Our abridged meal-by-meal guide to where and what to eat now.
Breakfast: Cicheti at All’Arco
Bored with cornetti? Start the day at this cult wine bar beloved by vendors from the nearby Rialto Market. The creative cicheti (snacks) include addictive crostini with creamy whipped codfish. 436 Calle dell’Ochialer. $
Lunch: Spaghetti in Cassopipa at Antiche Carampane
One reason locals want to keep the hyper-authentic trattoria in San Polo to themselves: pasta sauced with a slow- cooked shellfish stew subtly scented with cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. “A historic fisherman’s recipe,” the owner confides. $$$
Snack: Polpette at Trattoria Ca’ d’Oro alla Vedova
At aperitivo hour, fight your way to the cramped marble counter of this beloved old osteria hidden off Strada Nuova. The reward is the city’s ultimate meatball: crispy on the outside, juicy shredded beef inside. 3912 Cannaregio. $$
Dinner: Fritto misto at Ristorante Wildner
On a buzzy waterside promenade, this still relatively under- the-radar family restaurant brilliantly updates Venetian cuisine with fresh, regional ingredients. The fritto misto of carefully sourced seafood is as light as an air kiss. $$$
Dessert: Pastry cream tortelli at Ristorante Quadri
At this temple to gastronomy from the visionary owners of Padua’s Michelin three-starred Le Calandre, dinner might end with melt-in-themouth tortelli made with vanilla pastry cream and a maraschino filling. All that with views of Piazza San Marco. $$$$
For the flight home: Mozzarella mousse at Lino Fritto
A new minimalist take-out spot by the Rialto brings Milanese cool to La Serenissima. Try the black-rice salad, then walk away with a container of velvety mozzarella zinged with anchovies and cherry tomatoes. $
Restaurant Pricing Key
$ Less than $25
$$ $25 to $75
$$$ $75 to $150
$$$$ More than $150
