Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
RESTAURANTS IN DORSODURO
€€
5
(Fondamenta della Toletta, Dorsoduro
1169/A;
%
041-5238944; www.enotecaartisti.com)
has a handful of canal-side
tables that are enormously popular in summer. Owners Vincenzo and Francesca
opened this small wine bar in 2004, and it's easily the best place in Venice for a fresh,
massive salad. Over and above the extensive wine menu, there's a pizza and panino
selection. The daily-changing lunch menu includes such light meals as crepes with
prawn and tomato salsa, or buffalo mozzarella with seasonal vegetables; each day,
five
primi
dishes are on offer, which will set you back an affordable
€
9 to
€
12.
Secondi,
which are always accompanied by a side dish, cost
Osteria Enoteca Ai Artisti
15. Dinner
is only served on Wednesday and Saturday; other nights it's strictly
cicchetti
(
€
12 to
€
4.50), with plenty of panini, vegetables, marinated fish, and slices of
baked aubergine. You can also try the assortment of cured meats and cheeses—
platters range in price from
€
1.20-
€
18. Wine by the glass costs anything from
€
1.50 to
€
8, while more budget-friendly bottles of wine sell for as little as
€
9.
€
10 to
€
€
-
€€
Fortunately, there's a great deal of wine to keep you busy while you pon-
der the extensive menu at the large and lively
Ristorante San Trovaso
5
(Fondamenta Priuli, Dorsoduro 1016;
%
041-5230835; www.tavernasantrovaso.
com; Fri-Wed noon-2:30pm and 7-9:50pm),
where a bevy of young waiters carry
platefuls of fish and liters of wine to an appreciative clientele. On summer
evenings, grab a table outside, where you'll be rewarded with a cool breeze; don't
come if you've got anything against large portions of fresh, simply prepared seafood
(
€
10-
€
20)—I usually begin by ordering
cozze e vongole
(a mussel and clam
antipasta)
,
served as a veritable mountain of shellfish.
Primi
dishes cost between
5
and
€
11, while the meat and chicken dishes among the selection of
secondi
are
slightly more expensive (
€
4. House wine
is served by the glass for
€
2.50. Note that there's a cover charge of
€
2.
€
8.50-
€
18). All vegetarian options cost
€
€
-
€€
Osteria Vini Padovani
(Calle dei Cerchieri, Dorsoduro 1280;
%
041-
5236370; Mon-Fri 9am-10pm)
is a superbly relaxed place for trying out traditional
Venetian dishes. Owned by an ex-tennis star named Mirko, who often greets and
speaks with guests while his wife, Christina, is busy behind the counter, this small
restaurant with sidewalk tables attracts mainly local people who come for wine
and
cicchetti
or a full-blown meal. A favorite is
fegato alla veneziana
(liver with
onions), made here just the way Venetians like it. You can also sample three dif-
ferent preparations of swordfish. Other specialties include
baccalà
(also made with
swordfish) with polenta,
sarde e saor,
and
bigoli
in salsa.
€
-
€€
Those two supple, naked, Barbarella-type temptresses on the place mats
at
Casin dei Nobili
(Dorsoduro 2765;
%
041-2411841; Tues-Sun)
are meant to
represent the atmosphere of this fun place. Amid the bohemian drama at large
animated tables, waiters prance about in burgundy aprons delivering armloads of
good-value pizzas (usually with an armada of toppings) and more exotic fare to a
clientele of all ages and incomes. The menu regularly includes special recommen-
dations by the chef, such as oven-baked rabbit with rosemary, gnocchi with
Gorgonzola cheese, and filleted turbot prepared with saffron and zucchini flow-
ers. When it's busy—which it usually is—be prepared to wait up to 30 minutes
or more for your pizza.
