venice-restaurant recommendations?

[garden]

Going to venice end of jan as treat for lovely but very tired (from work) DP. Staying in castello area, near st.marks- any recommendations for nice restaurants or cafes? Thank you- any ideas gratefully received.

Bumping for you.

....not near you, particularly, but Avogoria, in the Dorsoduro district (on street of same name) is a marvel. Stayed in Venice two nights in 2007, dined there both nights.

...most things in the very centre (around St Marks, Rialto etc) are usually overpriced and of low quality. It is best to wander away from the centre, down towards the University is good. Here, there is plenty of good food and Venice seems like a real place not just a tourist trap!

I loved it there...

I have one! - and in your area. It's an exception to what RG2 says about the area generally - it's a very non-touristy, indeed the opposite, little - what are they called - bocello or something? - Venetian version of a tapas bar. So it's not a linger over candle-lit napery kind of place, more a squish round a bare table on wobbly chairs. But quite sophisticated for all that.

It's run by some earnest dashing young (lovely combo, sigh) men, on serious principle of proper traditional Venetian fare - wine, and the sort of food that traditionally accompanies that wine. We had a seafood ashet which featured weeny lagoon shrimp (like potted shrimps), and more challenging things like salted cod and squid-ink creations. Ds and dd could face the lagoon shrimp and some cornbread but not anything else, really - too grown-up.

However ... I don't have the guide book with me now, so will have to try to remember to post later. Bump if you don't see me?

Ignazio, Calle dei Saoneri, San Polo 2749 tel 041 523 48 52. Really excellent proper Venetian food.

Exactly as RG says - the great thing about Venice is just wandering with the added benefit that you will probably find a restaurant down a side street that has actual Venetians in it (they do exist).

We found some places like this, one near the university and one some where away to the North of the Grand Canal (apart as far from St Marks as you can get). Also avoid anything too close to the train station or on the route from the train station to St Marks.

We went at the end of Jan a few years ago - wrap up warm, and all those trestle table types things on the main streets? that's what they walk along when it floods, if it has flooded recently (it had when we were there and I think it has recently) can be a bit muddy/silty in places, not welly muddy, but not the place to where your nicest shoes either.

I have loads... we went in november and I bought a guide of Venice Osterie.
I can recommend:

La corte sconta (in the castello: Castello 3886 Calle del Pestrin) v. expensive though

Rioba Cannaregio 2553 (they are very nice)

Antiche carampane (san polo 1911 calle de le carampane) Quite expensive, but fantastic food.

My favourite place is on the island called Pellestrina, which is an enchanted place in itself. The restaurant is called Da Nane tel +39 041 5279100

Last but not least:

San Barnaba (Dorsoduro 2736, Calle lunga san Barnaba): excellent "cucina casalinga", unfussy, delicious food (the restaurant is small, the owner looks grumpy, but is actually lovely). The san barnaba area is lovely and close to the peggy guggenheim museum

Oh gosh I wish I could now go to venice and get some baccala' mantecato...

And for wine and cicheti (like tapas) go to Do Mori (San Polo 429, Calle dei do Mori)

I'm now hungry.

Right, I'm back, and my recommendation (as described below) is called Osteria alla Botte in campo San Bortolomio, San Marco - it appears in Time Out recommendations here but wasn't full of non-Venetians as you might suspect with a TO recommendation. To recap - it's cosy night drinking rather than all-out haute cuisine. But I imagine a shattered DP might well prefer the former.

Have a LOVELY time.

Take a speedboat in from the airport (hang the expense).

Franca has highlighted some of my suggestions ( one wonders why !!!!!). Do go to DO Maori if you are near Rialto its a stand up glass of wine and cicetti place good midday snack stop. However I have one osteria / trattoria that is fairly new . It is just above Campo San Bartolomeo direction the station ( it is 2 mins from Rialto) Street opposite the Bata shoe shop its called Babarabau - Its an Osterie , serving cicetti ( the tapas things as mentioned) plus a bit more . Nice atmosphere, nice staff and not that expensive.
Cat me if you need to know more ...I live here( its cold here at the mo - I know its cold in the Uk but here we have the damp as well). If you are coming into Marco Polo and need a taxi transfer can help with that as well

Yes, I forgot to say that most of the things I know about Venice come from Rosa's knowledge >