10 Best Local Restaurants in Venice

Timon all’Antica Mola is located in a quiet part of Cannaregio, past the Ghetto Ebraico (Jewish ghetto) and off the tourist trail. It's a great excuse to stroll through a different side of Venice, eat traditionally cooked fish and see Venetians outnumber tourists. The prices are reasonable and it has distinctive wooden interiors. 

In the warmer months, you can eat outside, or choose a seat in the inner courtyard or by the canal. The house specials are risotto al nero di seppia (squid ink risotto), fegato alla veneziana (calf's liver and onions), and granseola (spidercrab), commonly found in lagoons. It’s open until late, so it's great for late-night hunger pangs or a bite at the end of the evening.

Fish lovers who want to try typical Venetian cuisine should head to Ristorante Do Forni. A stone's throw from Piazza San Marco (St Mark's Square), in past centuries it was a bakery that produced bread for Convento di San Zaccaria (San Zaccaria monastery). Part of the premises was a tavern, which became the main business when the bakery closed. 

In the 1800s, the restaurant was founded with its current name. Dishes include Adriatic fish, shellfish and crustaceans, cooked using recipes passed down over centuries. There's spaghetti con vongole sgusciate e zucchine (spaghetti with shelled clams and courgettes), scorfano in guazzetto (stewed scorpionfish) and seppioline di porto alla veneziana (Venetian-style port baby cuttlefish). This sophisticated restaurant blends an intriguing history with an elegantly furnished setting.

Ristorante Al Covo is a local restaurant near the Riva degli Schiavoni waterfront that uses local, seasonal produce, favouring small-scale producers who respect traditional methods. The fresher-than-fresh fish and shellfish are from the Adriatic and land that's periodically submerged by the tide, the so-called sandbanks that make up the Venetian lagoon. 

Fruit and vegetables used at Ristorante Al Covo are grown in Treporti, Cavallino, and the Sant'Erasmo and Vignole islands, places that have long been considered Venice's kitchen gardens. Their salty surroundings give the produce their particular flavours. In autumn, you can also taste selvadego, the game that crosses the lagoon during animal migrations. They have an impressive wine selection, with 240 labels on offer. The setting is elegant and rather formal, especially in the evening when it's best to dress nicely and not turn up in vest and shorts.

stop by Osteria Ruga di Jaffa for some cichèti (similar to tapas) and light meals near Campo Santa Maria Formosa. The house specials are oysters, but there are also crostini (canapé toast squares), made with homemade bread and topped with baccalà (salted codfish), formaggio (cheese), salumi (cold cuts) or vegetarian options. 

It's a rustic, comfortable setting with welcoming and friendly staff. The restaurant's and street's shared name, Ruga Giuffa, reveals a fun local history fact. In the past, this road was used for grapefruit trade with Jaffa. Over time, the Israeli city’s name was distorted into the street's current name. Another theory maintains that the name derives from the Armenian town of Gialfa, from which numerous immigrants settled in this part of Venice in the 1500s.

Cantina Aziende Agricole is a typical bàcaro (wine bar) in the Cannaregio district, near the Ghetto Ebraico (Jewish ghetto).  Enjoy a mouth-watering treat from the counter with some wine. Their polpette (meatballs) come in many variants, including meat, fish and vegetable options. The crostini (toast squares) are topped with a wide range of options including lardo e miele (lard and honey), crudo e burrata (prosciutto and burrata cheese), and porchetta e melanzane (spit-roasted pork and aubergines). 

There also are fish canapés at Cantina Aziende Agricole with granchio e rucola (crab and rocket) a particular favourite. As well as main courses and vegetarian meals, the sweet options on the menu are worthy of a detour. All the desserts here are homemade. To accompany your meal, choose a red or white from all over Italy, a draught beer or a spritz.

In Cantinado Spade, near Ponte Rialto (Rialto Bridge), you can nibble regional specialities with an aperitif at the counter, or have a sit-down lunch or dinner to experience the typical flavours of Venetian cuisine. There's bigoli, a long pasta dressed in squid ink, and sarde in saor, a very simple but delicious dish of sardines flavoured with onions and vinegar. The secret to this dish, eaten cold with slices of white polenta, is in the proportion of ingredients, which only a skilled cook can pull off. 

If the menu leaves you stumped, check out the blackboard on the counter showing the dishes of the day as well as anecdotes and fun facts. The desserts include traditional Venetian biscottini (biscuits), which taste wonderful when dipped in sweet wine.

Cà d’Oro alla Vedova is a historic bàcaro just behind Ca' d'Oro, the famous building overlooking the Canal Grande (Grand Canal). The house specials are polpette di carne (meatballs), but there are also classic nibbles like seppioline alla griglia (grilled baby cuttlefish), crostini con il baccalà mantecato (toast squares with creamed cod) and insalata di polpo (octopus salad). The restaurant's decorated like an old tavern, with prints, photos and copper pots. If you'd rather a sit-down meal, there’s also a restaurant service. Un consiglio? Booking is advisable, as it's not very big and the polpette are very popular.

Cà d’Oro alla Vedova is a smart choice to try rich and tender meatballs, which everyone should try at least once in Venice: visit a bàcaro, a typical Venetian wine bar, and enjoy some wine and cichèti (side dishes) at the bar. 

For a quick, affordable, traditional and indulgent meal, head to Rosticceria Gislon near Canal Grande (Grand Canal). To be sure of getting a table, it's best to avoid peak times. However, it’s generally known for takeaways, meaning you can keep exploring and eat in your favourite spot. 

Great for tourists but not your typical fly-by eatery, Rosticceria Gislon offers Venetian delicacies and appetisers like polpette (meat and vegetable balls), made with meat, fish or vegetables, or there’s arancini (fried rice balls), fried cheese sandwiches, and other Venetian food like cold cuts, cheeses and anchovies. Rosticceria Gislon’s fried food is famously dry and crispy, making it light and tasty.

La Bitta is a simply furnished, down-to-earth restaurant that boasts lovingly cooked food, nostalgic flavours, and polite and friendly staff... with no nasty surprises in the bill. The restaurant near Chiesa di San Barnaba (Church of St Barnabas) and Ponte dei Pugni (Bridge of Fists), in the Dorsoduro district. 

For a decadent main course, try gnocchetti con zucca e ricotta affumicata (pasta with pumpkin and smoked ricotta). There’s no fish, but there are vegetarian and vegan options. To accompany your meal, there’s a wide choice of high-quality wines. The restaurant's only open for dinner, and the most convenient Vaporetto stop is Ca’ Rezzonico. If you’re a meat-lover and fancy a traditional fegato alla veneziana (calf's liver with onions) in Venice, La Bitta is just the ticket. 

Ostaria Ae Botti serves meat, fish and traditional dishes in a rustic dining area of exposed stone and wooden beams, looking out on an elegant garden and the Isola della Giudecca (Giudecca Island) coastline. To watch a breathtaking, romantic sunset over the lagoon, dine on the terrace. 

The restaurant offers lunch, dinner and aperitifs with Venetian cichèti (side dishes). If you order them as appetisers, the polpetti (meatballs) are a must-try. There's a variety of other meals on the menu; we recommend starting with cocktail di scampi (prawn cocktail), then spaghetti alle vongole e frittura della laguna (spaghetti with clams and fried lagoon seafood). Save room for dessert. The torta della casa (house cake) is made with a historic recipe and authentic ingredients.