As we begin our cruise in Venice we have limited time however with two nights there does anyone have a recommendation for that most special dinner spot,one that knocked your socks off by food, atmosphere or location, know we love small out of the way places or where locals might go to enjoy the food.
La Zucca in Santa Croce. Make a reservation well in advance. It's not terribly expensive, but it is tiny.
Osteria alle Testiere, Castello 5801, 30122 Venice, Italy
Thanks very much. If you or anyone have any other advice for Venice, avoid the tourist traps while seeing the special parts of an amazing city please let me know I appriciate it very much. The Rick Steve's family always is a great source of informaiton
Jim
A few days ago we discovered the Palazzo Grimani near Santa Maria Formosa and its beautiful Campo. We went for the exceptional Canaletto exhibit which I think has just finished. Even better than the exhibit was the setting - the Palazzo has recently opened to the public and I haven't seen it in any guidebooks (I haven't checked them all). The Palazzo is unusual for Venice being on no major waterways, even though it was the house of a nobleman who became Doge. The ground floor, water level, was shipping a little water last week but didn't have to go near the water if you didn't want to. Great courtyard, neat rooms. Its on the Gondola run so you even get flotillas of tourists being accompanied by accordion singing "Santa Lucia". And of course you are seconds from Campo Santa Maria Formosa and then just a few more feet from Campo di Santa Marina with the fab Didovich. The two churches are no slouches either. We have found very good cicheti near the Squero in Dorsoduro at Cantinone gia Schiavi (our favourite for taste, selection and places to put plates down), All'Arco near Rialto a close second because it was a lovely friendly neighborhood place with tasty food but little (!) space and small choice, and Ca'd'Oro alla Vedova for atmosphere, food, but grumpy service and overcrowded. There are others of course, everybody has favourites and they are all "local" so another's favourite may be across town... My landlord sent me to a Gelateria near the west end of Santa Croce.
Ristorante Antico Pignolo Calle Specchieri,451 30124 Venezia (Italia) Tel. 0415228123
www.anticopignolo.com
The restaurant in the San Clemente Palace Hotel, which is located on an island in the Venice lagoon. Very expensive (hotel is 5-star), but outstanding! This was 6 years ago, so I can't vouch for it today (you can probably find recent reviews in Trip Advisor, etc.). Regardless, it remains as one of the finest dining experiences we have enjoyed in over 20 years of European travel.
I really liked Al Covo in Castello about a 5 minute walk from San Marco. It was featured on a Travel Channel episode but that has not gone to the owners' head - the food is great and the owners are wonderful. They have a fixed price dinner for 58 euros that's worth every cent!