Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 041 527 48 79;
www.abeccafico.com
; Campo Santo Stefano 2801; meals €25-45; noon-3pm &
7-11pm; Accademia)
Far from clubby pubs lining Venice's alleyways, A Beccafico basks
in the sunshine of Campo Santo Stefano and open Venetian admiration. Instead of cold
seafood on toast, chef Adeli serves Sicily-size bowls of mussels under a bubbling, flaky
crust. He defies Venice's cardinal rule never to mix lagoon seafood with cheese, serving
squid-ink pasta with lemon zest and ricotta. Linger over feather-light Pieoropan Soave
Classico, and leave with a surprisingly full belly - and wallet.
CICHETI: VENICE'S BEST MEAL DEALS
Even in unpretentious Venetian
osterie
(casual taverns), most dishes cost a couple of euros more than
elsewhere in Italy - not a bad mark-up, given fresh seafood and local produce is brought in by boat.
But
cicheti,
Venetian bar snacks, are some of the best foodie finds in the country, served at the bar in
Venetian
osterie
at lunch and about 6pm to 8pm.
Cicheti
range from basic €1 to €2 bar snacks (spicy
meatballs, fresh tomato bruschetta) to wildly inventive small plates for €2 to €5: think white Bassano
asparagus and plump lagoon shrimp wrapped in pancetta at All'Arco fennel and octopus salad fresh
from the Pescaria at ProntoPesce; crostini (open-face sandwiches) piled with
sopressa
(soft local
salami) with marinated radicchio at Dai Zemei. Many
bacari
(bar/eateries) and
enoteche
(wine bars)
also offer nightly
cicheti
spreads that could easily pass as dinner.
TOP OF CHAPTER
5
Dorsoduro
Impronta Café
ITALIAN
€
( 041 275 03 86; Calle Crosera 3815; meals €8-15; 7am-2am Mon-Sat; ; San Tomá)
Join
Venice's value-minded jet set for
prosecco
and bargain polenta-salami combos, surroun-
ded by witty architectural diagrams of cooking pots. When other restaurants close, Im-
pronta stays open to accommodate late lunches, teatime with a wide tea selection, and
midnight snacks of club sandwiches - yet somehow, the staff remains chipper and the
bathroom spotless.
