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Eat like a true local in Venice, Italy

Eat like a true local in Venice, Italy

by Olivia Bell
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Table of contents

  • 1. Sarde in Saor - Venetian flavor
  • 2. Bigoli in Salsa - adorably simple
  • 3. Moeche - a delicacy
  • 4. Fegato Alla Veneziana - must-try
  • 5. Prosciutto - a worldwide celebrity
  • 6. Polenta - the eternal symbol
  • 7. Risotto Alla Buranella - Veneto highlight
  • 8. Baccalà Mantecato - dietary lightness
  • 9. Prosecco - a sip of freedom
  • 10. Antipasto - everyday variety
  • Conclusion
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Venice has much more to offer than its impressive architecture, picturesque canals, and long, illustrious history. Venice is also one of the top vacation destinations for foodies. The Venetian Lagoon’s coastlines, protective hills, and grape valleys have contributed to the city's rich culinary traditions. Learn about the most iconic dishes of this region and eat like a true Venetian at the best restaurants well-liked by the locals. Youthful sparkling prosecco, bright yellow polenta, fresh seafood, and many other signature dishes of Venice are waiting for you in this gastronomic guide.

1. Sarde in Saor - Venetian flavor
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Cantina Do Spade
#739 of 2689 restaurants in Venice, Italy
San Polo, 859, Venice, Veneto, Italy
Closed until tomorrow

This famous appetiser is one of the oldest foods in the Veneto region and has grown to be a powerful representation of the region's culinary heritage. It’s a classic Venetian dish in which sardines are deep-fried and then marinated with onion, aromatic spices, vinegar and pine nuts. Imagine that the Sarde in Saor recipe dates back to the 14th century, almost 650 years ago. In an era devoid of refrigeration and canned food, vinegar and onions played the role of natural preservative ingredients. Nowadays, the sardines are marinated the day before serving to let all the components reveal a unique taste of fish in its flavor.

This legendary dish is worth trying at Cantina Do Spade, an ancient Venetian tavern a few steps away from Rialto Bridge.

2. Bigoli in Salsa - adorably simple
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Ristorante Bacarandino ai Corazzieri
#152 of 2689 restaurants in Venice, Italy
sestiere castello, 3839, Venice, Veneto, Italy
Closed until tomorrow
Pasta
Pasta

Pasta is a type of Italian dish that is commonly made from unleavened dough of wheat flour. It is a versatile food that can be served in a variety of ways, such as in soups, salads, or as a main dish with sauces and other ingredients. It's a staple in many cuisines around the world due to its simplicity, delicious taste, and nutritional content.

Another signature dish of Venice is thick spaghetti-like pasta cooked in a tasty fish sauce. A whole-wheat bigoli, a specialty of Veneto, is covered in a delicious sauce made by simmering onions and anchovies until they melt together. Bigoli is a traditional Venetian pasta with a rough and porous structure, which allows the anchovy-based sauce to be absorbed more easily. However, this pasta may seem too simple because of just three ingredients, even though it is one of the region's main and most well-known first-course dishes. It’s impossible to visit Venice and not try it at least once.

Take your bigoli in salsa at Ristorante Bacarandino Ai Corazzieri not far from a catholic church Chiesa di Sant'Antonin.

3. Moeche - a delicacy
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Trattoria Antiche Carampane
#27 of 1023 seafood restaurants in Venice, Italy
Rio Terà de le Carampane, 1911, Venice, Veneto, Italy
Closed until Tuesday
Crabs
Crabs

It is a popular seafood meal with a buttery savory flavor. Crabs may be boiled, grilled, deep-fried, stewed, or steamed. There is a wide range of dishes with crabs.

Moeche is cooked from lagoon crabs that have dropped off their shells. They are gathered for only several weeks in spring and fall until they start to regrow a new shell. Slightly breaded crabs are deep-fried in hot oil until golden crisp and are served with several drops of lemon juice. Some restaurants garnish the dish with a slice of polenta and offer a glass of prosecco — iconic products of Venice, by the way. The tradition of cooking soft-shell crabs has been practised for 3 centuries. These famous Venetian crabs are considered delicacies, like a puffer fish or a white truffle. In a nutshell, moeche is a dish you must try on your trip to Venice.

Moeche and other seafood are worth trying at Trattoria Antiche Carampane, a family-owned 120-year-old restaurant within a quick minute walk from Piazza San Marco.

4. Fegato Alla Veneziana - must-try
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Hostaria Osottoosopra
#1 of 1764 Italian restaurants in Venice, Italy
Calle S. Pantalon, 5754, Venice, Veneto, Italy
Closed until tomorrow

It's a must-try dish from Venetian cuisine. Fegato Alla Veneziana consists of strips of calf's liver that have been sautéed in a flash to keep them tender. The onion helps to mellow the iron flavour of the liver. The dish “liver and onions” has been around for a long time. The earliest version originated in ancient Rome and used figs to soften the liver's bright, slightly bitter flavour. In modern times, this function is fulfilled by onions rather than figs because onions are more common in the lagoon than figs are. Combined with a soft pillow of polenta and fresh parsley, you’ll get your new favourite, highly nutritious dish. Fegato Alla Veneziana is frequently eaten and respected by the locals.

Discover one of the best Fegato Alla Veneziana at Hostaria Osottoosopra, a modern two-floor restaurant with the atmosphere of a typical Venetian osteria but with almost gourmet cuisine.

5. Prosciutto - a worldwide celebrity
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Trattoria Al Gazzettino
#8 of 1764 Italian restaurants in Venice, Italy
C. de Mezzo, 4997, Venice, Veneto, Italy
Closed until tomorrow
Prosciutto
Prosciutto

Try this sweet delicate ham that is made of dry-cured hind legs of pigs. Eat prosciutto raw or add it to pasta or risotto. The recipes of Italian prosciuttos differ in various regions. The most famous is Parma ham, or Prosciutto di Parma, that is salted and air-dried for 8-24 months.

One of the most well-known dishes to come out of Italy is prosciutto, also known as cured ham. The origins of this dish date back to pre-Roman times. The ancient citizens of the Veneto region widely used the techniques of preserving ham with salt and still practise them like art. Their experience and high skills resulted in the delicious ham, which is loved worldwide. Prosciutto is good for cooking but is often cut into thin slices and eaten as an appetiser. At most Venetian restaurants, prosciutto is served with Pan Biscotto, small crispy baked toasts.

Don’t miss a chance to try one of the best prosciutto here, at Trattoria Al Gazzettino, a great lunch spot not far from St. Mark's Square.

6. Polenta - the eternal symbol
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Trefanti
#13 of 1023 seafood restaurants in Venice, Italy
Santa Croce n 888 Fondamenta dei, Fondamenta Garzotti, Venice, Veneto, Italy
Closed until Tuesday
Polenta
Polenta

A dish made from cornmeal, which in most cases resembles a porridge. Polenta is eaten as a side dish or as an independent dish with various additives (mushrooms, meat, anchovies, etc.), in a fried or baked form.

Polenta, an emblematic dish, is the soul of unique Venetian cuisine. It is made of yellow cornmeal and may be served in different shapes and textures. Italians can have it either creamy or dense or firm enough to grill or cut into wedges. Like any other side dish, polenta can be eaten at any meal of the day, depending on what you add to it. Venetians usually have polenta with fish and meat, mushrooms, vegetables, and even seafood. Try as many variants as possible and enjoy the versatility of this memorable symbol of Venice.

You’ll find polenta everywhere across Italy, starting from Osteria Trefanti Venezia, a cosy trattoria with tables beside a canal.

7. Risotto Alla Buranella - Veneto highlight
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Trattoria Al Gatto Nero
#3 of 2689 restaurants in Venice, Italy
Via Giudecca, 88, Venice, Veneto, Italy
Closed until tomorrow
Risotto
Risotto

This dish comes from Northern Italy whose climate is ideal for growing rice (riso means 'rice'). The key ingredient is semi-rounded short-grain rice cooked with meat, fish or vegetable broth. Try risotto with parmesan cheese and white wine. Add saffron for flavour and yellow colour.

This dish is impossible to replicate unless you live in Venice; therefore, it’s another must-eat while visiting this city. Risotto Alla Buranella, white shellfish risotto, consists of rice and a fish stock made with a small lagoon-dwelling goby fish. Although the flesh of this small bony fish is not particularly prized, it adds a surprisingly delicate flavour to the stock that is used to make the risotto. Risotto Alla Buranella has a tender soupy consistency and unforgettable taste. Fortunately, it is only possible to try it on the island of Burano, which is located in the Veneto region and is well-known for its brightly painted houses.

Try Risotto Alla Buranella at Trattoria Al Gatto Nero, the oldest restaurant on Burano, with the ever-present queue outside the door.

8. Baccalà Mantecato - dietary lightness
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Cod
Cod

Cod is a very popular fish, the most common species of which are the Atlantic, Pacific, and Greenland cod. The fish has a mild flavor and can be cooked in many ways.

Baccalà Mantecato is a whipped cod pate traditionally served as an appetiser in Venice. It can be spread on grilled bread or a slice of polenta. The recipe is pretty straightforward, but it's very classy. After being soaked, the cod is mashed with high-quality olive oil and a bit of garlic until smooth and fluffy pate. This light and savoury snack is usually eaten as a starter with a glass of prosecco. Baccalà mantecato is one of Venetian cuisine's most scrumptious dishes; don’t forget to order it while awaiting your main course at a café.

They say, here, at Osteria Alla Frasca, there’s one of the most delicious cod pate of Venice!

9. Prosecco - a sip of freedom
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Bacareto da Lele
#113 of 2280 pubs & bars in Venice, Italy
Fondamenta dei Tolentini, 183, Venice, Veneto, Italy
Closed until Monday

Prosecco is a sparkling white wine that is produced in Venice. It is consumed at any time of day or night, no matter where you are in the city, from hidden bacaros to high-end cocktail lounges. Prosecco was born in Veneto province, in the grape valleys only an hour away from Venice. It is made from the grape Glera, which gives the wine a lovely aroma of peaches, melons, pears, and white flowers. A glass of brut prosecco is a shoo-in for almost every dish — risotto, dietary meat, fish, cheeses, and seafood. There are different kinds of prosecco wine, so our advice is to take a tour to the wineries of Veneto, where you’ll learn more about this one of the most admired wines in Italy and the rest of the world.

At Bacareto da Lele, a must-visit place during your bar tour in Venice, you’ll find good and cheap local prosecco and a lot of appetising snacks.

10. Antipasto - everyday variety
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Ristorante Ai Tre Garofani Venezia
#16 of 2689 restaurants in Venice, Italy
Via Asseggiano, 308, Venice, Veneto, Italy
Closed until tomorrow
Antipasto
Antipasto

Antipasto is a traditional Italian snack (the word “antipasto” literally means “before meals”). It may be hot or cold and it may contain cold cuts, seafood, cheeses, and vegetables.

A traditional plate of snacks is served everywhere in Italy, known as antipasto, which means “before meals”. When the locals want a bite, they head for Cicchetti, a Venetian name for this popular appetiser. The dish consists of fried meatballs, cheese, small sandwiches, a bit of seafood and so on. Cicchetti is cheap, look-and-point food, usually eaten with toothpicks or hands on the go. Even a budget traveller can afford the prices at trattorias and Cicchetti bars, which range from a couple of euros to a couple of dollars for a plate of antipasto. Cicchetti’s menu changes daily, so that you won’t get bored with this type of snack. 

Have a bite at Ristorante Ai Tre Garofani Venezia — the Michelin Guide selection 2022!

Conclusion

Enjoy your trip to Venice and use this gastronomic guide to reveal the best spots with fresh and delicious food prepared according to the ancient recipes of Italy.

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2 comments

janedoyle103@hotmail.com
janedoyle103@hotmail.com a year ago Request content removal

Love your site. We are coming to Venice from London for Christmas ( my husband and I and our 23 year old daughter).
We usually have a busy and lively day with our wider family but this year are doing something different
We want to eat out on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and want somewhere both days that has a fun atmosphere and good food , preferably somewhere that locals go. Have you any recommendations ? We are staying on the Lido and are happy to travel. Thankyou

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