Not long ago the reliable judges of the Accademia della Cucina
ventured that it was "a rare privilege" to eat well in Venice, and
there's more than an element of truth to Venice's reputation as a
place where mass tourism has produced homogenized menus and
slapdash standards. Venice has fewer good moderately priced
restaurants than any other major Italian city, it has more
really bad restaurants than any other, and in some of the expensive
establishments you're paying not for a fine culinary experience but
for the event of dining in a posh Venetian restaurant. However,
things have been getting better, an improvement due in part to the
efforts of the Ristorante della Buona Accoglienza, an association
of restaurateurs determined to present the best of genuine Venetian
cuisine at sensible prices. In the Venetian context, "sensible"
means in the region of L50,000/€25 per person, but even in the
lower price ranges there are plenty of acceptable little places
hidden away in the city's quieter quarters - and some are rather
more than merely acceptable. And of course, pizza is a
reliable standby if you're watching your budget, though - as with
all restaurants in Venice - the general rule is that places within
two hundred metres of the Piazza get so much tourist traffic that
they don't have much incentive to make an effort.
More than anywhere else in Italy, the division between
bars and restaurants is often difficult to draw. A
distinctive aspect of the Venetian social scene is the
bácaro , which is essentially a bar but also serves a range
of snacks called cicheti (some times spelled ciccheti
); the array will typically include polpette (small beef and
garlic meatballs), carciofini (artichoke hearts),
hard-boiled eggs, anchovies, polipi (baby octopus or squid),
and sun-dried tomatoes, peppers and courgettes cooked in oil. Some
bácari also produce one or two more substantial dishes each
day, such as risotto or seafood pasta. Most bars of this type are
long-established places, but in recent years there's been something
of a bácaro revival, and you're more likely to find a
seating area in these newer establishments; in the older ones it's
more usual to eat standing up, or seated on stools at a ledge.
Virtually all bars will have a selection of plump tramezzini
(sandwiches) at lunch time.
Many of the places we've listed under "Restaurants" have a bar
area on the street side of the dining room, while some of the
"Bars" serve food at tables that's a touch more ambitious than a
plate of sandwiches. We've classified our bars and restaurants
according to which aspect of the business draws most of the
customers, but if you're looking for a simple meal in a particular
area of the city, be sure to check both sets of listings - both are
sub-categorized into areas that match the sections of this
guide.
As enticing as the city's bars are its cafés and
pasticcerie (most of which also serve alcohol), where a
variety of waistline-threatening delicacies are on offer, and there
aren't too many nicer things you can do to your taste buds than hit
them with a coneful of ice cream from Paolin or
Nico . Stocking up for an alfresco lunch, you'll be spoiled
for choice at the stalls of the Rialto and the smaller
markets pitched in a number of Venice's campi, whilst
there's a host of tempting alimentari to supplement
supplies.
As elsewhere in Italy, take-away pizza is all over the
place, but most of it is pretty miserable fare in Venice - you'd be
better advised to sit down in a pizzeria or have a snack in a bar.
The widest range of take-out pizza slices ( pizza al taglio
) and pies is offered by Cip Ciap , across the canal from
the west side of Santa Maria Formosa, at Calle Mondo Nuovo 5799
(9am-9pm; closed Tues) - their spinach and ricotta pie is
especially tasty and filling. Next best choice is the simple
take-away place over on the other side of the Canal Grande at Calle
della Madonetta 1463, a few metres north of Campo San Polo.