Restaurants, Osteria & Trattoria
For more substantial meals you might want to choose an osteria, trattoria, pizzeria or ristorante. Osteria and Trattoria are the terms for somewhat rustic restaurants, although nowadays there is little difference between them. Ristorante are usually posher and more formal than the others. Here are a few of our favourites.
Beautifully prepared Venetian cuisine very close to Rialto. They serve all the classics and are a favourite of both locals & visitors. The seafood antipasto is particularly good.
Enjoy a plate of cured meats and cheese on the beautiful Campo Santa Margherita, packed with locals. We love this place!
Family-run restaurant in the Arsenale area that serves Venetian food with a Sicilian twist. We always enjoy ourselves here.
If you ask our children for their favourite restaurant they always choose Vecia Gina! Play in the nearby park in Sant’Elena. Then have a pizza on the terrace.
A huge pizzeria just off Saint Mark’s square. Slightly touristy but decent food. Easy with children or large parties.
One of our favourites. More suitable for older children. Incredible menu & impeccable service. Watch the chefs while you eat in this tiny gem!
If you want a change from Italian food, this is the best place in town for sushi. Either eat there, take away, or order it to be delivered.
This wonderful restaurant is family-friendly while also serving delicious, seasonal food. Fantastic menu and charming staff.
These two restaurants in town are perfect for families – they have a wide range of food (pizza, pasta, salads, fish) and a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.
Relaxed restaurant with wonderful “antipasto” starters and a good range of food next to a charming canal.
Bored of Venetian food? Head to this elegant restaurant for a taste of Southern Italian food. Kids can run around the square while you relax.
This place serves great food. It’s a typical Venetian “osteria” with wooden tables and local dishes. Good place to go if you want to try some of the classic dishes. Scrumptious meatballs!
A very traditional trattoria that serves lunchtime menus for the local workers. Really down-to-earth simple but delicious food.
Get away from the tourists and find this traditional “ciccheteria” in the heart of Castello. Only a short distance from San Marco.
This is the best place to eat with kids on Torcello island. A garden, edible plates, a play area and a few goats too!
Close to the major sights. This small, traditional Venetian Osteria serves “cicchetti” as well as more substantial dishes. There’s a small dining room and a few tables outside.
The perfect summer relax – pizza or seafood on the beach while the kids have fun in the playground on the sand.
A wonderful place just behind Rialto – one of our regular lunch venues. Chaotic and always crowded with a wide selection of foods that you choose at the bar.
Have a peaceful lunch on this farming island in the lagoon – incredible food, fantastic play area for kids, and stunning views.
Escape into the lagoon to the incredible island of Pellestrina to enjoy a wonderful lunch in a beautiful garden. Closed during winter.
All the locals flock to Sant’Erasmo during summer to swim. Eat here on the deck with fabulous views of the lagoon. For an adventure take their boat service during winter weekends!
Pellestrina is magical in the summer – escape here for a different perspective of the Venetian lagoon and enjoy a lunch or dinner at Memo.