Venice



Food & Drink


Top Restaurants
  • Hostaria Castello • Italian / A small and intimate restaurant with only a few tables. Venetian-style with great food and wine selection.
  • La Zucca • Vegetarian / Seasonal Venetian dishes with vegetarian leanings, in a cozy setting with tables by the canal.
  • Local • Italian / Reinventing a New Venetian Cuisine, this restaurant combines local traditions and ingredients with new cooking techniques. The airy and bright restaurant overlooks a beautiful canal in the area of Castello.
Top Bars
  • Harry's Bar • Cocktail bar / Legendary 1930s bar known for its Bellini cocktails, carpaccio & celebrity clientele.
  • Bar Longhi • Hotel bar / Located in the Gritti Palace, this stylish, old-world hotel cocktail bar has excellent views of the Grand Canal. Ito has a martini menu with 10+ variations.
  • Il Mercante • Cocktail bar / Located in one of the most beautiful areas in Venice, in front of the Basilica di Frari. A true cocktail bar with inventive drinks and a well-designed interior.
Top Coffee Shops
  • Farini, Mamafe & Mamafe Bakery, 1000 Coffee & Bakery, Torrefazione Cannaregio - Speciality Coffee

Activities & Attractions

  • Gondola ride • Without a doubt a 'must-do' activity in Venice. We got our gondola from San Polo and made sure that our ride was primarily 'back-canals' and not just the Grand Canal, which would have been less interesting and busier. Cost is around €80 for 30 minutes, which is a standard rate in Venice.
  • Island of San Michele • San Michele is Venice's cemetery-a role it has played since the early 1800s, when Napoleon's occupying forces told the Venetians to start hauling their dead across the water instead of burying them all over town. It's a very surreal experience to visit this place.
  • Kayak the canals (or walk them) • The canals of Venice are what separate the city from most cities in the world. 150 canals and 400 bridges make walking around very unique and fun to do. We even saw a tour that was kayaking the canals-I didn't expect this sort of action in Venice, but it's definitely my style!
Pedestrian-Friendly Streets (Canals)
  • Fondamenta della Misericordia • Lined with some of the bars and restaurants in Venice.
  • Via Garibaldi • Packed with thrift stores, bars, pastry shops, and specialty food stores selling salami and cheese.
  • Riva degli Schiavoni • A popular waterfront area in Venice close to many of the big sites. This promenade looks out at San Giorgio Maggiore Island.

Stays

  • H
    Gritti Palace     • A Luxury Collection Hotel by Marriott. Beautifully designed with great restaurants and bars inside, including outdoor patios that overlook Venice's canals.
  • H
    Ruzzini Palace Hotel     • Luxury hotel with charming and exclusive rooms overlooking Santa Maria Formosa square.
  • H
    Danieli     • A Luxury Collection Hotel by Marriott. With its heritage setting on Riva degli Schiavoni, Hotel Danieli dominates the Venetian lagoon with spectacular views of the Grand Canal and islands. The building was built in the 14th century, and it has been deemed one of the top five 'lavish hotels' in the city.
Neighbourhoods

  • San Marco, San Polo, Castello, Cannaregio

More

  • More Food • Taverna La Fenice, Dal Moro's, Trattoria da Denis
  • More Drinks • Wine Bar 5000, Osteria All'Alba, Birreria Zanon, Taverna al Remer, Al Bottegon, Vino Vero, and any bar/restaurant tucked away beside a canal or in a square with sun or live music.
  • Sites, Museums & Galleries • Murano to see Venice's fabled glass workers, Saint Mark's Square, Bridge of Sighs, Grand Canal, Rialto Bridge
  • Parks • Parco San Giuliano, Giardini Papadopoli, Parco delle Rimembranze