A Cosy, Yet Romantic Italian Restaurant and other Venice, Italy Restaurant Reviews

Restaurant Name: Ristorante da Raffaele

The RISTORANTE DA RAFFAELE gets my full vote.

The large fireplace inside the restaurant and its collection of armor adds a tinge of rustic charm to the whole atmosphere... which is great if you're looking to dine at a nice place. In summer, you can even choose to dine al fresco style by the canal.... and be serenaded by passing gondoliers in their magnificent gondolas.

If you are a guest at the moderately-priced Hotel Do Pozzi, you will be given a 10% discount on the a la cārte menu. This country tavern-styled hotel is only a short stroll away from the famed Piazza San Marco.

Please note: The restaurant is closed from mid-December to February (during winter).

Favorite Dish: If you want to try real Venetian cuisine, this is the place!

You can choose from a wide variety of courses available from the fixed price or a la carte menus. I had Antipasti, followed by delicious Scampi. My friend gobbled down the equally mouth-watering deep fried fish dish. Their dessert is to die-for! My tiramisu was simply mama-mia!

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Theme: Italian
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Phone: 0415232317.
Address: Calle Larga XXII Marzo (Fondamenta delle Ostreghe)
Directions: Within walking distance to Piazza San Marco.

Calle Larga XXII Marzo (Fondamenta delle Ostreghe), San Marco 2347

Tel. 0415232317.
Other Contact: Please call to reserve a table!!

Restaurant Name: Antico Martini

Housed in an old historical palace, ANTICO MARTINI - founded in 1720 - serves delicious Venetian cuisine. I first patronized this restaurant almost a decade ago with my girlfriends. My 2nd visit to this fabled restaurant was in 2001 and the quality of food is still as delicious as ever.

The restaurant boasts of illustrious diners like Lord Byron, Casanova, Goethe, Balzac, Goldoni, Guardi, Voltaire, Rousseau, Verdi, Dickens, Proust, D'Annunzio, Ibsen, De Chirico, Le Courbousier, Hemingway, Sartre, Stravinsky, Rubinstein, Cocteau, Ungaretti, Montale, Marinetti, princess Margaret, Bernstein, Laurence Olivier and all the Venetian and Italian aristocracy.

Impressive list. I guess we should count ourselves honored to be dining in the same restaurant as these men & women.

Well, considering the amount of money you have to pay for a meal like that.... everything else had better impress! ;-)

Favorite Dish: I can recommend you what I ate (and enjoyed) O.K.? Try their Leek & Angler-fish Soup and Pasta with "bruscandoli" & Scampi. I know, I know... I'm a boring person. I seem to choose the same dish wherever I go - always.

Their hot Apple Pie is the best I've tasted thus far! Order it for your dessert.

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Theme: Italian
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: +39 041 5237027
Address: Campo San Fantin, San Marco 1983
Directions: If you lose your way...., just ask the way to "Teatro La Fenice". The restaurant is at the corner - on the right hand side.
Website: http://www.anticomartini.com

Restaurant Name: Harry's Bar

There are many great restaurants in Venice. But none can compare with HARRY'S BAR. For Harry's Bar is the birthplace of the Bellini drink and the delicious (and much-copied) Carpaccio dish!

For the absolutely clueless, the Bellini drink consists of a mixture of white peach juice and sparkling prosecco, named after the fifteenth-century Venetian painter - Giovanni Bellini.

The Carpaccio is a plate of trimmed sirloin sliced wafer thin beef - dressed with a Jackson Pollock spray of mayonnaise mixed with lemon juice. It was specially concocted for an Italian Contessa (Countess) who was on a diet and I believe, anti-cooked meat. ;-) Like the Bellini, the Carpaccio dish was named after an Italian painter, Vittore Carpaccio.

Back to this legendary restaurant: Famous past diners include Ernest Hemingway (American writer), Maria Callas & Aristotle Onassis, Orson Welles, Aga Khan, Nicole Kidman and Helen Hunt amongst others.

And now, follow me up to the 2nd level for dinner.... (the ground floor is where the Bar is located).

Favorite Dish: If you come to Harry's Bar for dinner, you must be prepared to pay through your nose. The very first time we visited the restaurant (in the mid-1990s) with my girlfriends, they almost threw me into the lagoon when they saw the prices in the menu. But it was too late... so we had no choice but to go ahead and order some dishes. Fortunately for us, and being women, the waiter kinda believed us when we groaned that we were actually on a very strict diet. So, at the time, we ordered only soup and dessert. It wasn't cheap but I survived my girlfriends' wrath and lived to tell this story! ;-)

My most recent visit to Harry's Bar was in the summer of 2001. This time, a lovely guy paid for the entire meal. And so, I truly enjoyed this meal!

My recommendations:

Harry's Bar Minestrone Soup is molto bello. No wonder. Be prepared to fork out almost EUR 20.00 for the soup. Not joking.

My favorite Scampi all'Armoricaine (remember, I always order this dish) costs slightly over EUR 50.00 per dish. The must-try Carpaccio alla Cipriani dish which I shared with the guy I was with - cost approx. EUR 50.00.

If you have a full course meal (soup, antipasti, main dish, dessert, coffee, bellini) - expect to pay approx. EUR 180.00 (minimum) PER PERSON. If you drink wine... it'll cost more naturally.

Don't panic. I know the cost of a humble meal here can bankrupt a normal person.... So, come only for dinner to celebrate big events like birth of baby, engagement, weddings etc.

Because Harry's Bar boasts of an international clientele (including Asians - like the Japanese and Chinese), their Daily Menu comes with the exchange rate for 9 major currencies!!

Inspite of all these little signs that this restaurant is not going to be a cheap place to dine in, tourists and foreigners still throng to Harry's Bar whenever they come to Venice!

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Theme: Italian
Comparison: most expensive
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: 041 5285777
Address: San Marco 1323 Calle Vallaresso

Restaurant Name: Fast Food will be your best bet

Venice is not just for the well-to-do or those who can afford to travel. If you happen to be on a super-tight budget, do not despair. There are still places for you to find good food.

If you haven't already noticed, Venice boasts of numerous bars and fast food restaurants that sells panini (sandwiches), pizza and other delicious bar food and fast food for the BUDGET conscious.

You will definitely spend less than EUR 10.00 for a basic meal i.e. burger, fries and Coke.

I actually ate at the American burger joint, 'Wendy's' one lunch time - as I was in a desperate rush for time. Wendy's is located just a 3-minute walk away from St Mark's Square.

Favorite Dish: No favorites. It's just plain old fast food - burgers and sandwiches.

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Theme: Fast Food
Comparison: least expensive
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Address: Around Piazza San Marco area