For over 20 years, Pamela Lanier's Venice, Italy Travel Guide has been your connection to Venice's tourism community with invaluable details on local attractions, restaurants, shopping, museums, history, outdoor recreation and more.
Dining
Venetian cuisine is based largely on seafood, and one of the most representative dishes is fish risotto in a variety of forms. The most dramatic is the risotto alle seppie, made with cuttlefish cooked in its own ink. The seasonings used are also simple but tasty: olive oil, vinegar, garlic, parsley and herbs. Other traditional dishes in Venice include the subtle flavors of polenta, fresh and simple tagliatelle with scallops, turbot with pungent spices and crisp vegetables, the local scampo, their flavor far outshining what Americans know as scampi, and sweet, buttery fritole. Don’t limit your dining to formal restaurants; some of the city’s best food can be had at trattorias or osteria, the local taverns serving appetizers and drinks, and occasionally a full menu. Most restaurants open between 7-7:30pm and reservations, particularly during summer, are recommended.
One classic worth visiting, if just for a drink: Harry’s Bar, the legendary restaurant and cafè owned by Arrigo Cipriani, the favorite of Hemingway in his day. The list of famous people who have frequented Harry's Bar is long and includes Arturo Toscanini, Guglielmo Marconi, Charlie Chaplin, Orson Welles, Truman Capote, Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Aristotle Onassis, Barbara Hutton, Peggy Guggenheim, Woody Allen, and most of the today’s latest Hollywood stars. While you’re there, pick up a cookbook!
Guest Editor: Molly Craig
