When in Venice, eat like an Italian.

I have a philosophy when I travel which I learnt from my father. He says when you visit a new city, spend of what you’ve earned with an open heart. You see he has a belief that earnings/wealth is given to us by our Creator so that we can not only have for ourselves but also to share with others. And the more we are prepared to share with others, the more we will receive. This philosophy has worked for him and it’s working for me too.

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So when I travel I try not to focus too much on how much something cost but instead I stay present to how I feel about spending my earnings in a particular establishment. If it feels right, I go for it with an open heart. Almost 100% of the time I’m not disappointed with my purchase.

There is no place where I needed to use this philosophy more than in Venice. The city of canals is essentially a tourist city which means that prices are quite high. If you want to eat good authentic Italian food you have to be prepared to pay.

Keeping this philosophy in mind, we decided to treat ourselves to a good Italian pasta, pizza and dessert at least once during our stay in Venice. Here are the restaurants I recommend you try if you want to have a real Italian experience.

Spagetteria 6342 A Le Tole

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Our host, Riccardo, marked this on the map for us and said, if you want to eat fresh pasta, this is your place. Armed with the map we set off on the Friday late afternoon to find Restaurant 6342 http://www.6342aletole.it/.

My husband is quite a good navigator so I really just had to follow as he meandered through narrow passages checking the map occasionally. We arrived at the restaurant only to be told that this branch was not opening until much later the evening. But, they do have another branch which operates during the day and closes in a few hours. We were lead there by a pleasant Italian waiter.

The restaurant is warm with pretty Venetian masks on the walls and soft music playing in the background creating a cosy relaxing ambience. We were surprised to find that we were the only diners in the restaurant. It seems that Venetians and tourist alike prefer to have dinner after the sun has set.

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The menu gives you an extensive selection of pastas and pizzas to choose from. I decided to go with a Tagliatelle pasta prepared in a creamy sauce with Seabass. The combination of fish and pasta sounded good. As soon as I put the first forkful into my mouth I could taste the difference between authentic pasta, made today, and the pasta I am used to eating which comes out of a box in my kitchen pantry. I savoured every mouthful and tried to taste each ingredient in this simple but tasty dish.

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My husband chose a Spaghetti pasta with shrimp and vegetables. We both agreed that you could immediately taste the freshness and the firmness of the pasta.

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What’s a good meal without a good dessert? We decided to end off the meal with a classic Italian dessert. I guess you can say tiramisu will never taste the same to me. The smooth and creamy textures of the mascarpone cheese and the espresso coffee combined to make this dessert a taste sensation to savour with every mouthful. If you find yourself in Venice, a meal at this restaurant will not disappoint. Try it, you will thank me.

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Pizzeria La Rossa Rossa

Even the name says you are about to have a true Italian experience, right? Well that’s absolutely true! If you want to eat good pizza prepared from scratch by good looking Italian chefs, then this is your place to go.

Pizzerria La Rossa Rossa turned out to be just as Riccardo described it. When you enter this restaurant you have to wonder if the electricity is out or if its just your eyes deceiving you. I’m not sure if it’s part of the look and feel they are trying to create but the lighting in here is not good. Riccardo had given us the heads up to expect this, so we were not put off by it. Instead we settled in and prepared ourselves for a pizza treat second to none. And I am pleased to say we were not disappointed.

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We opted for Magheritta and waited in anticipation. You know you have a good pizza when the base is not all thick and bready nor thin and flimsy. This pizza base was just right. The cheese melted in your mouth and the base just dissolved as you chewed. Pizza is one of my hubby’s favorites, so he was in heaven. This restaurant is a must do. Let me know what you thought once you’ve been.

Gelati Nico

Walking around Venice you will see many ice cream shops with the most exquisite display of gelato ice cream. Do not be distracted or impressed by the displays. If you want to experience real gelato ice cream I suggest you walk right past all those enticing displays and make your way towards Gelati Nico http://www.gelaterianico.com/.

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This restaurant is situated on the Waterfront quite close to Zattere water bus stop. We opted to walk there instead of taking the water bus. By the time we arrived we had worked up a good appetite. There is quite a variety of flavours to choose from so you may take a while to decide. Each flavour seems to be screaming out to you, “pick me”.  We opted for Ferrero Roche flavour.

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I loved the chocolatey nutty texture and the fullness of cream that I tasted as I swirled the ice cream around in my mouth to savour it before it slid down my throat. The combination of the beautiful location and the mouth-watering ice cream makes Gelati Nico one of the best places to visit in Venice.

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Gibran

There is only so much pizza you can eat before your palette craves for something different. If you looking for something different but still authentic, why not try this Lebanese Restaurant .  

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Gibran is situated in the district of Castello in, where the local Italians live.  The restaurant is only open at night and is a sit down restaurant. They are also more than willing to prepare a take away dish for you if you prefer to have your dinner at your apartment.