Originally Posted by
sydunipete
My recommendations are to try some of the cichetti bars near Rialto for some tasty finger food and a glass of wine. There is actually a food tour you can do of some of the bars and that is a great introduction for a tourist.
Alguibagio is a great restaurant on Fondamenta Nuove, Cannareggio. It's sort of a modern twist in a great setting and certainly not as traditional as many restaurants.
da Fiore is in San Polo and is a pleasant restaurant with character. For those seeking that special evening with their partner there is a tiny little balcony over a small canal. Very romantic!
Spot on. Alguibagio is a place often recommend to lovers on honeymoon or in Venice for an anniversary. But it really only hits the spot if you get an outdoor table on the pier. Otherwise, just doesn't click. That means May to end of September. Indoors, is not the same. You also have to be careful because they have a stand up, fast food restaurant right down the street, with the same name. The food there is horrible. You have to go to the one where you can sit on the pier, next to the Vaporetto stop.
Good cicchetti is not hard to find in Venice, but I agree, the ones near Rialto are some of the best. Just don't eat in a restaurant there. The restaurants near the Rialto Bridge are the worst in the city, with the possible exception of eating in San Marco, where the food is even worse.
Be careful with Da Fiore. It's a great restaurant, but there are 3 restaurants In Venice with the name Da Fiore. There is even one right off of Piazza San Marco, and all the food is frozen and cooked in a microwave, and designed for tourists. The one you mention in San Polo is the right one, but keep in mind that as a Michelin star restaurant, appetizers go for $35-$40, and a pasta also goes for around $40. A main course is generally $50. Or you can get their tasting menu for $140 per person, wine not included. Their cheapest bottle of wine is 52 euros, or about $60. I go there sometimes for lunch, when it is cheaper, but if you go for dinner you will get a great meal for two, it might set you back a few hundred dollars. You don't have tospend that much in Venice to eat well. But at all costs, if you choose to eat at Da Fiore, make you do it at the one you recommend, at San Polo, and not at the other two imposters, especially the one right of of Piazza San Marco.