The quality of food in Venice can vary from really really good to mediocre. Look for restaurants frequented by both tourists and locales. For opening and closing times contact the restaurant via telephone or their website.

Al Gondolieri, San Vio, Dorsoduro Tele: 41 528 6396. A hop, skip and jump from the Peggy Guggenheim Collection this upscale restaurant serves non-traditional Venetian dishes. In other words no fish. However the food is excellent food as in the service and decor. It is expensive, but the food is quite good. Reservations advisable.

Antica Locanda Montin, Fondamenta Eremite, S. Trovaso, Dorsoduro Tele: 041 522 7151. Traditional Venetian cuisine. Moderately priced. Friendly service. Not far from the Campo San Barnaba.

Antiche Carampane, Rio tera delle Carampane Tele: 41 524 0165. Cuisine: Seafood. Price: Moderate to expensive. Not easy to find, but overall I had a pleasant time and well worth a stimulating walk to find the restaurant. Reservations advisable.   

Ai Quattro Ferri, Calle Lunga San Barnaba 2754/a Dorsoduro   Tele: 041 520 6978. Popular osteria. Great seafood and moderately priced. Reservations advisable.

Cantinon gia Schiave, Fondamenta Nani, Dorsoduro (across from the San Trovaso Gondola repair shop and around the corner from the Academia). One of the best bacari in Venice. You buy these little crostini topped with different toppings for a couple of Euros and you can buy excellent wine by glass. You can also order a sandwich if you wish. In all you can’t beat the price. You do stand up because there are no tables, but that is part of charm. Very popular with locales.

La Furatola, Calle Lunga San Barnaba, Dorsoduro Tele: 041 520 8594. Simple decor with delectable  seafood dishes. Friendly staff. Reasonably priced. Reservation are advisable due to the fact it’s a small restaurant and tends to fill up quickly.

Muro Vino e Cucina, Campo Cesare Battisti, San Polo Tele: 41 523 7495. Traditional Venetian dishes with a twist. I had such an enjoyable time. You start off with a complimentary glass of prosecco, which I love and a small starter. Moderately priced, friendly and professional service.

Osteria Alla Staff, Calle de l’Ospealeto, Castello Tele: 41 5239160. Family run. Popular with the locales. Reasonably priced and good simple meals. A nice place to stop off for lunch after visiting San Giovanni e Paolo.

Ostaria al Garanghelo, Calle dei Botteri, San Polo Tele: 41 721 721. Excellent and quite reasonable osteria/bacaro. I stop in for lunch and had wonderful time. Both the meal and service were excellent.

Ristoteca Oniga, Campo San Barnaba, Dorsoduro Tele: 041 522 4410. Traditional Venetian cuisine. Family run restaurant. Great food, terrific service and nice ambiance.

Paolin, Campo Santo Stefano 2962, San Marco. If you are in the mood for homemade ice cream than this is the place to come. Sit down at one of the outdoor tables, order a scoop or two of delicious homemade ice cream and enjoy not only the ice cream, but the splendid setting and the beautiful gothic church of S. Stefano.

ZAGAT TO GO for Pocket PC - Restaurant and Entertainment is ideal to have because the information is stored on your PDA making looking up a restaurant quick and easy. There is a nifty feature called  “add to calendar” that will automatically add all the relevant information - name of  restaurant, address and phone number - to your personal calendar. If you really liked the restaurant you can mark it as a favorite for future reference.

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