Eating out in Venice can be expensive, especially in the touristy cafes and restaurants around San Marco. Good areas to hunt for more authentic, well-priced restaurants are around the Rialto market, the Ghetto area of Cannaregio and in parts of Dorsoduro. So choose a hotel within striking distance of these areas. But also, hotel restaurants, chosen wisely, can be less of a touristy rip-off. We have eaten our way around Venice - tough task - to bring you a selection of the best Venice hotels for foodies.

Not surprisingly, given its watery location, Venice specialises in fish and seafood. This low-lying hinterland of the Veneto region, perfect for rice-growing, also makes risotto a popular dish, especially combined with seafood. Pork, polenta and - that most Italian of desserts - tiramisu, are also items for which to scour menus. The Veneto area is also a noteworthy vine-growing region; the wines to looks out for include Bardolino, Valpolicella and Soave.

8 of the Best Hotels in Venice for Foodies

For a Michelin star

• If you’re looking for Michelin star, it has to be the family-run Metropole, overlooking the lagoon. A hotel filled with the owners’ fabulous array of antiques and collectables, and with bedrooms ranging from lavish to more traditional. The Michelin-starred Met restaurant is in a suitably grand dining room, hung with silks and gilt-framed portraits. There’s also a chic bar and shady garden.
• Venissa, on Isola di Mazzorbo which is linked to Burano by a wooden bridge, is a restaurant-with-rooms and considered one of the finest dining rooms in Venice. Family-run, with its own kitchen garden, orchard and vineyard, rooms are simple, chic and minimalist.

On the islands

• If you don’t mind being a boat-ride from the star attractions of Venice, consider the charming, small northern islands. Torcello - once more populous than Venice but now charmingly faded with two sublime churches - is home to Locanda Cipriani, a restaurant-with-rooms and part of the grand Cipriani hotel on Guidecca. Rooms are simple but elegant and the food surprisingly sophisticated.

For dinner overlooking the Grand Canal

• In a superb position, overlooking the Grand Canal, the 14th-century Ca’ Sagredo Hotel has everything you would expect of a Venetian palazzo: frescoes, stucco work, gilded furniture and rich fabrics. The icing on the cake is its canal-side terrace for dining on regional specialities with a modern twist.

For lagoon views

• The Hotel Londra Palace, on the Riva degli Schiavoni, has wonderful lagoon views plus sleek bedrooms with original artwork and Biedermeier furnishings. Tchaikovsky was so enchanted with the setting, he wrote his Fourth Symphony here. The elegant restaurant is known for its fine-dining food; on balmy evenings, eat on the terrace; excellent people-watching.

Eating in Venice is as much about the views as the food. Use our guide to the best Venice hotels for foodies to ensure you get the best of both. If there's nothing here to tickle your taste buds, check out all our Venice recommendations, or contact a friendly guru for advice.

 

Written by Helen Pickles

posted Monday, 14th November 2022