The best dishes to try in Venice

Venice is well known for its architectural gems, romantic canals and gondola rides. It is also a great city for food lovers as there are many good restaurants, trattorie and traditional wine bars (“bacari”) that serve delectable Venetian specialties that the city is famous for. Here is our pick of the best traditional dishes to try.

Venice

Polenta and schie 

Smooth corn polenta is a perfect match for tiny gray shrimps called “schie” from the Venetian lagoon. In the old days, poor fishermen ate the schie that were left at the end of the day from their catch. Today, some of the best eateries have this dish on their menu.

Sarde in saor

A typical Venetian sweet-sour dish made with fried sardines marinated in vinegar, onions, raisins and pine nuts. Its origins go back to medieval times when sailors and fishermen had to store fish for months away in the sea. Nowadays, it is served as an appetizer in many restaurants and bacari.

Sarde in Saor

Bigoli in Salsa

This simple wholegrain pasta dish with onions and salted sardines has been on Venetian tables since La Serenissima republic times. Today, it is more common to use anchovies instead of sardines.

Moeche 

If you happen to be in Venice in spring or late fall, do not miss this seafood delicacy. Moeche are soft shell crabs that are deep fried and served on their own, with a salad or polenta. 

Risi e Bisi

Risi e bisi 

Like most of Venetian food, this rice, pancetta, onions and green peas dish has a long history. For centuries, it used to be served in the Doges Palace on April 25, St. Mark’s Day. Many local restaurants offer risi e bisi all year around, however, to make sure you are getting the best quality, order it only in spring when green peas are in season.

Baicoli

Locals eat these dry biscuits dipped in coffee, dessert wines or zabaione cream. You can find them in restaurants or traditional bakeries in Venice. Centuries ago, baicoli were an important part of sailors’ ration during long journeys in the sea. 

Photos via Flickr by: Juan Salmoral, Cristina Rigutto, Wei-Duan Woo.

The Doge’s Palace

The Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale) is one of the top attractions in Venice where you can easily spend many hours wondering around surrounded by the Gothic splendour. Centrally located on the Piazza San Marco, the palace was the seat of the Venetian Republic’s government and the Doge’s residence for many centuries. 

Palazzo Ducale

The current building was constructed in the 14 -15^th centuries and became a museum in 1923. The Doge’s Palace with its lavish interior décor, vast halls and priceless artworks by Venetian masters attract over a million visitors every year.

Before entering the palace, linger outside admiring its exterior with Istrian marble columns, arching windows, elaborate pink Verona marble patterns.

Scala dei Giganti

Scala dei Giganti, the impressive staircase flanked by statues of the gods Mars and Neptune leads to the main floor in the palace. The Chamber of the Great Council, built in the 14th century was where the lower house of the Venetian Parliament gathered. Measuring 53 meters in length and 25 meters in width, this is the largest room in the Doge’s Palace. The room could accommodate up to 1800 citizens entitled to vote. Here you can see Paradise by Tintoretto, the world’s largest oil painting, reaching twenty-two metres in length. The ceiling was painted by another Venetian master, Veronese.

The Council Chamber

On the second floor is the Council Chamber, one of the most spectacular chambers in the palace. Here the Doge received the most important state visitors. Here you can spend a long time admiring  the ceiling painted by Veronese as well as his stunning depiction of the Battle of Lepanto above the tribune and works by Tintoretto. The museum itinerary also includes the Doge’s apartments with exquisite painted ceilings, ornate fireplaces and paintings by Titian and Giovanni Bellini.

On a private tour you can also visit the underground dimly lit prison (“pozzi”) and see the cell where the infamous Casanova was kept captive and from which he eventually escaped.

Photos via Flickr by: Isabel Moguer, Kars Alfrink, Andrew Stawarz.

Sestiere Cannaregio

Cannaregio is one of the six sestieri, or districts, of Venice located in the north of the city where you can get away from the maddening crowds and enjoy authentic Venetian life.

The area was settled in the 15th century, so Renaissance left a significant mark on Cannaregio’s planning making it more luminous and spacious than other sestieri. The great masters Titian and Tintoretto lived here.

Cannaregio

The Strada Nova opened in the 19th century is the main street in Cannaregio and the longest street in Venice. Here you will find many quaint shops, ice cream parlours, small bakeries and green grocers. The neighbourhood is home to the Jewish Ghetto with its five beautiful synagogues. The stunning Renaissance Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli that has been recently restored is also located here. 

Another gem that is worth a visit is the Gothic Madonna dell'Orto Church built in the 14th century in red bricks with contrasting white stone decorations. Inside you can admire spectacular paintings by Tintoretto, who is also buried here.

Madonna dell'Orto

The famous Ca' d'Oro, one of the most beautiful palaces on the Grand Canal is found in Cannaregio. One of the best example of gothic architecture in Venice, the palace’s facade was once covered in gold (hence the name “golden house”). Today, the beautiful palace is home to the Galleria Giorgio Franchetti alla Ca' d'Oro. Stunning Ca' Vendramin Calergi and Palazzo Labia are also located in Cannaregio and are worth a visit.

Check out the charming small square Campo dei Mori with its pretty Palazzo del Cammello and three turbaned statues that, according to a local legend, are three brothers turned to stone as a punishment for their greed. 

Ca' d'Oro

In Cannaregio you will find some of the best Venetian bacari, typical small bars where local enjoy wine and snacks called “cicheti”. Alla Vedova (Cannaregio, 3912, Ramo Ca' d'Oro) serves delicious polpette (pork meatballs) and Venetian tripe. In Cantina Vecia Carbonera (2328, Cannaregio) try local artichokes and tiny panini with gorgonzola and leek. 

Photos via Flickr by: Rick Payette, Nick Bramhall, Jean-Pierre Dalbéra.

Drinking the wine of Venetian nobles on Mazzorbo

Although located only a short vaporetto ride from Venice, the little-known island of Mazzorbo seems like worlds away. With only a few couple of hundred resident it is hard to believe that 1000 years ago Mazzorbo was a lively settlement with thousands of inhabitants.

Mazzorbo

The island is connected to its more famous neighbour, Burano, with a long wooden footbridge and sees very few visitors. Winston Churchill used to come here with his easel to paint. Today, only the most curious tourists and people in the know arrive to this peaceful backwater to stroll along Mazzorbo’s few streets, wonder off to see cultivated fields and views over the lagoon, admire the 8^th century Church of Santa Caterina and … drink the local wine that Venetian nobles used to love. 

Venissa Vineyard

Wine connoisseurs know Mazzorbo for Scarpa Volo, the ancient estate encircled by medieval walls, which has been lovingly restored by the Bisol family, well-respected prosecco wine producers. The Bisols have been making wine for 21 generations and stepped in to save the local vineyard a decade ago. Once a thriving farm with fruit orchards, a vegetable garden, fishpond and vines had been in decay for centuries when the new owners arrived. They restored the estate and put all their energy into reviving la Dorona, the “golden grape” as it was called by the Doges of Venice, which had been 

forgotten for a long time. 

It is not an easy task to keep a vineyard on Mazzorbo: the constant threat of high water (“l’aqua alta”) and elevated salt levels of the soil limit production. As a consequence, the yield from the vines here is one of the lowest in the world. Every year between four and five thousand bottles of Venissa, highly prized white wine, as well as red, are produced in the vineyard. The wine is sold in gold foil embellished bottles hand-made by a Murano glass master. The vineyard has a simple hotel and a restaurant where gourmet and wine connoisseurs flock to enjoy exquisite food and the ancient wine.

Photos by: Michael Day/Flickr, Venissa/Facebook.

Sestiere San Polo

The smallest of the six neighborhood (called “sestieri”) in Venice San Polo is also one of the oldest parts of the city. Spending a few hours here is like stepping back in time to discover La Serenissima’s past.

Rialto Bridge

Cross the Rialto Bridge, the oldest one to span the Grand Canal, from San Marco to explore the Rialto Market that has been here since the end of the 12th century. Make sure you arrive early in the morning before the hordes of tourists arrive, so you can enjoy a peaceful stroll between the stalls piled up high with fresh local fruit, vegetables, fish and listen to vendors banter with locals. 

The Campo San Polo is the second-largest square in Venice, after Piazza San Marco, once the venue for bullfights, masked balls and a market. Spend a few minutes here to admire the elegant palaces and 9th century Church of San Polo, which gave name to the sestiere and where you will find works by Tiepolo and Veronese. 

San Giacomo di Rialto

The city’s oldest church is located in this neighborhood. The Chiesa di San Giacomo di Rialto was supposedly consecrated in the 5th century, although it was re-built in 1097. Other attractions in the area are the Church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari with its important paintings by Titian and the Scuola Grande di San Rocco decorated with a famous cycle of paintings by Tintoretto.

Cichetti

San Polo is renowned for its small artisan shops, typical venetian osterie called bacari and some excellent restaurants. Make sure to do a bacari crawl to taste the best “cichetti”, local appetizers, accompanied by “ombra”, a small glass of wine. All’ Arco (Calle Arco, San Polo, 436) is located a few steps from the Rialto Fish Market and serves delectable appetizers with prawns, shrimps and squid. Cantina Do Mori (Calle dei Do Mori, San Polo, 429) is one of the oldest bacari in the city that 

the famous Casanova used to frequent. 

Photos via Flickr by: Paul Arps, Damian Entwistle, Sam Posnick.

The Jewish Ghetto

The Jewish Ghetto (Il Ghetto) is one Venice’s quieter, less touristy neighbourhoods steeped in history. In 1516 the world’s first walled off Jewish community was instituted. Hundreds of Jews were locked on the small island patrolled by guards at night and only allowed to leave during the day for work in the city. They were allowed to run pawnshops, lend money for a very low commission, sell textiles and practice medicine. Despite the restrictions, Venice was still considered a safe heaven, attracting Jews from fleeing the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal, so the Ghetto grew. 

Ghetto - Canal View

With the densest population in the city, the Jewish community was allowed to build the tallest buildings in Venice with the synagogues on the top floors. In 1797, after Napoleon’s arrival the Ghetto’s gates were open but the complete liberation came only in 1866 when the Italian state was established.

Today only 30 Jews live in the former ghetto with several hundred others residing in other parts of Venice. However, Il Ghetto has remained virtually unchanged since the 16^th century and become the centre of Jewish life in the city. There are two synagogues built in the 1500s that are still open for worshipping, an old people’s home, library, kosher guesthouse, two restaurants and a bakery where matzo, unleavened traditional bread is still baked in an ancient wood oven. There is also a small Jewish museum (Museo Ebraico) with an excellent collection of exhibits telling the history of Venetian Jewish community. You can see ornate silver Hanukkah lamps, Torah scrolls, beautiful wedding contracts in Hebrew.

Campo de Gheto Novo

Make sure to stop at one of the restaurants in the area. The famous Gam-Gam serves excellent traditional Jewish dishes such as matza ball soup, shnitzel and massa’bacha. Another good place to sample Venetian and Jewish cuisine is the Kosher Club Le Balthazar (Campo di Ghetto Nuovo, 30121) with its peaceful elegant courtyard.

Photos via Flickr by: Szilveszter Farkas, Joanna Penn.

Cortina d’Ampezzo

Within a 3-hour drive from Venice lies the glamorous Alpine resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo. With 140km of ski runs, it is a popular destination for winter sports enthusiasts in winter. In summer months, keen hikers and mountain bikers arrive to the town to explore the vertiginous mountain trails with stunning panoramas across the Dolomite peaks. Even if you are not feeling fit enough to take on the rocky heights on foot, you can still reach the mountain peaks using cable-cars and buses.

Cortina 

You will not need much time to get familiar with Cortina, as the town is small with the main sights concentrated along the compact cosy town centre. Check out the pretty 18th century Church of Santi Filippo e Giacomo which belltower rising above the town’s rooftops. There is a modern Art Gallery and Palaeontological Museum both conveniently located in the same building and are certainly worth a look. You can also visit military sites and tunnels where battles were fought during the World War I. 

A chic resort for selected rich tourists since the 19th century, Cortina d’Ampezzo shot to fame after hosting the Winter Olympics in 1956. You will see photographs of the Games in many local restaurants, hotels and shops with the Olympic logo still proudly displayed at the stadium (Stadio del Ghiaccio ) which nowadays serves as a public skating rink.

Cortina

Corso Italia, the most popular street in the town, is lined up with glitzy upmarket boutiques, souvenir shops and trendy wine bars. Treat yourself to a meal in one of Cortina’s excellent restaurants that serve modern and traditional dishes. For a meal with a view head to one of mountain refuges and farms that offer hearty meals made with strictly local ingredients. El Brite de Larieto, a dairy farm surrounded by spectacular peaks, serves delicious meat and cheese. At Rifugio Scoiattoli you can order homemade pasta with blueberries and other traditional dishes with a twist.

Photos via Flickr by: Mariani Malinowski, Hans Porochelt.