Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
€
-
€€€
Not far from the church of SS. Giovanni e Paolo, is
Antica Trattoria
Bandierette
(Barbaria delle Tole, Castello 6671;
%
041-5220619; www.
bandierette.com; Wed-Sun, Mon lunch only),
popular with locals from Castello
and Cannaregio, and frequented by those who really don't want to overspend
(all the dishes here cost
15) but demand quality. Run by a husband-and-
wife team, this low-key spot doesn't look like much, but the seafood served here
is wonderful. Start with
schie con polenta
(shrimp served with creamed polenta;
€
7.50), and, if they're available, get a serving of baked scallops for the table—
these are done either in garlic or a variety of sauces. A delicious main course is
filetti di branzino con crema di carciofi
(
€
11), a filet of fish with a fragrant
artichoke sauce. If you're after something simple and affordable, have one of
the seafood pastas; I recently had spaghetti
con calamaretti e zucchini
(mainly
because this is the only restaurant in Venice where the unusual calamaretti squid
is served), all for a pleasing
€
8.50. Give dessert a skip, and move straight on to
grappa; there's a fine selection of top-grade stuff that will ensure a good night's
sleep.
€
6-
€
5
(Calle Lunga S. Maria Formosa, Castello 5183;
%
041-5230744; Fri-Tues 7pm-2am)
is, strictly speaking, a wine bar, and has
grown famous for the cozy atmosphere that makes people want to settle in for a
long night. It's owned by wine expert Mauro Lorenzon, who always wears a bow
tie and a smile; he is so fond of wine and so keen to see his customers enjoying
his vast selection of vintages, that he'll gladly open any bottle, even to let you try
a single glass. His cheerful, cantina-style eatery has a limited menu, but the freshly
prepared dishes include excellent snack platters including seafood morsels or deli
cuts with a variety of cheeses and cured meats (
Enoteca Mascareta
€€
15 per plate). There are also indi-
vidual dishes such as soup, vegetable ravioli, homemade meat lasagna, roast duck,
traditional Venetian cuttlefish in black ink sauce, and
baccalà.
Food is only served
from 8pm, and a
primo
dish is
€
12.
€
€€€
Finally, I must tell you that Castello is also home to one of the city's finest
restaurants and one of its best kept secrets:
Osteria Santa Marina
55
(Campo
Santa Marina, Castello 5911;
%
041-5285239; www.osteriadisantamarina.it;
Tues-Sat 12:30-2:30pm and 7:30-10pm, Mon 7:30-10pm),
situated in a quiet
neighborhood, far from the attention of most tourists. Here, dishes combine tra-
dition with class, with great attention to detail. Starters include a selection of
seafood items: carpaccio of tuna (
14); Venetian-style scampi, flavored with gin-
ger and leek (
€
11); or octopus, boiled and flavored with onion, orange peel, and
balsamic vinegar (
€
12). As a first course, you may like to try the crepe-style
lasagna stuffed with shrimp and red radicchio (
€
14) or baby dumplings with a
ragù
of baby squid, monkfish, and tomato (
€
14).
Secondi
include both seafood
(
€
18-
€
25) and meat (
€
19-
€
23) dishes; for my money, the fragrant tuna steak
is a winner (
€
18). Reservations are strongly recommended.
RESTAURANTS IN CANNAREGIO & ALONG
THE FONDAMENTE NUOVE
€€
You can either walk through the quiet back streets of Cannaregio or catch
a
vaporetto
to the Fondamente Nuove, a short walk from two worthwhile eateries,
€
