Eating in venice- general informations

Venice cuisine is based largely on seafood and one of the most representative dish is fish risotto which comes in a variety of forms, the strangest one is the risotto alle seppie with a bright black color that's a result of the cuttlefish being cooked in its own ink. But the Venice cousine is famous also for its soups (especially in Caorle area, called brodetto di pesce ), recommended where the cephaloped variety of fish concerne cuttlefish, octopus and squid. A very longstanding tradition where Venice is concerned, fish was marinated in order to conserve it for long periods before eating, and we can see this tradition in the typical dish called sarde in saor (marinated sardines). The ways of cooking fish have remained rooted to a few simple procedures: boiling, frying, grilling and oven cooking. The seasonings used are also simple but tasy: olive oil, vinegar, garlic, parsley and herbs. An example? Baccalà mantecato (stockfish) in which the softened dried cod is cooked in olive oil, parsley and garlic and then creamed in a blender.

Trattorie - Osterie - Taverns (Bàcari)
Trattorie are little restaurants which offer a simple service and traditional, tasty Venetian food. Normally there are not expensive; do not get scared of possible paper table-clothes, it is part of their (wanted) simpleness. You will also see osterie or the typical Venetian taverns called bacari, where you can find a good glass of wine, but not only wine. Venetian osterie also offer a wide selection of typical appetizers that can substitute a meal - called cichetti in Venetian dialect (have some fun: try to pronounce it. It is something like "cheekattee"; accent on "a"!). Osterie sometimes also provide a real menu. Sometimes also in bars you can eat a complete meal.

WHERE TO EAT IN VENICE

See our suggestion about VENICE RESTAURANTS
Warning: it is hard to find a good value for money when eating out in Venice: expect to pay more than you would... Venice is a "brand"!