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St Mark's Square |
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Canova
Venetian-International
In this elegant dining room in an equally elegant hotel, there's
an international menu including many Venetian dishes and variations
on them. Sea bass fillet is one simple offering, or vreast of
guinea-fowl en croute with ham and vegetables.
Hotel
Luna Baglioni, Calle Vallaresso 1243
Vaporetto Vallaresso
Open daily lunch and dinner, closed Aug
Tel. 0415209550 - All credit cards 
Reservations essential
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La Chat Qui Rit
Venetian
This self-service place is easily the best of the cheap-eat
restaurants in central Venice, as you'll see from the lunchtime
queues of locals. Get there early, or try it in the evenings.
Pizzas, pastas, meat and fish dishes, salads, desserts...and
house wine you help yourself to from the tap.
Calle Frezzeria
1131 - Vaporetto Vallaresso
Open Nov to Aug: Sun-Fri, Sept to Oct daily
Tel. 0415229086 - No credit cards
Reservations not allowed
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La Cusina
Venetian
A top class smart restaurant with a terrace overlooking the
Grand Canal and the Salute, creative versions of local dishes,
such as spaghetti ina scorpion fish sauce.
Hotel Europa
and Regina, Via XXII Marzo 2159
Vaporetto Vallaresso
Open daily lunch and dinner
Tel. 0415200477 - All credit cards
Reservations essential
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Do Forni
Venetian-International
One of the most revered old restaurants in Venice, where the
Italian President has dined when visiting. Despite the old-fashioned
décor, there are inventive dishes on a huge menu, such
as kidneys cooked in oil, parsley, garlic and black mustard.
Calle dei Specchieri 468 - Vaporetto San Marco
Open daily lunch and dinner
Tel. 0415232148 - All credit cards
Reservations recommended
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Harry's Bar
Venetian
A Venice institution, the bar also has an upstairs restaurant
for which you must book. The menu is simple and expensive, with
the views and the reputation perhaps counting for more than
the food. Seafood ravioli is one typical dish.
Calle
Vallaresso 1323 - Vaporetto Vallaresso
Open daily 1030-2300
Tel. 0415285777 - All credit cards
Reservations essential
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Quadri Restaurant
International
Above the Gran Caffè Quadri is an elegant restaurant
with stunning views over the piazza. It serves excellent food
too, with dishes such as marinated salmon with fresh coriander
or fillet of beef with parmesan and black pepper.
Piazza
San Marco - Vaporetto San Marco
Open Wed to Sun: lunch, Tue to Sun: dinner
Tel. 0415289299 - All credit cards
Reservations recommended
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Trattoria San Marco
Venetian
This friendly little family trattoria is worth knowing about
if you want decent local food at reasonable prices in this busy
area. There are daily specials, and the menu is totally local,
with dishes such as liver Venetian-style, lobster, fried squid
and plenty of pasta options.
Calle Frezzeria 1610 - Vaporetto
Vallaresso
Open daily for dinner
Tel. 0415285242 - Credit cards Visa, MC
Reservations unnecessary
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Ristorante Antico
Pignolo
Venetian
Housed in what was once the blacksmith's shop for the Doge's
Palace, this venerable place has a reverential atmosphere and
one of the best wine cellars in the city. Risotto with black
truffles is an example of the type of tasty cuisine on offer.
Calle dei Specchieri 451 - Vaporetto San Marco
Open Wed to Mon lunch and dinner
Tel. 0415228123 - All credit cards
Reservations recommended
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budget;
average;
up-market
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BEAR
IN MIND |
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| Paola
- Guide editor |
ANTIPASTI
This is were Venetian cuisine really excels. Antipasti are so
central to the local tradition, and served in such abundant
quantities, that there is often no need to eat anything else.
The dozens of 'cicheti' - tapas-style snacks - served from counters
of the traditional 'bacaro' are essentially antipasti.
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Baccalà
mantecato creamy stockfish, often served on grilled
polenta.
Baccalà alla vicentina stockfish poached
in milk.
Folpi/folpeti baby octopuses - the former
have a double row of suckers.
Carciofi
artichokes, even better if they are castrauri - raw baby artichokes
served with parmesan cheese and olive oil.
Bovoleti
tiny snails cooked in olive oil, parsley and an awful lot of
garlic.
Canoce (or cicale di mare) delicate, transparent
mantice shrimps.
Garusoli sea snails, to be winkled
out with a toothpick.
Moleche deep-fried soft-shelled crabs.
Museto a boiled headcheese sausage served on a slice
of bread with mustard.
Nerveti very strange-looking - and tasting - dish of
boiled veal cartilage.
Polpeta a deep-fried spicy
meatball.
Polenta this yellow or white commeal mush
is the traditional staple of Venetian cuisine, so much so that
inhabitants of the Veneto are known as polentoni.
Sarde
in saor  sardines
marinated in a pungent mixture of onion, vinegar, pine-nuts
and raisins.
Schie e polenta tiny grey shrimps served
on a bed of soft polenta.
Spienza veal spleen, usually
served on a skewer.
Trippa e rissa tripe cooked in
broth. |
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