Have fun! Just remember what we told you - skip the pizza!

and if you must, absolutely must have pizza, it should only be at Aciugeta in Piazza San Giacomo, or at a Napoletano pizza chain that recently opened in Venice called Rosso Pomodoro. Those are the only two worth even considering, but it's much wiser to avoid the pizza.

Pizza?? Fuggedaboutit!

Great thread. Just booked a trip to Venice for 3 nights in February as part of my honeymoon. Thanks for all the advice!

Updates and feedback coming soon!

One quick question: Has anyone (specifically Perche) been to Ai Barbacani??

I'm having difficulty getting a read on this place. I have a double reservation here and at Da Ignazio on the same night and I can't decide which to cancel. I just wanted to check in and ask if anyone's been to Barbacani? We made only one mistake on this trip so far and it was in not following Perche's advice re. Assassini, which we walked out of the other night (more on that and every other restaurant when I'm back in the States!) ... I just don't want to get suckered into a repeat. There were plenty of signs right off the bat: no fish/seafood on menu (despite a crab logo prominently featured below the name of the establishment), gluten-free pasta highlighted in English (definitely not a thing in Italy!) and our fluently English waiter couldn't offer one single wine recommendation. Barbacani, by comparison, looks much better in every respect; I see traditional Venetian dishes on the menu, fish appears to be fresh in photos, pasta appears housemade and I even prefer the old world ambience. I feel kind of dumb that even with all of my research we still somehow ended up at a tourist trap but with eleven nights total, I suppose one misfire isn't too bad. Lesson learned: always heed Perche's advice!!!

Anyhow, please advice on Barbacani if anyone is familiar... grazie mille!

Da Ignazio is better than Barbacani. Also, right near Barbacani is Alle Testiere (which means the headboard of a bed), where you can get a great meal.

I haven't been to Barbacani, but if you don't get a better answer in time, here is my take going through my "process" on whether to visit some place without a personal rec. FWIW, this is how I'd break it down for a travel client, and also how I'd do it for my own travel plans:

1. Website is primarily in Italian. Menu page has some poor English translations. This is a positive mark because it tells me that they're marketing to Italian clientele.

2. Menu itself has lots of typical Venetian cuisine and is seafood-heavy. However, there are some pan-Italian dishes that tourists expect as well (prosciutto e melone, ragu bolognese, a couple of steaks). I'm good with this, they are in Venice and trying to offer some safe dishes for visitors, but it indicates that other tourists will be there. FWIW, there are many things on this menu that appeal to me and make me think Venice.

3. The location is borderline. It's not right on the general path between Rialto and Piazza San Marco. It sits right on the San Marco-Castello border. However, taking #3 in context with #2, it's not a tourist trap. If it were, a restaurant in that location would have a more tourist-oriented menu, probably in more languages.

4. Finally, they are closed Mondays. Their operating hours are what I'd call typical for Italians, and not for tourists: 12.00/14.30 e 18.00/22.00.

I would likely eat here, not taking other options into consideration. If I'm just looking at this place and not comparing to anything else, it'd make the cut. Of course, even local restaurants with local clientele can suck, and that's where first hand opinions come in, but in the absence of that this would be a place that I would visit.

I am by no means the Venice expert on this forum, but if Perche doesn't get to you in time, this is my process. It does not speak to better options around it, only to the evaluation of the restaurant itself.

EDIT: You got a more definitive answer one post up.

Thanks so much to the both of you!

I wish we'd tried Barbacani as our "wild card" the other night, instead of Assassini!

I guess we'll honor our res at Ignazio and cancel Barbacani. I'm sure the latter is a fine restaurant for all the reasons noted above and it looks like a fun table if you book the canal-side seat on their tiny "terrazzo". I had a feeling that Ignazio would be the better kitchen since they're part of that local consortium and highlighted on trusted apps like Eat Italy. We'll give it a shot!

We've already eaten at Testiere btw and it was wonderful; I think it was my wife's favorite so far (with Covo following in close second).

Ciao for now!

PS - The one revelation we took away from Assassini the other night is that Americans are not exclusively ignorant tourists; or not necessarily dumber than any other tourists, I should say. We watched tables full of Italian speaking tourists eating plates of overcooked pasta straight out of a bag in canned sauces. I don't understand how or why, but I suppose even Europeans can be indifferent to certain things (like good food) when traveling; even if we inherently associate them with local cultures and traditions. It's not the first time we've spotted Italians enjoying themselves in obvious tourist traps. As an aside, I should take it as a compliment that we've been stopped at least 4 times this past week by older well-dressed Italian gentlemen amidst throngs of pedestrians, asking for directions in Italian- assuming we weren't American, perhaps due to the way we look. 😎

Here's a photo of me playing pink handball with some local Venetians outside Ca' Rezzonica... Venice has been conquered by the Norwegians, Austrians, Genoese, the Turks, the Cretes, the French... and now the Canadians! 😀

http://i.imgur.com/LC9p5Nk.jpg

What a great thread. I am going to sit down and read through everything but a few quick
comments.

Timing- trip length. On our last visit to Venice we stayed 2 weeks and it was such a great decision. We had a chance to wander through all of the sestieri and savor Venice.



Timing- time of year. The only time we visit Venice is late October. Not only because we love the weather then and the lack of crowds but because it is Tartufo Bianco season (don't listen to the naysayers- we have had amazing truffles in Venice) Have we experienced some crazy Acqua alta? Yes- but that was really part of the fun. One of our most fun memories was rolling up our slacks and wading through knee high water on Burano to sip wine at little underwater cafes.

I saw your comment about dining with locals. The most we ever experienced that in our multiple trips to Venice was a lunch at alla Madonna. Even though the place was packed, I am pretty sure we were the only American tourists. IIRC there was a large buffet. The food, especially the tiny little fish (I can't remember what they are called)
was excellent.

"We've already eaten at Testiere btw and it was wonderful; I think it was my wife's favorite so far (with Covo following in close second)."

Great to hear. Our son and his wife will be visiting in December and after we discovered that Testiere will be on vacation during their trip they switched to Covo.

That and Antiche Carampane are the 2 on your list that we somehow have missed over the years. They are both on our list for next October.

I'm not sure about the water off of Burano, but I wouldn't wade into aqua alta in Venice. Out in the back canals when on a kayak, when you hear someone flushing the toilet in an apartment above you, you have to quickly get away from the wall and into the middle of the canal, because there will be a tube on the side of the house out of which what is flushed empties out into the canal. Some people say that twice a day high and low tides flush out the lagoon twice a day and the water is not that bad, but in general, it is considered unsanitary to let it touch you.

Katherine Hepburn, in that famous movie filmed in Venice, was shown falling into a canal in Campo San Barnaba in one of the scenes (right down the street from Ca Rezzonico). She got an eye infection from the water that affected her the rest of her life, but the water is cleaner now than it was then. Whenever a Venetian sees a tourist take their shoes off and dangle their feet into the water to cool off, it leads to chuckles.

The forecast doesn't seem to indicate any aqua alta this week, but it is one of my favorite things about Venice. I've been known to get up in the middle of the night to walk in it if that is when it is forecasted. But there are two ways to do it. First, buy a pair of what are called Wellies, or Wellingtons. They are knee high boots like a fly fisherman wears when standing in a stream. Depending on where you get them, they run about 25-30 euros, but you can find them easily in Venice. If there are several days of aqua alta forecasted, that is the way to go. If there is just one day, they have these plastic bag like things that they sell for about 12-15 euros that you pull over your shoes, that go to mid-calf.

I hope you get some hight water this week, because now is the season for it. Also, if you are an adventurous eater, now is one of the only two times of the year when it is Moeche season. It is a pricey but typical dish found nowhere in the world except for Venice, so you might want to check that out.

I was actually told that moeche isn't in season right now, unfortunately. I don't know if it's too early or late in the season but I haven't seen it on a single menu so far and we've been to over a dozen local restaurants already. When I specifically asked about it at Covo last week, I was told that it's not in season yet. Too bad... I was looking forward to it and I've been curious as to how it'd compare to what I had in Kanazawa.

That's too bad. They are available for a brief spell in the spring and fall. The specific date varies, based on the weather, with warmer summers tending to delay their appearance.

OT for Perche:

I know this has been exhausted and you've stressed that gratuities are not customary in Italy, but I have to say that I've never experienced anything quite like our stay at the Gritti Palace. I would like to express my utmost thanks to the room manager in particular, who we now consider a friend more than a member of staff. He went above and beyond, upgrading us twice to the top suites on property, and adorning us with gifts every single evening: bottles of wine and prosecco (the good stuff too- arranged by their terrific sommelier who we've also got to know personally; no cheap generic bottles!) checking in with us on a daily basis in the friendliest and most sincere way with no pretensions at all... This was far and away the best experience I've ever had at any property. This person is not Italian btw. He's originally from Portugal and he's worked at properties in Spain and New York. I'm not sure whether a generous tip would be considered appropriate in this instance but I'd welcome any input as this person really elevated our stay. I have to say that I feel similarly towards a couple of the concierge staff as well - we were treated like family throughout our stay. I plan to write personal letters to Starwood management but I feel guilty leaving without some personal acknowledgement. Would tipping really be considered inappropriate and what do you suggest as an alternative? This was genuinely not your typical hotel stay... unless the Gritti Palace is simply the most exceptional and special hotel in the world. We've stayed in small family ryokans and inns around the world where we shared meals, drinks and conversation with the owners, and yet we somehow feel closer to the staff at the Gritti than any other property we've visited. I should probably be asleep now as it's 2 am and we leave for Marco Poli in 3 hours but I wanted to get some feedback with the added context of our experience. Any thoughts or suggestions?