In celebration of the newest edition of the Venice Biennale commencing in just a few days, we’ve compiled our favorite restaurants and bars on the island—from sustainable tasting menus and local wineries to fresh seafood.
Ristorante Glam
Ristorante Glam. Photo by Paolo Chiodini.
Tucked away in a quiet corner of Santa Croce is Palazzo Venart, a luxury hotel overlooking the Grand Canal. This property hosts a private courtyard and intimate garden at its center, offering guests a welcome respite from the unforgiving Venetian sun and the city’s masses of tourists. It is in this romantic enclave that Ristorante Glam lies. With Chef Donato Ascani at the helm, Glam honors the lasting traditions of Venetian cooking but adds a futuristic twist with the addition of Ligurian flair. Guests may choose either the nine-course menu, which presents dishes that celebrate the richness, variety, and freshness of Venice’s locally grown vegetables, or the eleven-course menu, which presents an array of Ascani’s signature creations emphasizing the region’s meat and fish offerings. The restaurant’s wine list honors Venetian, Italian, and French production.
Whitewaller recommends: The eleven-course menu and Venetian wine.
Ristorante Venissa
Venissa
In 2017, Ristorante Venissa shifted gears. Chefs Chiara Pavan and Francesco Brutto began prioritizing sustainability, taking care to use local ingredients, reduce waste, and research fermentation, invasive species, and plant proteins. It’s a cooking style that the kitchen now calls cucina ambientale, aiming to preserve the fragile environment of the Venetian lagoon. These efforts have certainly not gone unnoticed: the restaurant was awarded a Green Michelin Star for its commitment to sustainability in 2021.
The restaurant is located within the Venissa Estate, a sprawling vineyard on Mazzorbo Island that produces one of the most sought-after wines in the world: Venissa Bianco. Guests can expect to indulge in rare wine while enjoying Venissa’s seasonal, local menu, which prioritizes vegetables, seafood, and foraged ingredients from the lagoon.
Whitewaller recommends: Venissa Bianco and the tasting menu.
Oke Zattere
Oke Zattere. Photo by Giorgio Fragiacomo.
Open 365 days a year, Oke Zattere boasts a menu which exclusively highlights top-tier ingredients. Organic fruit and vegetables, fresh fish, and fior di latte mozzarella all take center stage, purchased daily from the internationally famous Rialto Market. The result is a remarkable 50 different types of pizza with crowd-pleasing combinations like prosciutto cotto and artichokes, caramelized onions with spicy salami, and sweet peppers, zucchini, and eggplant. We recommend dining in the early evening, when guests may sit on the restaurant’s terrace overlooking the Giudecca Canal and see the sun setting over the lagoon, and drinking one of the local beers on the menu.
Whitewaller recommends: Local beer and the pizza with prosciutto cotto and artichokes.
Antiche Carampane
Antiche Carampane
Hidden in the streets between the Rialto Market and Campo San Polo is Antiche Carampane, a restaurant well-loved by Venetian locals and visitors alike. The menu largely centers on seafood, whether in the form of thin-sliced carpaccio or spider crab sauce ladled atop tagliolini. Fan favorites like deep fried fish are served alongside Venetian-style cuttlefish in black sauce; regional wines are plentiful, with special attention paid to small producers and organic products. The owners, Francesco and Adriano, pride themselves on solely serving seasonal offerings from the Venetian lagoon and its surroundings; each morning, they go to the Rialto together and select their ingredients for the day.
Whitewaller recommends: The wild fish of the day.
Acqua Pazza
Acqua Pazza. Courtesy of Acqua Pazza.
Serving Amalfian seafood cuisine in the pristine setting of Campo Sant’Angelo, Acqua Pazza is an enchanting eatery. Campania wines complement the famous Neapolitan pizza, and all mozzarella, tomatoes, oil, and pastas are imported from the Amalfi Coast.
Whitewaller recommends: The Schiaffoni di Gragnano alla granseola.
AMO
AMO. Courtesy of AMO.
AMO, the Alajmo family’s newest restaurant, is located inside T Fondaco dei Tedeschi—Venice’s first luxury department store, operated by DFS. During the day, the coffee shop offers pastries and sweets, and for lunch and at night, guests are greeted with dim lighting and custom-made dark leather furniture in what seems to be the city’s most intimate hidden gem.
Whitewaller recommends: The Alajmo’s classic Bolognese ragù and potato “cappuccino.”
Club del Doge Restaurant
Club del Doge Restaurant. Courtesy of Club del Doge Restaurant.
Located in The Gritti Palace, Club del Doge Restaurant is one of the most celebrated establishments in Venice. Here, flavors of fresh and seasonal ingredients from the local territory combine with innovative preparations and intriguing plays of consistency for a tasting experience with infinite facets, and Grand Canal views to match.
Whitewaller recommends: The risotto carnaroli of the day.
Hostaria da Franz
Hostaria da Franz
Known for its fish dishes, Hostaria da Franz is an elegant restaurant for visitors and locals alike. With delicious homemade pastas and Mediterranean fare, the establishment also offers gluten-free options—a true rarity in Venice.
Whitewaller recommends: Asking owner Maurizio for his recommendation.
