Best Veneto and Venice Restaurants

Al Vagon, came close to making our list. A bit unpredictable - sometimes wonderful, sometimes not so much.

Perhaps you may have read elsewhere on the site that my family and I (me, Maria) have lived in Italy, on and off, for well over thirty years. In that time we have discovered some superb restaurants.

Plus, I'm Italian and know good food, as my mother and aunts are the best "chefs" you will ever meet. Way better than any of those fancy Michelin "celebrity chefs.".  When you leave my mamma's home, you've eaten great food, and you can't eat another thing. When I leave a Michelin restaurant, I usually leave hungry and wondering what the heck I just ate.

If it isn't as good as my mamma's cooking, it's no good!

So the restaurants I choose must meet my mamma's standards, and no Michelin-starred restaurant in Venice or elsewhere will receive her approval. If those types of restaurants are what you are looking for, you can stop reading now.

These restaurants I feature don’t cater to the tourist trade but to locals, and you won’t find many of them in any guidebook—except perhaps in those catering to Italians.

What you will find are excellent restaurants serving local recipes and using only fresh seasonal ingredients. You will find that the prices are a lot better than those in St. Mark's Square and other such tourist traps.

Italians often think foreigners only understand pizza and pasta, but though I am Italian, I know that isn't true. I have met many Americans, Brits, Australians, Germans, and others who love and understand Italian food. My husband is a perfect case in point; although not Italian, he is now a fanatical fan of authentic Italian regional cuisines.

I know that if you are still reading at this point, you too are one of those people who won't accept the bland tourist menus that so many restaurants in Venice and elsewhere shove down one's throat. I know that you realise that these are a dumbing down of Italian cuisine, that they often include dishes like spaghetti bolognese or spaghetti alfredo that are not even Italian.

So read on for the real Italy...

Restaurants in Venice

• The Osteria Anice Stellato

• Trattoria alla Vedova (Ca D'Oro)

• The Antico Dolo Restaurant 

• Trattoria Dona Onesta We haven't written a review on this one yet, but it is lovely, from the setting to the service to the food. You won't be disappointed. 

Trattoria Dona Onesta, Venice

• Trattoria dai Tosi is another little trattoria I love. It is tucked away in a corner of Venice that is seldom visited by tourists, right near the island of San Pietro di Castello. The dishes are those you would expect if you were eating at the home of a Venetian family and Granny was cooking. Do book though, as the restaurant is really popular with locals. 

Trattoria dai Tosi

Dinner in Venice aboard a Venetian Galleon

Restaurants in Verona

• Trattoria Amelia - Verona

• Osteria al Duca

Lake Garda Restaurants

• La Casa Degli Spiriti - Costermano Garda Italy

• La Vecchia Malcesine - Malcesine Garda Italy

• Albergo Ristorante La Forgia - Lazise Garda Italy

• Ristorante Tre Camini - Costermano

Other Veneto Restaurants

• Ristorante da Riccardo - Carrè (Vicenza)

• La Pausa - Vicenza

• Irma Restaurant - Arsiero

•Osteria ai Scarponi - Padua

Me and my son

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What Other Visitors Have Said

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Venice Eats: Top Dining Destinations Revealed Not rated yet
My wife and I go to Osteria da Alberto , in Cannaregio, for lagoon seafood cuisine. Family-run with great house wines. We also love Ristorante …

Restaurant Recommendations for Venice Not rated yet
The best meals I've had in Venice have been at Antiche Carampane. For us, it's a real cut above all other Ventian Restaurants. To put it in protective, …

Where to eat in Venice  Not rated yet
If you are looking for a very special high-end meal whilst in Venice, I recommend this ultra-classy restaurant. Smack bang in the centre of Venice, …

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