Eating in Venice
Just a brief follow-up from my last blog on my first impressions of Venice I thought to discuss another one of the most pressing issues on my mind whilst living in this city – Venetian food! Below I’ve made a list of the places to shop in the city, my favourite cafes and unfortunately for want of funds, other people’s favourite restaurants. I don’t consider myself a connoisseur on any accounts but if you’re planning on visiting Venice anytime in the near future then I hope you’ll find this helpful.
Food Shopping:
Prix – This is my go-to shop for my weekly food haul primarily because it’s the cheapest supermarket in Venice (I’d say it’s the equivalent to Aldi). Although the food isn’t of the greatest quality the absurdly cheap €2 bottles of red more than make up for this. The Prix where I live on the Lido is fairly small however there are quite a few larger ones on Venice if you’d like more of a selection.
Coop – Although this supermarket seems to be the most popular one in Venice it’s actually the one I’ve been to the least – the produce is nicer than what you’ll find in Prix and accordingly the prices are more expensive so I’d rate this shop as an equivalent to Tesco in the rankings.
Conad – If Prix is Aldi and Coop is Tesco then Conad ranks as a Sainsbury’s – the crème de la crème of Venetian supermarkets. The prices are a lot steeper than the other two but you won’t find as great a variety or quality of food. Conad’s have their own bakeries, fish and meat counters as well as a great selection of cheeses from all over Italy. You’re also more likely to find your favourite snacks in there if you have a sudden craving for them while in Venice – if so you know where to head.
Cafes and Snacks:
Forini – This is one of the first places I stopped off for lunch in Venice and I still go back now and then for a quick bite to eat at a cheap price– it’s on the far side of the Rialto going away from San Marco on the way towards Dorsoduro and it’s hard to miss with its display full of freshly-baked goods. The coffee is only extremely well-priced at around €1.50 and they also have a bakery inside which is constantly churning out delicious looking breads and pastries to have alongside your morning coffee.
Pizza Al Volo – Hands down one of the most delicious and convenient pizzerias I’ve been to since my time in Venice and it was pointed out to me by my Italian buddies so it’s a favourite of the locals too; the slices are huge, and only €1-2 each, they have a great selection, it’s open late, it’s in Campo Margarita (student district) so cheap drinks aren’t too far away. It’s a no brainer.
Orient Express II – The Orient Express is just a few metres down from Pizza al Volo in Campo Margarita and it’s one of the very few place in Venice you’ll find that serves Middle-Eastern style cuisine at a reasonable price. The food is presented in a buffet style where you pay can anywhere between €6-10 euro for a plate and you can decide what to have a wide selection of delicious dishes. If you’re a houmous and falafel fan then check out this space.
Café Noir – This café is in the student district of the city just a short walk down from the main university (Ca’Foscari). One of our Italian buddies suggested going here for a few drinks in the evening and the sandwiches are some of the best I’ve had in Venice, reasonably priced, generously sized fillings, lots of selection and a great atmosphere.
Pasticceria Rosa Salva – This café is situated in Campo San Giovanni e Paolo and is the more expensive of the ones I have mentioned however it also serves the most delicious food – pastries, cakes, sandwiches and it also has a large outdoor seating area looking onto the rest of the Campo. We’ve been told the hot chocolate in Italy was a definite must-try and it didn’t disappoint, if you ever end up in this campo whilst visiting Venice make sure to try out this place.
Fine Dining:
Osteria Da Carla – Recommended by my brother, is a great family-owned restaurant just off of Palazzo San Marco although he warns that it says ‘Pietro Panizzolo’ above the door which can be confusing. The pricing is very reasonable and in particular he recommends to get a few plates of cichetti (Venetian tapas) from the bar and a glass of valpolicella ripasso (tasty regional red wine).
Da Mamo – My friends family dined here a couple of weeks ago and would definitely recommend it for any sea-food lovers. Situated just a few minutes’ walk from Rialto bridge, it has a very cosy atmosphere, cheerful staff and great quality food at a decent price.
Cheap Refillable Wine:
^^^ For anyone who was caught by this header I just wanted to say a quick note on the numerous shops across the city that sell wine which essentially means loose wine. How this is works is that you invest in a 1ltr glass bottle for a meagre fee of €1-2 and you can keep coming back to these shops to get it filled with a selection of good quality local wines for as cheap as €1.50. For students this is a god-send however even if you aren’t on a strict budget it’s still worth trying out wine sfuso-style if you’re interested in trying a variety of locally-produced wines so you can experiment with different flavours and get a sense for your favourites.
Hope you found this helpful, if you’d like to know anything else food-related in Venice then drop me a message below.
Till then x
