Please tell me there’s good Italian food somewhere in Venice!!

Hello Denise,

If you want to eat very tasty italian food you have not chosen the right city in Italy, particularly if you are looking for good pasta and pizza.
In general the food in Venice is not up to the standards of other regions of Italy and it is never worth what you pay.
Having said that, there are some exceptions, but first you should know what to look for. Taste some "cicheti" (fingerfood appetizers) and some of these typical and traditional dishes.

Antipasti

• Schie con la polenta
• Carpaccio di tonno

Primi piatti

• Bigoli in salsa
• Spaghetti al nero di seppia
• Spaghetti con scampi alla Busara

Secondi

• Sarde in saor
• Tonno alla Veneziana
• Fegato alla Veneziana

Contorni

• Insalata di radicchio e uva

Among various places I would recommend:

Osteria all'Arco
San Polo 436
30125 Venice, Italy
Open only during day hours. Great "cicheti". Recommended for a quick lunch and a nice glass of wine.

Trattoria Ca' D'Oro (also known as Alla Vedova)
Cannaregio 3912
30121 Venice, Italy
Some of the best meatballs in town. Good "cicheti" and nice atmosphere also for dinner.

Osteria Alla Rivetta
Nice, spartan and traditional small osteria

El Refolo
Great little place with delicious cicheti and panini. Excellent for a spritz break if the weather is nice.

Vini Da Gigio
Cannaregio 3628
30121 Venice, Italy
Probably one of the best restaurant in the city. Not exactly cheap.

Corte Sconta
Calle del Pestrin 3886
30122 Venice, Italy
It used to be an excellent traditional restaurant off the main track. It got discovered by massive tourism and the prices got very high. Still worth the experience though.

Osteria Ai 4 Feri
Good venetian restaurant with acceptable prices. The place is small and you will need to reserve to find a table.

Ae Oche
Only if you are really craving for pizza. Nice and big (for Venice standards) pizza restaurant. Great location in summertime.

Denise, here are my two favorite restaurants in Venice (two - because you are right - there is not much to choose from there):

Do Forni (Sestiere San Marco, 457, 30124 Venezia) - this one is a favorite for many years. It is pretty known but still didn't loose its grip.

Osteria alle Testiere (Calle del Mondo Novo, 5801, 30122 Venice). This one is quite unique (I think its one of the best in Europe). Tiny little kitchen, but fish there is fantastica! When in Venezia - it is a must - definitely one of the best in Italy, plus, not sky high prices.
Both my recommendations you need to book in advance, but this one is way in advance.

PS This is a fave of  my local friend, she can't recommend it enough for pasta: Osteria Mocenigo da Guido e Luca (Salizada San Stae 30135 - Santa Croce, Venice).

I've posted this somewhere else but it's also relevant here: there is a deli near San Marco's you must visit -- Lorenzo Gastronomia Dienrico De Zorzi C Sas

The deli is run by Enrico, the son of the owner (Lorenzo), and he is one of the kindest people we have met in our numerous trips to Venice. He sells some of THE BEST deli meats and cheeses I have had in all of Europe. He knows his food, and if you appreciate food too, he will make sure you walk away with the best of his selection.

True story: we once went in to get ingredients for a lasagne, and when he heard this, he immediately called up his own mother to ask her for her lasagne recipe instead of the own we were going to make off the internet.

This is a man who cares about food and I'd highly recommend going here, grabbing some meats and cheeses (and mutardo -- a spicy mustard apple sauce!) and then going to picnic in the nearby parks. Definitely a local treat. 

(PS I don't know if the map actually links to the right place -- this is the address: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lorenzo-Gastronomia/144650782244893?sk=info&tab=overview)

Try Da Mamo, friendly and not a priced place their site.

Or try Antica Trattoria Poste Vecie....both you can find on internet.

Enjoy!!

Hello Denise,

I've got a very special secret tip for you to discover a real Italian way to taste some great wine and good food. You should try out Bacareto da Lele (see here: Bacareto Da Lele on Yelp.com). It is a very small kind of wine and food place, where you get a glass of local wine for € 0.60 and really nice sandwiches for less then € 2.-. You get your food and drinks at the bar, where you also pay for them upon receipt, and then consume it outside, together with friends and family and other Venetians. This is a real Italian way of getting a tasty snack in between times. The owners are very helpful and friendly and are used to dealing with tourists not capable of the Italian language. You'll find it easily. See the walking route here. There's a big wine barrel used as a table in front of it. It's very close to the main station right across the German/Austrian consulate.

Enjoy!

Stephan

Hey Denise, I know what you mean about the bad food in Venice!  Some places look busy but end up being a total miss and a tourist trap.  I did discover one hidden gem that I can't stop raving about, though -- Osteria al Diavolo e l'Acquasanta.  So good!  It was out of the tourist area and was actually in a little alley.  It looked like a neighborhood spot.  Besides the locals dining there, there were also Japanese tourists, so I'm thinking that this restaurant was probably written about in a Japanese tour guide of sorts.

Their beef carpaccio was so good as were the pasta dishes that we ordered, including black squid ink pasta and good old spaghetti and meatballs.  You can also order spritzes and carafes of house wine.

Enjoy yourselves! :)