You might think that its impossible to find delicious and affordable restaurants in such an iconic (and overpriced) tourist destination, but if you follow locals’ advice (like these tips compiled by our friends at Spotted By Locals), you’ll discover plenty of traditional, less-frequented restaurants, osterias and bacaros that haven’t lost their charm.

Venice travel tips:
• The best budget hotels in Venice for 2019
• How to save on vaporetto (ferry) tickets in Venice
• 10 Things to do in Venice on the cheap

Venice cheap eats: 5 recommended restaurants

Here are five affordable restaurants in Venice that won’t make a dent in your wallet. All of these places offer snacks for a few euros or even a full lunch for only €15. Hungry? Read on!

Bacareto da Lele

Address: Campo dei Tolentini 183

This bacaro (a neighborhood bar with snacks) in Santa Croce is very popular with locals and usually has long queues outside it at lunchtime, but that is only natural: “there aren’t many spots in Venice where you can have a glass of wine for €0.60 and a sandwich for € 1 or € 2”, reaffirms local Enrica.

Its central location right beyond the first bridge you’ll cross when entering the city even makes Bacareto da Lele an ideal starting point for a traditional Venetian ‘bacaro tour’.

Enjoy a canal view with your food from Osteria Al Squero. Photo: Annamaria Bergamo

Osteria Al Squero

Address: Dorsoduro, 943-944

A ‘squero’ is a gondola workshop, and this traditional osteria is located just across a canal from the one at Saint Trovaso. The unexpectedly quiet atmosphere at Osteria Al Squero is one of its biggest pluses, as is the rich selection of inexpensive crostini that go for only €1.50 each.

Local Annamaria recommends the ones with sarde in saor (sardines cooked with onions and raisin); salmon, pink pepper and lemon; tuna and olive oil; and the one with bacon and mushrooms sauce.

Related: 3 budget-friendly Venice restaurants popular with locals

Trattoria dalla Marisa offers a classic atmosphere. Photo: Matteo Giarraffa

Trattoria dalla Marisa

Address: Calle Canna, 30171

Mainly frequented by students and workers stopping by for lunch break during their busy studying and working days, family-owned Trattoria dalla Marisa serves simple and genuine homemade Italian cuisine that brings back sweet memories of their grandmothers to locals.

It’s as old-fashioned, with wooden walls and pictures hanging everywhere, as it is cozy and welcoming, even to non-Italians. The shared tables complete the intimate experience, though you can also opt to sit by the canal. Perhaps the best part? They offer a rotating lunch menu for a very generous €15.

Snacking on a canal with a rice ball from Bacarretto. Photo: Matteo Giarraffa

Bacarretto

Address: San Croce, 2098

It might be on the other side of Italy, but that doesn’t mean that while in Venice you shouldn’t take the opportunity to sample some specialties from Sicily. The locals themselves love regional cuisines and varieties and local Matteo would recommend the mixed fried antipasto, their caponata and a delicious cassatina (ricotta cake) for dessert.

Everything is seasonal and made fresh at Bacarretto, and if you’re in a hurry or don’t want to pause your exploring for that necessary pit-stop, you can also get an arancinetta for €2 (rice ball) or two to enjoy on the go.

Related: 3 “Pasticcerie” to try for breakfast in Venice

Dig into a delicious pizza at Al Faro. Photo: Ristorante Pizzeria Al Faro Facebook

Al Faro

Address: Calle Ghetto Vecchio, 1181

Ristorante e Pizzeria Al Faro is in Cannaregio, in the heart of the Jewish Ghetto, where the word itself comes from. Visiting this neighborhood is worth it on its own, but stopping by Al Faro is a definite must: the quality of the pizza in Venice isn’t that good, because traditional wooden ovens are forbidden, yet despite that, this pizzeria, in particular, manages to not only make some great pizza but also have them ready within 10 minutes after ordering — and for very affordable prices.

Local resident Matteo suggests trying the “Al Faro” with buffalo mozzarella, pumpkin cream, porcini mushrooms, speck and olives (€12).

Related: Search for cheap hotels in Cannaregio

Your favorite cheap eats in Venice

Do you have a favorite place to eat in Venice? Tell us in the comments below.

The post Venice Cheap Eats: 5 tasty and affordable restaurants appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Why? Well, in Italy we do not have breakfast, or at least we do not have breakfast the way other people usually have it. For a Venetian, morning calories are usually consumed in the form of sweet things: a shot of espresso coffee or a cappuccino and maybe (but only maybe) a small croissant (called brioche) or a small doughnut (called krafen or bombolone, depending on which part of Italy you’re in) and fruit.

Breakfast at the bar

If your hotel doesn’t provide breakfast, then you should head down to a local bar (there is one in every corner in Venice) and order an espresso or cappuccino and a freshly baked croissant or krafen.

Important: Make sure to have your coffee and pastry at the counter because it will be much cheaper than sitting down. If you take a table, you will be charged extra for table service. At the bar, you can experience a very quick breakfast, Italian-style.

Breakfast at the pasticceria

If you prefer a longer and more relaxing breakfast, then head to a local pasticceria (cake shop) where they have some small tables and get yourself a nice cup of coffee or tea (make sure to order milk with it, otherwise it will come with lemon) and a nice freshly baked pastry. In Venice, go for a bignè al cioccolato (a choux pastry filled with chocolate cream) or a slice of strudel. This will be a bit more expensive, but the cakes are worth trying.

Here are three of my favorite pasticcerie:

Pasticceria Rosa Salva is a classic Venice bakery. Photo: Miquel R

1. Pasticceria Rosa Salva

Campo SS Giovanni e Paolo
Tel: +39 (0)41 5227949
Website

This is one of the oldest bakeries in Venice, dating back to the 19th century. Here you can try a large selection of typical Venetian cakes, cookies, brioches, rolls, sandwiches, tramezzini (a typical Venetian triangle soft bread sandwich), fritters, meringues, millefeuilles and much more.

2. Pasticceria Tonolo

Campo San Pantalon, just at the back of Chiesa di San Rocco near Frari
Tel: +39 (0)41 5237209
Hours: Tues-Sat 7:45 AM – 8 PM, Sun 7:45 AM -1 PM

Pasticceria Tonolo is usually ambushed with customers on Sunday mornings. (Italians often buy cakes on a Sunday to take as presents for whatever lunch they might be invited to.) Expect long lines, but wait with patience: It is worth it!

If you’re in Venice around Christmas, try the focaccia (a special Venetian sweet bread). At Carnival time, try the frittelle. Bignè alla crema (cream puffs) are a good choice all year-round.

Right in St. Mark’s Square, Caffe Florian has been a favorite spot for decades. Photo: Son of Groucho

3. Caffe Florian

Piazza San Marco 56-59
+39 (0)41 5205641
Website

Caffe Florian in St. Mark’s Square is the oldest café in Italy and one of the oldest in Europe. It’s a great place for an upmarket late breakfast or brunch. It will not be cheap, though you cannot compare the location and the setting to any other in the world. The café offers also a whole menu dedicated to breakfast, with all kinds of dishes and drinks. Try their selection of teas and pastries: You will not be disappointed.

Note: This article was updated on July 24, 2014 with new information, links and photos.

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Well, even if you haven’t run out of toothpaste, I’m pretty sure that it’s helpful to make a list of supermarkets located in all the main tourist areas of Venice to use as a reference. These major grocery stores provide not only the basics, but also a wide range of typical Italian products (like pasta, olive oil and cakes) that can make an excellent cheapo souvenir!

Related: Affordable Venice hotels with special perks

Supermarkets

Coop
website

Save when you buy water at the supermarket.

The COOP is a very large Italian grocery chain that seems to emphasize quality over profits. I find their items to be reliably good. Several locations can be found in central Venice, among them these four:

Fondamenta Santa Chiara (Near Piazzale Roma)

Sestiere Santa Croce, 1493 (telephone: 041 275 0218)

Cannaregio, 1976 (telephone: 041 720 374)

Sestiere Giudecca, 484 (telephone: 041 241 3381)

There are, of course, other supermarkets in Venice. These include:

Conad
1491, Dorsoduro
041 241 8820

Supermercato Punto Sma City
Sestiere Castello, 5065

Related: 5 simple way to save in Venice

Food shops

Along with a wide range of supermarkets, there are also several food shops in Venice that are worth checking out, even if you just like to window shop. These include classic old Venetian delicatessens and bakeries. Here you will be able to enjoy some of the best food Venice can offer.

Gastronomia Aliani
San Polo 654
Ruga Rialto/Ruga Vecchia San Giovanni
Vaporetto: Rialto Mercato or San Silvestro

This is my favorite food shop of them all in Venice. It’s a traditional delicatessen which stocks a very large selection of cold meats and cheeses from every part of Italy and a very large range of prepared dishes and roasted meats (try the baccala mantecato). It is run by Davide Aliani and his lovely mother.

Casa del Parmigiano
website
San Polo 214/215
Erberia Rialto

This cheese and meat shop has been selling a wide variety of delicious products since 1936! With a location just next to Rialto Bridge, it’s a must-visit in a central location.

I Tre Mercanti srl
website
Campo della Guerra
Castello, 5364
041 522 2901

Gourmet shop with fine Italian ingredients to take home or create a sandwich with. They also have a nice wine selection.

Panifici Majer
Three locations:
San Polo 2307, near Rialto
Santa Croce 1630
Dorsoduro 3108/D (near Campo Santa Margherita)

Panifici Majer is a small chain of Venetian bakeries. Aside from typical food items, it also sells cakes, wines and more.

I hope this reference list will be of use to you out there, in your moment of supermarket need. Happy Shopping!

The post Venice: The best grocery stores, supermarkets, delis and bakeries appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

When I mean good, I mean places that use real hand-crafted ice-cream made with fresh fruits, fresh ingredients and real milk (not the artificial, powdered milk served up at so many bars and cafés in Venice).

So, together with my 13-year-old son (I needed an expert’s advice) and an American friend, I started a tour of gelaterias in the southern half of the city (we reserved the northern part and the center near San Marco for another ice cream treasure hunt). We walked around the Santa Lucia train station, then the area near the Ca’ Pesaro and the Natural History Museum, and then finally the area near Campo Santa Margherita.

Here are the best gelaterias we found:

Gelateria QB Quanto Basta
Lista di Spagna, 148
Open daily from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

This place is run by Adriana, her husband and her two lovely daughters Elisa and Marta. It’s only a few minutes walk from the train station, on the busy Lista di Spagna. Born as an answer to the dozens of foreign take-away places which have sprouted in Venice in the last few years, the Gelateria QB has over 40 flavors of ice cream, which change daily, if not hourly.

A menu board at Gelateria San Stae

Prices are quite good, considering the central location, and the staff is extremely friendly. We tried out the chocolate and orange flavor, along with the toffee and chocolate chip varieties. Just one word: delicious. Some of the more exotic flavors on offer include: Kit Kat, watermelon, lime, pistachio, chocolate and chili.

Gelateria San Stae
Santa Croce 1910, Salizada San Stae
Open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Web site

Located between two of Venice’s nicest museums, the Ca’ Pesaro and the Museum of Natural History, the small but lovely Gelateria San Stae is run by Chiara. (It’s also only a few meters away from San Stae Vaporetto stop.) The Gelateria San Stae has been mentioned in various Venice guide books and it is well known by locals.

The gelato display is amazing, with big chunks of fruit, biscuits and chocolate everywhere. Prices are quite good and the flavors range from the usual to the extravagant, including prosecco, bussolà (a biscuit from Burano) and venexiana (candied fruit in a vanilla sauce). On Saturdays, Chiara holds “Nutella Day,” offering a whole menu made out of Nutella chocolate.

We tried the “Fruits of the Forest” flavor and we were not at all disappointed: It was one of the best fruit-flavored gelatos we have ever eaten.

Grom Gelateria

Gelateria Grom
Campo San Barnaba
Open daily from 11 a.m. to midnight
Web site

Grom is actually a very large chain of gelato shops found all over Italy, with locations in New York, Paris and Tokyo as well. We visited the shop in Campo San Barnaba, just a few meters away from Campo Santa Margherita.

Though Grom is known for using quality ingredients and strange flavors, we found the place a bit overpriced compared to the previous two. However, the selection of gelato is quite good and the flavors are tasty. Grom’s specialty is the granita siciliana (Sicilian slush) made with real lemons, strawberries or coffee. (The lemon granita is really, really good.)

Until next time, happy licking!

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(Note: Although spelled “cicchetti” in Italian, the word in the Venetian dialect is spelled “cicheti.” We’ll stick to the Venetian spelling for this post.)

Cicheti

Cicheti is a perfect alternative to a full meal, and it gives you also a chance to try different foods from the Venetian tradition. These dishes are little finger foods usually eaten just before lunch or dinner. In fact, the word “cicheto” comes from the Latin word “Ciccus,” meaning “small quantity.” You are supposed to eat one cicheto with each glass of wine (allegedly so you do not get drunk so quickly).

There are different varieties of cicheti: fish ones (baccala on crostini bread or polenta, sweet and sour sardines, and fried calamari), meat ones (meatballs, arancini, and small salami rolls), and vegetarian ones (sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, boiled eggs, fried breadcrumbs, and stuffed olives).

Cicheti are usually served in an osteria (also called a “bacaro”), which is the Venetian version of a pub or bar. In the old days, these places were the favorite meeting points for Venetian  men who wanted to get away from home for a while, have a drink with friends, and play some card games. Nowadays, osterias are more popular with students and young people.

Spritz

If you are going to have a cicheto, then you must also try a spritz. The legend goes that this drink was created during the Austrian invasion. The Austrians could not drink the Venetian wine since it was too strong for them, so they added some water to it. The Venetians thought this was tasteless and decided to perk it up a bit. So they added sparkling water and Aperol (a local bitter).

A Venetian spritz

Today, the official version of the spritz is 1/3 sparkling water, 1/3 good Prosecco wine, 1/3 Aperol or bitter, lemon zest, and an olive. It is usually served in a small tumbler glass, but sometimes some osterias serve it in wine glasses. The average spritz costs €1.50-2.

Where to try them

These are my personal recommendations for trying some traditional cicheti and spritzes:

Osteria Antico Dolo
Sestiere San Polo, 778  (just by Rialto Bridge)

One of Venice’s oldest osterias, this place is open all day and offers a larger variety of cicheti and well-priced spritzes. You can try a small selection of cichetti and a spritz for about €7 or you can try the cichetti plate which offers the entire cicheti selection for €18 (the plate is enough for two people). The osteria also offers typical Venetian recipes. My favorite cicheto here is the polenta topped with tomatoes sauce, squid, and a fried prawn kebab.

Osteria La Patatina
Calle Saoneri, S. Polo 2741/A

The Osteria La Patatina is another traditional osteria located near Campo San Polo. The osteria is open for lunch time and in the evenings after 6 PM. You can have a proper Venetian meal here, or you can try their very big selection of cicheti. If you decide to go for the cicheti, you will have to stand up at the counter. The cost for each cicheto is about €1-1.50. I recommend the “mozzarella in carrozza” (deep fried mozzarella) and “polpette di carne” (fried meatballs).

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But, fear not, there are some restaurants which offer typical Venetian food at reasonable prices. To spot these restaurants, stay away from the main tourist routes and look for the locals. If there are many Italians (or, even better, Venetians) sitting at the tables,  it is a good sign that it’s a well-priced place to go and try some food.

Here are three of my suggestions:

Trattoria Pizzeria La Rosa dei Venti
Fondamenta Minotto 164, Santa Croce
+39 0412440083

Tiramisu from Rosa dei Venti.

This place is always full of Italians. To get a table, either book first or go before 8 PM,when the locals go to eat. The trattoria offers a tourist menu (“menu turistico” — don’t be afraid by the name), which usually includes a first course (a pasta dish), a main course (meat and side dish), and a dessert all for €18.  (Drinks are extra.)

The menu varies every day and it is full of authentic Venetian recipes. Try the Antipasto di Affettato, a  plate of cold meats (delicious with fresh bread), the Risotto di mare, or the homemade Tiramisu.

Ristorante Pizzeria Le due Colonne
Campo Sant’Agostin, San Polo
+39 041 524 0685

Situated at the back of Campo San Polo, this is a very nice restaurant with limited space. (As indicated for the trattoria above, book first or make sure to go before 8 PM). The house specialty is the massive pizza, which start at around €7. The pasta is also quite good, and the portions are generous. Try the pasta alla carbonara, a creamy dish with plenty of bacon. You will find a lot of locals at the Ristorante Pizzeria Le due Colonne, and it is a friendly, very Italian, place.

Osteria ae Cravate
Santa Croce 36/36, Salizada di San Pantalon
+39 33 5638 5000

Just around the corner from the Rosa dei Venti restaurant, the Osteria ae Cravate is a charming place. You’ll find ties hanging throughout the restaurant (yes, ties – hence the name “Ae Cravate”- Italian for “tie”). There isn’t a written menu, but the owners speak English and will be happy to explain the dishes for you. (Ask for Sigfrido.)

The dishes change every day according to the ingredients in season. The restaurant specializes in fish. I personally recommend trying the selection of “cicchetti” (similar to Spanish tapas) and the Spaghetti allo scoglio (seafood spaghetti). An average meal is about €30 per person—including a good bottle of prosecco.

About the author: Monica Cesarato runs her own B&B on the Riviera del Brenta, just outside Venice. She also blogs about life in Venice and the Italian lifestyle http://www.monicacesarato.com.

The post Venice: Three budget-friendly restaurants popular with the locals appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

As most of you know, Annie spent the last week clicking and clopping through the precious, cobbled alleyways and bridges of Venezia, hunting down new hotels to recommend. We just weren’t ready to put Venice to bed with only 45 hotel reviews.

All reports indicate that she outdid herself, easily adding a couple dozen more to our list.

“I battled wind, rain, and snow all day on Thursday, and lived to tell about it–with 13 new hotel finds and barely-damp all-weather hiking boots (The North Face is not putting you on! They are serious about Gore-Tex!)

“My San Polo hotel was in a prime location, and I’m proud to say I set no foot upon the vaporetti waterbuses. That’s right. Walking is definitely the fastest and most fat-burning way to get around Venice. And thank you, Lordy.”

But the story doesn’t end there. It seems that somewhere along the way she became a “Ciccheti” connoisseur:

“On Friday I wrapped up a total of 17 winning hotels and embarked upon an eating rampage. Cicchetti – the Venetian take on tapas – are traditionally served with an ombra (shadow) of wine in a little cup.

“I dodged tradition and ordered standard-sized glasses (starting at 1euro each, I might add) to accompany pay-by-the plate caprino-stuffed spicy peppers, herbed feta, crusty, fried mozzarella, miniature sandwiches bursting with everything from radicchio and shrimp to salami and eggs. Creamy, baked saltcod spread topped my crostini and one place was even serving sushi!

“Am I fatter for it? Yes. Am I better for it? Indeed. Do I recommend you try those darn cicchetti? Yes. And save me a seat at the table!”

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