10 Best Restaurants for Inexpensive Dining in Venice
On a trip to Venice, you can't miss its traditional food. The city, with its reputation for being expensive, doesn't make it easy to find places to eat well and cheaply, but here I'll try to give you some hints.
Shrimp Salad, | ©Terje Sollie
If cities such as Rome and Florence have a reputation for being expensive when it comes to eating out, Venice often surpasses them in this respect. The city of Venice has countless attractions and, although food is one of them, it is sometimes very difficult to enjoy a good Italian meal without spending a large part of your budget.
To avoid tourist traps, I have compiled a short list of inexpensive places to eat well. In general, these places are divided into four categories: trattorias (traditional home-style restaurants), bacari (similar to tapas bars and very typical of Venice), osterias (offering set menus and casual dining) and fast food restaurants (in this case, pizzas and pasta).
1. Bacareto da Lele, one of the most popular restaurants in Venice.
Students, Venetians and tourists all agree that Bacareto da Lele is one of the most popular restaurants in Venice. This unanimity explains why its small space is always crowded with people looking for a good place to eat for a very cheap price.
To get to this bacaro you have to go a little bit away from the main monuments of Venice. It is located on the corner of Piazza Campo del Tolentini, in the Santa Croce district. Its culinary offer, although tasty, is not too sophisticated, as it consists of various types of cicchetti, paninis and other small dishes.
It is traditional to accompany the meal with a good house wine, although more and more Venetians are opting for a spritz as an aperitif.
In addition to the prices, the restaurant is noted for its owner's excellent service. The service is extremely efficient and, despite the large number of customers, everything usually comes out quickly and without delay.
Of course, you will usually have to order your food and drink and sit down to eat on one of the benches near the canal.
Practical information
- Address: Fondamenta dei Tolentini 183 Santa Croce
- Opening hours: Monday to Friday, open between 6am and 8pm. On Saturdays, it is only open until 14:00.
- MainDish: It's hard to choose between their cicchetti, so try a few. Also a highlight is their authentic homemade spritz.
2. Bar Puppa, the best fresh pasta with great service.
Bar Puppa is a classic among Venetians when they want to eat good fresh pasta at a very good price. To get there you have to go to the Cannaregio neighbourhood, considered the least touristy and most authentic part of the city.
The place itself is not fancy, but it more than makes up for it with outstanding service and great homemade food. Much of the menu is offered as a set menu, with a plate of pasta or pizza, drink and coffee for around 15€. In addition, there is also a hamburger menu priced at around 12€.
An interesting aspect to avoid surprises when paying is that this restaurant includes the so-called coperto in the price of the menu. This concept, which could be considered a "service", is usually charged separately in many places in Venice and represents an increase in the bill of between 10% and 15%. One of the most important things to keep in mind when visiting Venice is to keep this in mind.
If you decide to come here, you may have to use some of Venice's transport, but trying some of the risotto, spaghetti carbonara or frutti di mare is well worth the trip.
Practical info
- Address: Calle della Spezier, 4800
- Opening hours: between 9:00 a.m. (breakfast available) and 11:00 p.m.
- Main dish: definitely their spaghetti al frutti di mare
3. Pizzeria L'Angelo, because you can't miss the homemade Venetian pizza.
Just for its location, very close to St. Mark's Square, this place deserves to be on the list of recommended restaurants to eat cheaply in Venice. If, in addition, you add the quality of its pizzas, Pizzeria L'Angelo becomes an almost obligatory visit after touring the Doge's Palace.
With a fairly extensive menu of homemade wood-fired pizzas, around 30 different kinds, its prices are very reasonable, with the cheapest ones around 6 or 7€. The service is very good and orders are delivered very quickly. On the downside, if you arrive at the height of rush hour, queues can be almost an hour long.
When ordering you should know that there are several sizes: medium (for one person) and family (for two). Unfortunately, there is no place inside to sit down to eat, so customers usually go to a square to sit quietly on a bench.
Practical information
- Address: Calle de la Mandola San Marco
- Opening hours: from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm
- Main dish: Personally I'd go for their spicy peperoncino pizza, but they are all very good thanks to the quality of the dough.
4. Join the Venetians at Bacarando in Corte Dell Orso
In one of the most atmospheric areas of Venice, the area around the Rialto Bridge, you'll find Bacarando in Corte Dell Orso, one of the most popular eateries in the city. The only problem, apart from the difficulty of getting a seat, is finding it, as it is located in a hidden alleyway.
If you manage to overcome this difficulty you will find a good variety of traditional Venetian food. The restaurant offers two dining options: cicchetti (the equivalent of tapas) or an à la carte menu seated in the dining room.
If you choose the first option, you will be able to choose between several of their cicchetti at a very reasonable price. Traditionally, they are accompanied by their excellent spritz. Those who prefer the traditional restaurant format will not be disappointed either, but they should be aware that they will be charged for the service or coperto.
Despite being well located in relation to some tourist attractions, most of the clientele are locals, especially university students. Live music performances are sometimes organised.
Practical information
- Address: Corte de l'Orso San Marco
- Opening hours: opens at 10:30 in the morning and does not close until midnight.
- Main Dish: Their lasagna of the day is great.
5. Enjoy the best service in town at Trattoria Alle Lance
A loyal local clientele is the best sign that Trattoria Alle Lance offers highly estimable dishes for a below average price in Venice. The restaurant is located very close to the Grand Canal in the train station area, in a hidden alleyway.
In addition to the à la carte menu, the trattoria offers two different set menus. The first is around €12, plus coperto. If you prefer, you can opt for a more expensive one, around 15 € or so, with more elaborate dishes.
Please note that the portions are very generous, to the point that many people have enough with the first course. They also have a good selection of wine at very good prices.
Moreover, the trattoria has won over its customers, locals and tourists alike, with its excellent service. If you have any questions, all you have to do is ask, and the staff is always ready to help and advise you.
Practical information
- Address: Calle Priuli Dei Cavalletti 108, Cannaregio.
- Opening hours: between 10:00 am and 11:00 pm.
- Main dish: The spaghetti with cuttlefish is unbeatable.
6. Taste the local wines at Osteria Al Bottegon: Cantine del Vino Già Schiavi
Osteria Al Bottegon is a real institution in town. This traditional, family-run osteriais located just a few minutes from the Accademia Bridge, one of the most interesting bridges in Venice. Next to the restaurant is the San Trovarso canal, which provides a nice view if you choose to eat outside.
Its location off the beaten track is possibly what has allowed this osteria to remain virtually immune to the passage of time. The owners have long created a friendly and relaxed atmosphere in which to enjoy their extensive menu of over 60 types of cicchetti.
Each of these tapas costs around €2 and can be accompanied by the other great speciality of the house: wine. In this sense, the osteria offers an extraordinary selection of regional wines.
The downside of this good work is that it's going to be quite difficult to find a free seat. If you have no luck or patience, you can always order takeaway food.
Practical information
- Address: Fondamenta Nani 992 Dorsoduro
- Opening hours: 08:30 am to 20:30 pm
- Main dish: It's hard to decide on just one dish. Since they are small, you can try a selection consisting of smoked tuna cicchetti with parmesan, baccala alla vicentina and sun-dried tomato cicchetti.
7. Dal Moro's: fast and quality pasta
If you've just left St. Mark's Basilica and you're not convinced by the restaurants in the area around St. Mark's, you'll find a place very close by where you can eat the best pasta at an incredible price. Dal Moro's only serves takeaway food, but this has not prevented it from becoming one of the city's classics.
The reason for its fame, apart from the price, is the quality of its fresh, homemade pasta. The way it works is simple: first, choose the type of pasta you want from the 8 varieties on offer; second, select the sauce (four cheeses, squid ink, pesto, tomato and garlic...); and finally, pick up the order served in a box and enjoy your meal.
The staff are very friendly and tell you where you can sit down to eat, as Venetian regulations prohibit doing so in some places. Although it's best to follow the recommendations, it's not difficult to find a bench in a square to enjoy your meal.
Practical information
- Address: Calle De La Casseleria,
- Opening times: opens at 12 noon and closes at 5 pm.
- Main dish: The spaghetti with Genovese pesto is really delicious.
8. Trattoria Ai Cugnai dal 1911, where the gondolieri eat.
In the Dorsoduro neighbourhood, a short walk from the Accademia Bridge, you will find Trattoria Ai Cugnai dal 1911, a quaint restaurant that offers great quality dishes at a very good price.
The restaurant's speciality is pasta dishes with fish, although you will also find different options. The atmosphere is very pleasant and the service is friendly and always willing to help.
On a curious note, if you have booked a gondola ride you may find your gondolier here, as this is one of the places they go to eat. In fact, this group is given preference when it comes to receiving a table.
The restaurant has two dining areas. If you go to Venice in summer or spring, you can enjoy an indoor terrace located in a courtyard. In bad weather, the restaurant has several tables next to the bar.
Practical information
- Address: Calle Nuova Sant'Agnese, 857
- Opening hours: 12:00 noon - 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm.
6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
- Main dish: the fish lasagna is worth a try, but make sure you leave room for the tiramisu for dessert.
9. Bacaro Quebrado, as if you've been invited to a Venetian home.
As soon as you enter Bacaro Quebrado you will realise that this is a special place. The atmosphere inside, which is quite small, and on the terrace is great, which is helped by the cheerful attitude and politeness of the staff.
The restaurant is located near Santa Lucia station, a bit out of the tourist centre, but the area is easy to reach by vaporetto.
Given its size, it is difficult to find a seat, but I recommend you be patient, as the rewards are worth it. The menu is made up of a good variety of tapas, pickled fish and pasta. All with such a pronounced homemade touch that you'll feel like you're eating in any house in the city.
Practical information
- Address: 1107a Calle Larga dei Bari
- Opening hours: 10:30 am to 11:30 pm
- Main dish: In addition to their great desserts, their lasagna and the fabulous gnocchi with salmon and prawn sauce are outstanding.
10. Gelateria Suso, because you can't leave Venice without trying their ice cream
Although they are not restaurants in the strict sense of the word, no visitor to Venice should leave without trying their famous and delicious ice creams, including those travelling to Venice in winter. Among the many in the city is the Suso Gelatoteca, located near the Rialto Bridge.
If you've returned tired from an excursion to Murano, for example, there's no better way to recover than by popping into this place. Its artisan ice creams are considered among the best in the city and the prices are very reasonable.
Suso offers a wide variety of flavours and has given his creations names such as Opera or Bellini. Bear in mind that the portions are very generous, especially the ice creams served with cream and wafer.
Practical information
- Address: Calle della Bissa, 5453
- Opening hours: open from 11:00 to 19:30
- Main dish: The walnut and fig ice cream and the nutella ice cream are great.
If you're in Venice for a few days and one day you feel like a change of scenery, here's another suggestion for an American food menu with a reservation at the Hard Rock Cafe in Venice, where you can enjoy various types of burgers and sandwiches from the legendary bar with live music.