How to Eat in Venice on the Cheap

Venice is one of the most expensive cities in Italy, partly because its lack of agriculture means that most of the fresh food has to be brought in from elsewhere. You can unearth good food in Venice, though, and some of it is even affordable.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Italian Phrase Books
• Maps
• Restaurant Dining Guides
• Travel Guides
• Travelers' Checks
• Maps

1. Eat at wine bars, or "baccari." These bars often offer a selection of simple, tasty foods, usually served in small portions much like Spanish tapas. Pair your food with a glass of Prosecco or another wine from the Veneto region.

2. Fill up on "tramezzini," which are sandwiches available all over Venice. They make a great lunch ' just remember to eat standing up at the bar or you may find extra charges on your bill!

3. Look for establishments that post a tourist menu outside. You will often get a fixed price three- or four-course meal for much less than if you ordered from the à la carte menu. Choices are limited, but the savings are worthwhile.

4. Learn the difference between a pizzeria, a trattoria and a ristorante. A pizzeria will be your most inexpensive choice, while a ristorante will be the most expensive; a trattoria falls somewhere in between.

5. Remember to put your map away sometimes and just wander until you find a place that seems to be busy serving the locals. You'll make some of your best discoveries in Venice when you are completely lost.

Tips & Warnings

• Get a good budget guidebook with extensive listings of affordable restaurants and cafés. Peruse different guidebooks at your local library, make photocopies of the pages you really need, then leave the heavy books at home.
• Make sure your guide or phrase book contains information about specifically Venetian foods, since there are some dishes (such as pasta with 'seppie,' or squid-ink) that you may find only in Venice.
• Avoid 'tourist trap' areas if you're trying to eat on the cheap. Restaurants and cafés a block or so away from the heart of the action may be a lot cheaper. A coffee at Piazza San Marco's Florian's may be worth the high price, though, since it gives you a front row seat in one of the world's most famous locations.
• At some cafes or restaurants in Italy, you will find three levels of charges: one price for standing at the bar, another price for sitting inside and yet another for sitting at a patio table.
• Remember that a service charge and a cover charge ('pane e coperto) are almost always automatically added to your bill in Italian restaurants; tipping over and above the included service charge is optional, though it is customary to leave some small change on the table.

[cestbourgogne]

on 2/6/2009 buy snacks, water, and wine to bring with you. if your room has a mini-fridge, you can store lunch meats and cheese there.

on 11/22/2005 Just got back from Venice, and found eats at the train station to be cafeteria style and very good. Venice is very expensive - nothing is cheap. Shop carefully, as some things are not original to Venice and are from the Orient, such as the lace in Burano.