beers with select meat, savory cheese, pasta dishes, and seasonal vegetable combos. With outside-only seating (not particularly comfortable), it's more appropriate for an aperitivo and a light meal. In temperate weather, this tiny enoteca's exuberance bubbles out into the city's broadest street well into the late evening. It's named after a play by turn-of-the-20th-century emancipated lady Amalia Rosselli—look for the framed title page inside.

On the Lido, strategically located on the main drag between the vaporetto stop and the most central beaches, Titta is one of the oldest gelaterie (gelato shops) in Venice. Get your receipt at the cassa (register) for a cone to go, or enjoy one of the special combinations while lolling in a swinging chair under the trees that line the Gran Viale.

Established in 1985, this ice cream producer attracts queues of locals and tourists for its delicious gelato served in copper (tub) and cone (cone). Their ice cream "laboratory" experiments with flavors and textures, creating monthly specials with seasonal ingredients such as Mandorla d'Avola, Sicilian almonds in praline and ripple layers. Check out the membership card if you're keen to save and return to savor scoops of all their natural flavors.

Try this fun shop for gelato that’s out of the ordinary: think walnut cream with caramelized fig, or vanilla with rum raisins and Malaga wine; sorbets and milk shakes are also on offer. There's a second location on Salizada S Giovanni Grisostomo, in Cannaregio.

It's all about the views at this classic, informal wine bar–restaurant, where tables perched on the water’s edge are often filled with chatty patrons, particularly at lunchtime. The homemade pasta and fish dishes are highly recommended, and although they don't really serve dinner, a filling selection of cicheti is offered in the evening.

A beautiful and atmospheric bacaro, Alla Bifora has such ample, satisfying fare that most Venetians consider it a full-fledged restaurant. Offerings include overflowing trays of cold, sliced meats and cheeses; various preparations of baccalà (cod); and Venetian classics, such as polpette (croquettes), and marinated anchovies. La Bifora also serves up a couple of excellent hot dishes; the seppie in nero (cuttlefish stewed in a sauce made with its ink) is among the best in the city. Owner and barman Franco Bernardi and his sister Mirella are warm and friendly—after a few visits, you'll be greeted like a member of the family.

Nearish San Marco, but just off the beaten tourist track to make it reasonably priced, this cute but calorie-stocked neighborhood café-cum-pasticceria (est.1935) provides reliable sustenance to locals and lucky visitors. Ask the ladies to recommend their latest seasonal sweet Venetian treats—among the cornucopia of fried Carnivale pastries fritoe, galani, and mammalucco, and cakes such as pan di spagna and Dogaressa—or opt for a pizzetta topped with either tasty grilled vegetables or tomatoes and anchovies.  

This popular breakfast spot close to the Rialto attracts a mix of locals and tourists. Enjoy your pastry and coffee inside the old-time pastry shop or, if you’re lucky, snag a seat outside.

This 19th-century chocolate shop serves up delicious (what else?) chocolate ice creams, along with refreshing sorbets. For the ultimate experience, add seasonal sprinkles, such as Piedmont hazelnuts, to your sweet treat.

Swing by this pint-sized wine bar for cicheti and crostini that are just a bit different and fresher than what you'll find elsewhere, along with a fine selection of natural wines. Though there's not much space inside, try to snag one of the coveted seats by the canal, which becomes a buzzy evening spot at aperitivo time.

Even if this café--wine bar wasn't at one of the city's busiest intersections, on the corner between the Frari and the Scuola of San Rocco, it would be worth the trip. It's small but with an amazing variety of drinks, cicheti, and pastries, plus an energetic and welcoming atmosphere. There's room for only a very few seats inside, but you'll want to be at a table outside anyway, watching tourists, students, commuters, and locals stream past. Perfect for a late snack or drink, as it's open all day until 11 pm.

It's easy to spot this tiny bacaro shoved into a corner of the campo adjoining Campo San Giacometto just beyond the Rialto markets: it's the one mobbed with chatty patrons—dressed in suits, jeans, or travel wear, shouldering messenger bags or backpacks, with strollers or carts loaded with market acquisitions—each with a glowing spritz or glass of wine in hand. Step up to the banco (counter, or bar), scan the chalkboards for the lists of wines (whites on the left, reds on the right), then choose from the myriad cicheti (meat, tuna, or eggplant croquettes; crostini and panini with imaginative combos of radicchio, artichokes, fish, sopressa [premium salami], ossocollo [cured pork], and more) in the glass case.

This shop whips up delicious gelato completely from scratch, and is endlessly experimenting with imaginative flavors. Combine a tried-and-true favorite with, say, asparagus, fennel, or pistachio.

Just because it's noon and you only have enough time between sights for a sandwich doesn't mean that it can't be a satisfying, even an exceptional, one. There's no menu at All'Arco, but a scan of what's behind the glass counter is all you need; order what entices you, or have Roberto or Matteo (father and son) suggest a cicheto or panino. Options here are broad enough to satisfy both conservative and adventurous eaters. Wine choices are well suited to the food. Arrive early or at the tail end of lunchtime to snag one of the few tables set out in the calle.

"The Madonna" used to be world-famous as the classic Venetian trattoria, but in recent decades has settled into middle age. Owned and operated by the Rado family since 1954, this Venetian institution looks like one, with wood beams, stained-glass windows, and a panoply of paintings on white walls. Folks still head here to savor the classic Venetian repertoire, reliable if not inspired, with a strong focus on seafood.

If you need a break from Venice's abundant fish and pasta, head to this smokehouse for barbecue ribs, smoked pulled pork, pastrami, and chicken gyro. Vegetarians and vegans will enjoy the smoked eggplant with hummus on a bun, fried jalapeños, and more. A small outdoor countertop is the only option for eating on-site; otherwise your purchase is takeout.

This corner of Campo Santo Stefano is a pleasant place to sit and watch the Venetian world go by. The café staff are in constant motion, so you'll receive your coffee, spritz, panino (a sandwich warmed on a griddle), or tramezzino (sandwich on untoasted white bread, usually with a mayonnaise-based filling) in short order; consume it at your leisure at one of the outdoor tables, at the bar, or at the tables in the back. As in most bars, it is better to stick to cold dishes.

If you're shopping for glass on Murano and want to sample some first-rate home cooking for lunch, you can't do better than stopping in this unpretentious trattoria in the island's central square. Friendly waiters will bring you ample portions of pasta, with freshly made seafood-based sauces, and a substantial variety of carefully grilled or baked fish. There are some decent meat dishes, too, but this is essentially a fish restaurant.

A pretty square with olive trees and a well sets the stage for Da Lele, a favorite of the Muranese and returning travelers. On the ground floor of a dark-red building with a loggia, the restaurant stretches out on the campo, where you eat in the shade of large umbrellas. Check the blackboard for such daily specials as antipasto Busa, with granseola and garusol (sea snails); bavette alla busara (flat spaghetti with a hot, spicy shrimp and tomato sauce); and baked rombo or branzino with potatoes. Homemade cookies are served with fragolino, a sweet, sparkling wine redolent of strawberries.

Caffè Ai Artisti gives locals, students, and travelers alike good reason to pause and refuel. The location is central, pleasant, and sunny—perfect for people-watching and taking a break before the next destination—and the hours are long. You can come here for a morning cappuccino, or drop by late for an after-dinner spritz. The panini are composed on-site from fresh, seasonal ingredients, and there's a varied selection of wines by the glass.

Just over the bridge in front of the Frari church is this old-fashioned place where you'll find an assortment of sandwiches and snacks, but it is the atmosphere, and not the food, that is the main attraction. Established in 1870, it's one of the last Venetian tearooms with its original decor, and while prices are a bit higher than in cafés in nearby Campo Santa Margherita, the vibe and the friendly "retro" atmosphere make the added cost worthwhile.

Venice's oldest café, continuously in business since 1720, has served coffee to the likes of Wagner, Casanova, Charles Dickens, and Marcel Proust. Counter seating is less expensive than taking a table, but is, of course, less romantic and you don't have the view of the piazza. This is where many upscale Venetians go when they want to meet a friend for a coffee or spritz around Piazza San Marco.

In the Procuratie Vecchie, Caffè Quadri exudes almost as much history as Florian across the way, and is similarly pricey. It was shunned by 19th-century Venetians when the occupying Austrians made it their gathering place. It's closed on Monday.

This is the original bacaro, in business continually since 1462; cramped but warm and cozy under hanging antique copper pots, it has served generations of workers from the Rialto markets. In addition to young local whites and reds, the well-stocked cellar offers reserve labels, many available by the glass; between sips you can choose to munch the wide range of cicheti on offer, or a few tiny well-stuffed tramezzini, appropriately called francobolli (postage stamps). Don't leave without tasting the delicious baccalà mantecato, with or without garlic and parsley. If you choose to create a light lunch, snag one of the few stools at the bar that line the wall across from the banco. Atmosphere comes at a price; the cost is higher than comparable bacari.

It doesn't get any more Venetian than this. At Marisa, a beloved Cannaregio institution, don't expect a menu, tourist or otherwise: what Marisa cooks—whether meat, wild game, or fish—you eat. Expect an abundant, five-course, prix-fixe meal of expertly prepared Venetian comfort food. The pasta and gnocchi are always fatto in casa (homemade). Primi might include tagliatelle with sugo del masaro (duck sauce), risotto di caroman (with mutton), or perhaps a zuppa di funghi, soup made with fresh mushrooms. Salmì di cervo (stewed venison) or fagiano ripieno arrosto (stuffed roast pheasant) are possibilities for secondi di carne, and on fish nights frittura mista. In temperate weather ask to eat canalside—but be on time or lose your table.

Loads of travelers happily "discover" this relatively new arrival on the bacaro scene traversing west from the Rialto markets, and a fortunate find it is. It's easy to make a light meal of the inspired bites offered here; the difficult part is choosing among crostini and panini of lardo e rucola, radicchio and alici (fresh anchovy), spicy Neapolitan sausage, and duck breast with truffle oil. It's an optimum locale for Tre-Venezie wine tasting, too: from regional reds like Raboso and Refosco to the aromatics of Trentino–Alto Adige; if you're lucky you can grab one of the outdoor tables. See if you can spot the zemei (gemelli, or twin brothers, in Venetian) Giovanni and Franco, for whom the place is named.

Venetians from the neighborhood frequent this friendly bacaro, not just for a glass of very drinkable wine, but also because of its bountiful selection of traditional Venetian cicheti for lunch. There's a large assortment of sandwiches and panini, as well as luscious tidbits like grilled vegetables, breaded and fried sardines and shrimp, and a decent version of baccalà mantecato, along with Venetian working-class specialties, such as musetto (a sausage made from pigs' snouts served warm with polenta) and nervetti (veal tendons with lemon and parsley). These dishes are worth trying at least once when in Venice.