Only 1 day in Venice!!

Venice is so small that you can walk to anywhere from anywhere. In that respect location is not that important.
You might want to stay away from the St Mark's area just because of the crowds. But there are lots of people who like that area.

gk - Here are 3 B&B's that are centrally located in Venice that you might like.

https://www.palazzosanluca.com/

https://www.lavilleggiatura.it/

http://www.aquavenice.com/homeEN.asp

Places to dine in Venice:

https://veneziaautentica.com/venice-restaurant-pizzeria-al-profeta/

https://ristorantealcovo.com/

https://www.afar.com/places/pasticceria-alla-bragora

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187870-d8360870-Reviews-Trattoria_Dalla_Marisa-Venice_Veneto.html

We’ve had 2 stays in Venice, both places booked thru Vacanze in Famiglia ( http://www.vacanzeinfamiglia.it/?lang=en ).

First stay was in the basement room of a family’s house, and we had breakfasts with them. This was in the atmospheric Ghetto neighborhood. “Ghetto” is a Venitian word that has simply always referred to it’s Jewish neighborhood, without the downtrodden, dangerous, negative connotations that developed in some cities in the USA in the ‘60s and ‘70s. It’s in the north part of Venice, an easy traghetto shuttle boat ride away to reach the center of major sights.

Second trip, needing an apartment for 3, we opted for the Arsenal neighborhood, close to a small city park used by local families. It was also a very easy walk to St. Mark’s Square, which made it possible to experience Rick Steves’ suggestion of being in the square at midnight, magically having the place virtually all to yourself.

Both were a while ago, so no specific restaurant recommendations now, except that while we went to nice places, the seafood was surprisingly disappointing. Enjoy your meals, but consider ordering something other than underwhelming fish when dining in Venice.

I like the Santa Croce area. It's close to the train station / Piazzale Roma (where buses from airport end) so that it's easy to get to the hotel/B&B with luggage on arrival (and departure) so you aren't schlepping stuff to the other side of town. Yet the Santa Croce neighborhood is on the 'quiet' side of the Grand Canal so much nicer than the area right around the train station.

Here's a trip report I wrote of a trip I took to Venice with a friend who had never been and we only had one full day there - https://andiamo.zenfolio.com/blog/2017/5/italy-through-fresh-eyes---chashing-the-sun-in-italy-in-march

Thanks, you guys for the great tips. We appreciate the responses.

Okay, now we've worked our plans to allow 2 nights in Venice instead of 1 !! So, I have another question... someone JUST told me (from Atlanta, but advising based on their Venice trip two years ago) that the best restaurant in Venice is 'Osteria alle Testiere' and said we must eat there. Of course, I'm not going to blindly take their word for it without consulting with you guys first. Who's eaten there? Is it as good as claimed? IF Osteria alle Testiere isn't the best (or one of the best) what is? I tried to make reservations but they only take them 60 days out or less. Since I now have 2 nights there, I need another extraordinary choice. Or even two suggestions if it turns out that Osteria alle Testiere is an over-rated tourist eatery. TIA

Hello,
We just booked a beautiful unit for our visit in May on Airbnb. Good Luck!

https://abnb.me/ZeUw9HNJS1

Don’t remember the name of the restaurant, as it was years and years ago, but we’d gotten a recommendation, and the food was underwhelming. Fish wasn’t great, not really even very good as I recall, but still relatively expensive. Not like restaurants in Florence or Milan that were really outstanding, world-class. So you’re right, one person’s suggestion might not turn out to be a must-go place. In Venice, the setting and being there is really a big part of it, and finding a spectacular place in a spectacular city might not be as important.

You may get a recommendation, or several once you’re there. You may still get recommendations here, on this forum. Or from another source -a trustworthy guidebook, perhaps. You want to make the most of the time you’re there, but Venice may not exactly be the gastronomic capitol of that side of Italy. Enjoy your 2 nights, though!

I don't have a recommendation for a restaurant, rather advice to avoid certain ones. Keep away if there is a waiter standing outside, hawking his menu. Keep away from "tourist menus". Last time I was there, I was bombarded by waiters, they are like car salesmen (no offense to anyone here who might be a salesman!). Go down side streets and find menus written in Italian.

I agree with Charlotte about restaurants to avoid in Venice. If menu is in 8 languages, they cater to tourists... Find a local place on one of the side streets, off the beaten paths. Usually the hotel or B&B proprietor can recommend places, depending on what area you are in - those have been our best experiences food-wise. We've tried staying in 4 different sestieres so far (a different location each trip) to experience the various neighborhoods. I also agree with comment about staying near your arrival/departure point for convenience of stowing your suitcase right away (please pack light! per Rick Steves' packing list). I always check out the route to hotel/B&B to be sure of best way to get there without many bridges to pull bag over... Our first trip was a real life lesson in that!