If you need a decent restaurant in a tourist-overwhelmed city like Venice, you simply cannot eat on…read moreone of the tourist thoroughfares. I looked into it and found this spot a few streets away from the Grand Canal. They had a menu displayed out front that was a little large, so I was worried it would be yet another tourist trap, but decided to take the plunge. Our group of five was seated outside on a calm street which was so nice. Service was about normal for Italy - not super friendly but did the job. The food was fantastic. Pastas and sauces all had actual seasoning unlike the tourist hellholes. The fried softshell crab (moeche) appetizer was a 10/10 dish. The lobster pasta was as well, served on a half lobster shell for a bit of panache. The second course of the 'crispy' (not crispy) seabass was awesome with so many little olives and capers. Great sauce again. Daughter said her pasta was the best we had on our trip around Italy. Pizza is the only thing that could have been a little better (needed more time in the oven). Do yourself a HUGE favor and walk a few extra blocks to this spot where they have amazing food that is *seasoned*. I cannot believe how bad most tourist restaurants are in this country. Shocked me to my core. Thank you for the grand finale, Al Paradiso.

For our first night in Venice, we decided to walk here for our first dinner of the trip--and it was…read morea great choice! This charming little restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating and has an inviting atmosphere. While it was a bit pricier than some of the other meals we had during our trip it was a great meal. The service was good, but keep in mind that dining in Italy moves at a more relaxed pace, meals aren't rushed, so embrace the slower rhythm while you're here! The highlight for me was the branzino carpaccio, easily one of my favorite dishes from our entire eight-day trip. The clam pasta was also excellent, while my husband's mushroom pasta was just okay, not something we'd order again. Overall, I'd definitely return the next time I'm in Venice!

I wanted something simple (not spicey, not fried) like fish, and our concierge recommended and made…read morereservations for us at Laguna Libre. We were immediately greeted and seated in a small cozy room. I ordered the sea bass fillet in paper with potatoes, onions, and tomatoes, and my husband ordered the home pasta with tomato sauce, celery, onion, and long cooked carrots. My dish was exactly what I was hoping for, tender, healthy and hearty; cooked to perfection. Everything was tender and delicious. My husband was happy with his pasta dish. I tried his too, it was delicious. For dessert I had the Parfait with Toasted Almonds and Dark Chocolate. It was mind-blowing! Hopefully the picture does it justice. It was amazing! My husband had the cheesecake with strawberries and lime smoothie. He loved it. If we are lucky enough for a return visit to Venice, we will definitely be repeat customers.

What a magnificent experience we had at Laguna Libre. The ambience, the view, the service, the…read morefood, and the live music were out of this world. While exploring Venice we stopped because of the music. We noticed that a band was setting up, and it so happens that the restaurant was sponsoring a Jazz Music Festival. The group playing was the Balkan Trio with magnificent vocals, a guitar player, a drums. We got a table right in front of the band - a huge plus since the possibility of live music was the main reason we stopped in the first place. We ordered two bottles of wine, which were incredible. Then three of us ordered the three-course meat plate, and the other ordered the Lasagna, which was out of this world. One of the many things that really surprised me was the fact that while seated I read a plaque on the wall of the restaurant building that highlighted the fact that from 1743 to 1744 that building in particular had served as the French Embassy, and that Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the French Enlightenment philosopher himself had lived and worked as the secretary for the embassy during that time period. We could imagine him peering out the windows and looking into the Venician canals; walking through those doors, while writing the great ideas that would inspired the American Revolution not long after and would eventually lead to the French Revolution itself. This was an experience like no other. We were the last ones to leave. We said good night to a happy staff, at that point of the night, seated by a table ready to close their own days, and made our way down the narrow alleys and waterways of our Venetian summer! Highly recommend it!

After visiting the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute nearby, we walked past this restaurant and…read moredecided to stop in for lunch. When we got there, the main entrance was dead and the outdoor seating just inside the courtyard area was empty, which made us think this wasn't a very popular place. But when we went inside, they were packed! They have two large indoor dining rooms and both were packed! Service was quick and friendly. Their menu is loaded with all the typical, appetizing Italian food. Prices are very fare too. We started with a salad that was incredibly fresh and very tasty... We simply dressed it with salt & pepper and EVOO & balsamic and that was perfect! Next up, we split their Linguine with Genoese Pesto and their Baked Lasagna and both were outstanding! The creaminess and deep flavor of the lasagna was so good and heart warming! Last up was to enjoy some desserts - they have a great selection of sweets here. Highly recommend stopping in, but you might want to make a reservation, they seem to get quite busy.

Found this restaurant because it was so close to our hotel. They had the best Branzino dish for 2…read more They cook the fish whole, then bring the cooked fish to your table and show you the fish and then they filet the fish and split it for 2. The fish melted in your mouth like butter. Served with vegetables that were very tasty and had a great sauce on it. It is a very large dish and more than enough for 2. This dish was so amazing, We went back a second time just to finish off a great vacation with an amazing dish. All the dishes we all tried were fantastic. The staff were very nice and fun when they had time to slow down, they even got into playing around with everyone at the table adding to the enjoyment of the evening. They have lots of space. Lots of room to accommodate everyone but best to have reservations on busy weekends. Would recommend this restaurant to anyone at anytime.

On our last morning in Venice, we were looking for somewhere to have breakfast and we found Riva…read moreRialto. Of course it is located right on the canal so the best part is the atmosphere, but we were excited to see they were serving breakfast and had many good options. Our server was absolutely wonderful and showed us how to get the most out of our meal because some dishes came with a glass of champagne. We all had cappuccinos and eggs with pancetta and really enjoyed it. Its a great place to stop and have a bite.

I wish we had more time to relax and enjoy this wonderful restaurant. The location at first made me…read moreworry we were heading into a tourist trap. But that was not the case. The owner was very attentive and he helped us choose a better wine. We ordered several appetizers to share among the group and everyone raved about the quality. The service was top shelf and the pricing was reasonable. Next time, I'm going to block out enough time to more fully enjoy Riva Realto.

If you're lucky enough to have decided to stay in Dorsoduro during your stay in Venezia, then you…read moreneed to top off the experience with a meal at Al Vecio Marangon. This is my second time here and it was even better than the first. I was able to secure an early dinner reservation by texting the restaurant a week in advance using WhatsApp. The space is intimate and charming, with some outdoor tables. I noticed more tourists dining here on this second visit, but I also saw that there was still a good number of locals. The menu is robust, and everything we ordered was fabulous. The service is beyond expectation. Do not miss this gem.

This restaurant was recommended to us from a local so we gave it a try...glad we did. It is a…read morefairly small restaurant so it was full when we arrived for dinner. We thought we would have a long wait but they accommodated us with the last table, with the caveat that we finish by 9. That was more than an hour and we don't linger like we saw the European dinners do so that was fine with us. There was a bread basket brought to the table. I had the caprese salad, which was burrata on a bed of salad with tomatoes. Everything was fresh and the tomatoes were soooo sweet. For mains, I tried the eggplant, which was eggplant parmigiana without the breading. It was very flavorful. I also tried the fish lasagna, which is more a seafood lasagna since it had shrimp and calamari in a cream tomato sauce. I couldn't really taste the fish but the shrimp and calamari were good. Good food at a reasonable price...I recommend.

We took our air bnb host's advice, for great local eats:…read more Best meal I have ever eaten in Venice. I was nervous looking at the large menu, but we ordered the chefs choice checceti and it was amazing. We also had two different pastas with cuttlefish and one with octopus sauce. Looking around many in the restaurant were ordering a beef dinner split for 2. Looked amazing as well! To finish off we also ordered dessert which completed the meal nicely. If you are in the area, well worth it!

Lamenting together the fact that Italian restaurants in Venice are not as good as Italian…read morerestaurants in other parts of Italy, the hotel staff member with whom I was having this conversation agreed, then gave me the names of a couple nearby places that he'd recommend. This is how I wound up at Muro Venezia - Frari my first evening in Venice. Arriving to what looked like a full restaurant, I was happy to be seated al fresco along with everyone else who'd heeded the message to come here. Service, food, and ambiance were all quite good. Over beer, wine, a shared starter of assorted meatballs, and a shared pizza I found nothing to dislike. In fact, by the end of my 5 night stay I was almost ready to return here rather than risk having a mediocre meal elsewhere. You'll walk by a million restaurants in Venice, most looking almost identical to one another. Muro Venezia - Frari looks similar but it has a different, better energy. It's busy for a good reason. Stop, and see if there's a table for you.

Service is typical. Food was delicious! Would definitely come back when in venice. Highly recommendread more

Full service restaurant on one of the main walkways in Venice. Nope couldn't find it again without…read morethe map app. The food is good and wine list comprehensive. We did not get a meat platter but from the small and sizzle, I would do it next time. Small tables are along the canal beside Osteria del Lovo. My dish was gnocchi with blue crab, a traditional dish.

Walked into this restaurant on a whim, and what an awesome experience! Talked to a manager who…read moreindicated that this restaurant has been in the same family for over 40 years... and it shows. Anything we tried was spectacular! Nothing short if spectacular. From the fish of the Day to mozzarella to beef Ragusa and noodles with Chilli spice. And tiramasu was probably one of the best we ever had. Service was spectacular, ambiance is upscale Italian but the prices are what you would expect from an average Italian restaurant. If you are ever in Venice, don't miss this place!

We were heading towards another destination and it was raining. This restaurant became our "Plan…read moreB". It was warm & inviting -- nicely decorated in a more modern style. Soft jazz music was playing in the background with candle lit tables. Our party of three were welcomed in & sat immediately. The menu choices were limited to 2 printed pages in a plastic sleeve, but all the typical Italian food groups were represented (pasta, pizza, salads, fish). There was a very extensive wine menu--mostly bottles. We chose wine by the glass instead, which was fine. Our traveling companion ordered the Greek salad, hubby the spaghetti with beef ragu & I ordered shrimp and grilled prawns (see picture comments). Salad was nicely presented, but hubby said his pasta dish was bland. Bread and bread sticks basket was delivered well after we had started eating our entrees. No additional plates to dip your olive oil and balsamic vinegar were offered, which is disappointing. After other amazing meals in Venice, this was just okay.