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Explore Venice private tours, experiencing food and art behind the scenes with local experts. Discover the essence of a destination.

Venice

Italy

In our Venice travel guide, we reveal the best hotels, restaurants, and things to do in Venice, from unique to luxury options.

Venice Travel Guide: Hotels, Restaurants & Things to Do | PRIOR

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Guides > Gallery: Venice

World-class art centers housed in crumbling palazzi. Dazzling hotels along the Grand Canal. Buzzy Bellini bars tucked away in back alleys. For one of the world’s greatest historic cities, Venice nonetheless possesses a thrilling sense of nowness. Yes, the endless amount of aquatic antiquity on display makes the lagoon metropolis one of the most photogenic places on earth. But there is far more inside these waterways than mere aesthetics. Forward-thinking tourist entry fees designed to curb overcrowding, plus progressive biennales of art, architecture, film, and science are just two recent reminders that visitors should not merely bask in the floating city’s many charms, but learn from them, too.

World-class art centers housed in crumbling palazzi. Dazzling hotels along the Grand Canal. 

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Only in Venice

The unique curiosities that make Venice tick. 

A trip to Venice comes with celluloid-level expectations, which are met instantly when you arrive at the Gritti Palace, a circa-1475 palazzo turned luxury hotel. Enjoying that first spritz and cicchetti at the Gritti Terrace overlooking the Grand Canal or inside at the classically opulent Bar Longhi feels as if it’s your first day on a film set, brimming with glamour and excitement. Old-world opulence fills the 82 rooms; our favorite is the Punta della Dogana suite, a corner space fitted with glass chandeliers, elaborate antique furnishings and mirrors, hand-painted ceilings, and Venetian silk damask fabrics. Such a setting is the perfect excuse to order in breakfast. With the impeccable service that’s polite without being over-the-top, you’re sure to feel like royalty here. 

The Gritti Palace

A trip to Venice comes with celluloid-level expectations, which are met instantly when you arrive at the Gritti Palace, a circa-1475 palazzo turned luxury hotel.

At this Experimental Group property, located in the working-class neighborhood of Dorsoduro, Venetian tropes are displayed in unexpected ways. Guests will find the typical Venetian vernacular of terrazzo, lacquer, and marble in the property’s 32 rooms but used in a more whimsical manner than usual. The furniture and some doorways are painted in jaunty stripes (red and white, an homage to the city’s beloved gondoliers), while other details are an ode to both the city and its famed postmodern architect Carlo Scarpa, with marmorino walls, Palladio mirrors in the shape of Serlian windows, polychrome marble countertops, and torchon rope throughout. The owners are known for their cocktail programs throughout Europe, and the hotel bar, Experimental Cocktail Club, has become a popular aperitivo spot among locals and visitors alike. The bar is run by mixology maestro Lorenzo Di Cola, who has crafted a bespoke cocktail menu. Guests can soak up their libations with traditional Italian bar fare like the bombetta fritta with bottarga and burrata or Parmigiano croquettes.

Il Palazzo Experimental

At this Experimental Group property, located in the working-class neighborhood of Dorsoduro, Venetian tropes are displayed in unexpected ways.

Diana and Alessandro Romanelli, along with their son, Ruggero, opened Hotel Flora in an ivy-covered 17th-century palazzo in 1964. Today, the boutique gem tucked away just west of the Piazza San Marco behind Calle Larga XXII Marzo, one of Venice’s most elegant streets, is run by the family’s third generation, Gioele Romanelli and his wife, Heiby. The 40-room property blends inconspicuously into its setting, and doesn’t try to dazzle you; rather, it provides a homey, romantic respite, with period furniture, floral wallpaper, and damask tapestries, all in a city whose ornate glamour is so unapologetically worn on its sleeve. The hotel’s tiny leafy courtyard is a tranquil spot for breakfast in the morning, and at night, guests bring their drinks from the Victorian bar to sit under the red umbrellas.  

Hotel Flora

Diana and Alessandro Romanelli, along with their son, Ruggero, opened Hotel Flora in an ivy-covered 17th-century palazzo in 1964.

Hotel Flora 

Due to Hotel Flora’s popularity, the owners opened a second property, the rather eclectic and intimate Novecento Boutique Hotel, in 2002. Like its sister property, the nine-room Novecento is located on a quiet, narrow street just a short walk from the Piazza San Marco and the Accademia Bridge. The owners drew their main inspiration from the designer and painter Mariano Fortuny, as well the Orientalism style that was so popular in the 19th century. You can see that in the small but cozy guest rooms with ornately carved wardrobes and four-poster beds. There is a nod to Morocco with Berber rugs and pillows strewn about the main living room. Guests can enjoy tea and pastries or a glass of wine or aperitivo at the honesty bar in the reading room. Enjoy a coffee and house-made cake or pastry from the breakfast buffet in the hotel’s hidden courtyard, and you’ll feel instantly at home. 

Novecento Boutique Hotel

Due to Hotel Flora’s popularity, the owners opened a second property, the rather eclectic and intimate Novecento Boutique Hotel, in 2002.

Belmond Hotel Cipriani, located on the tip of Giudecca island, can be accessed only by boat, which is ideal for guests — read celebrities — looking for privacy. This glamorous perch also boasts the only outdoor pool (Olympic size) in the city, as well as manicured gardens and a red clay tennis court. The rooms are understated and spacious, as this is one of the few hotels in town that was custom-built rather than opened in a restored historic building, and each accommodation comes with either a garden- or water-facing balcony. There are historic accents with stucco ceilings, a sizable collection of Renaissance art, and lovely views of the lagoon. Guests looking for a more traditional stay should book the 15th-century Palazzetto annex that comes with a butler and even a private chef. There are plenty of dining options, including the seafood restaurant Il Porticciolo, the more formal Oro (which gets its name from the gilded dome ceiling), and Cip’s Club, right on the deck by the water. Recently, Riccardo Canella took over as the hotel’s executive chef after a seven-year stint at Copenhagen’s Noma. 

Belmond Hotel Cipriani

Belmond Hotel Cipriani, located on the tip of Giudecca island, can be accessed only by boat, which is ideal for guests — read celebrities — looking for privacy.

The newly renovated Ca’ di Dio, the brainchild of Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola, is located in an austere-looking building on the lagoon, facing the island of San Giorgio. Guests enter into the lobby (under a chandelier made up of 14,000 Murano glass crystals) and are escorted to the pastel sofas to begin the check-in process — there is no formal reception desk. Urquiola took her signature modern approach to this 13th-century building, which was once a pilgrims’ hospice, so it might feel slightly too slick for those looking for more historical touches. The 66 rooms are decked out in handsome warm woods, with accents of jewel-toned fabrics as well as custom-made Murano sconces. There are also two Altana suites with rooftop terraces offering grand views of the city. As for restaurants, guests can choose from the casual, all-day dining at Essentia, the more formal Vero, or Alchemia for cocktails made with house gin.

Ca' Di Dio

The newly renovated Ca’ di Dio, the brainchild of Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola, is located in an austere-looking building on the lagoon, facing the island of San Giorgio.

Set in the former stock exchange on Calle Larga XXII Marzo, a short walk from Piazza San Marco and Teatro La Fenice, Nolinski Venezia is the first Italian outpost of the French group EVOK. The hotel has 43 rooms, including 13 suites, designed by Yann Le Coadic and Alessandro Scotto, who brought a contemporary sensibility layered with Venetian accents of marble, Murano chandeliers, wood, and velvet.

A gold-tiled rooftop pool, rare in Venice, looks out across the city’s rooftops and domes. Downstairs, the library bar holds more than 4,000 volumes beneath a ceiling fresco by artist Simon Buret, while Il Caffè opens onto a courtyard garden with Mediterranean fare served throughout the day. The Palais Royal Restaurant occupies the building’s former auditorium, its vaulted arches giving it a sense of theatre, and the compact spa includes a hammam and a full menu of treatments. Throughout, the service is notably attentive, polished, and personal.


Set in the former stock exchange on Calle Larga XXII Marzo, a short walk from Piazza San Marco and Teatro La Fenice, Nolinski Venezia is the first Italian outpost of the French group EVOK. The hotel has 43 rooms, including 13 suites, designed by Yann Le Coadic and Alessandro Scotto, who brought a contemporary sensibility layered with Venetian accents of marble, Murano chandeliers, wood, and velvet.


Nolinski Venezia

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Glamorous grand dames, hidden gems, and polished-up palazzos. 

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Venice’s waters are brimming with fresh, rare seafood, from moeche, a small, soft-shell crab, to clams used in the signature spaghetti alle vongole dish. 

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On the Piazza San Marco, there’s an old, rather strange law that prohibits restaurant terraces from serving food that requires cutlery. To make a virtue out of necessity, Raffaele Alajmo and his brother Massimo, owners of Caffè Quadri as well as the Michelin three-star restaurant Le Calandre in nearby Padua, came up with the cicchettata. The term is derived from cicchetti, the snacks that in Venice are traditionally served with a spritz or any other aperitivo. The so-called cicchettata is a whole series of such bites that don’t require a knife or fork, which in this case turn out rather sumptuous, such as blinis with raw tuna, smoked-eel sauce, and caviar. Of course, the luxurious cooking and the glamorous location have their cost. That said, the price of about 50 euros is not exactly prohibitive, and such a meal of finger foods, conceived by one of Italy’s best chefs, is an experience that’s hard to forget.

Gran Caffè Quadri

On the Piazza San Marco, there’s an old, rather strange law that prohibits restaurant terraces from serving food that requires cutlery.

Founded in 1462, Cantina do Mori is considered one of the oldest pubs in town. This rustic, cellar-like spot features vintage photos hanging from the dark wood walls, copper pots dangling from the ceiling, and demijohn bottles of wine lining the floor. Locals and tourists alike stand at the counter and choose from a wide selection of cicchetti and 40 wines by the glass. Beside classics like creamed stockfish and sardines “in saor” (deep-fried and marinated in vinegar) you’ll find a small version of the tramezzino, the classic triangular sandwich of soft white bread often filled with tuna, prosciutto, or olives, known as francobollo (“postage stamp”). 

Cantina Do Mori

Founded in 1462, Cantina do Mori is considered one of the oldest pubs in town.

At this popular bacaro, a literal hole-in-the-wall near the Rialto fish market, there’s always a line. The few seats, as well as the shelves on the wall for resting your wineglass, are always occupied, and guests stand in the narrow alley out front balancing their glass and plates of cicchetti in their hands. No matter, it’s worth it for delicious snacks like canocchia (mantis shrimp) or branzino tartare.

Bar All’Arco

At this popular bacaro, a literal hole-in-the-wall near the Rialto fish market, there’s always a line.

Ombra means “shadow” in Italian, but in the Venetian dialect, it refers to a small glass of wine you share with a friend in a bacaro or cicchetteria. This enoteca, tucked away from the tourist hustle and bustle, directly on the picturesque San Trovaso Canal in the hip Dorsoduro district, is an ideal spot for an ombra. If you can squeeze by the young crowds, try canapés like whipped cod or anchovies. 

Enoteca Schiavi

Ombra means “shadow” in Italian, but in the Venetian dialect, it refers to a small glass of wine you share with a friend in a bacaro or cicchetteria.

Vino Vero, which opened on a quiet canal in the Cannaregio neighborhood in 2014, also attracts a young, hip crowd. To avoid making a brutta figura (what Italians call a bad impression), it’s best not to order a spritz here. “We love wine, not spritz,” is the motto of this natural-wine bar, which features natural and biodynamic vintages from Italy and beyond as well as classic cicchetti. (There’s also an outpost in Lisbon.) 

Vino Vero

Vino Vero, which opened on a quiet canal in the Cannaregio neighborhood in 2014, also attracts a young, hip crowd.

Many locals and visitors alike consider this classic trattoria to be one of the best restaurants in town. With its fresh ingredients — much of which come from the nearby Rialto fish market — as well as its delicious house-made pasta, the moniker is well deserved. The service is also welcoming, and the wine list is solid. Try the fritto misto (mixed fried seafood) or, when in season, the moeche (soft-shell crabs). Not to be outdone when it comes to freshness, all the vegetables, such as tomatoes and artichokes, are grown in the restaurant’s own garden on the island of Sant’Erasmo.  

Antiche Carampane

Many locals and visitors alike consider this classic trattoria to be one of the best restaurants in town.

At this rustic osteria, tucked away on a Castello backstreet, the menu focuses exclusively on seafood and changes daily. Try the grilled cappelunghe (razor clams), capesante (scallops), and the cozze (mussels) from the island of Pellestrina. There’s also an extensive wine list. The only downside is the size of the place (there are only about 20 seats and not many outdoor tables), which can make it challenging to snag a spot. 

Osteria alle Testiere

At this rustic osteria, tucked away on a Castello backstreet, the menu focuses exclusively on seafood and changes daily.

Not so many years ago, there was a saying among visitors from north of the Alps, mainly Austrians and Germans: “In Italy, everything is better — except the beer.” Since then, hundreds of breweries have opened all over the country. Il Santo Bevitore (“the Holy Drinker”) was one of the pioneers when it opened back in 2005. Today there are 21 beers on draft, including Trappist ales and stouts, all poured by a passionate group of bartenders. Fittingly, there’s canal-side seating where guests can drink, enjoy cicchetti, watch soccer matches on TV, or take in the occasional live band. 

Il Santo Bevitore

Not so many years ago, there was a saying among visitors from north of the Alps, mainly Austrians and Germans: “In Italy, everything is better — except the beer.”

This historic trattoria, which opened in 1954 near the Rialto Bridge, is a true Venetian institution. Guests dine at tables draped with white tablecloths, attended by waiters in white jackets, who serve genuine, no-frills classics. While the experience was not up to snuff for some time, a recent postpandemic effort has brought it back to its former glory. Try signature dishes like seppie alla veneziana (cuttlefish in its ink) or fegato alla veneziana (veal liver with white wine and onions), both served with typical northern Italian polenta. 

Trattoria alla Madonna

This historic trattoria, which opened in 1954 near the Rialto Bridge, is a true Venetian institution.

This old-style trattoria near the train station in Cannaregio specializes in classic Venetian fish and meat dishes — and, as the name suggests, a wide selection of wines from the Veneto and elsewhere. Both the dining room and the cooking are no-frills (except for some of the tableware, like the kitschy black plates). As a starter, try the antipasti Gigio (mixed appetizers of fish and seafood), or when in season, the salad of grancevola (local spider crab). For the main course opt for the crispy grilled octopus with rosemary or tagliolini with spider crab.

Vini da Gigio

This old-style trattoria near the train station in Cannaregio specializes in classic Venetian fish and meat dishes — and, as the name suggests, a wide selection of wines from the Veneto and elsewhere.

Whether 20 euros for a cocktail of cheap sparkling wine and frozen peach pulp is justified remains, of course, questionable. But to soak up Harry’s atmosphere, with all its history and elegance, it’s worth the price of admission. This is where the Bellini (the aforementioned drink) was invented, as was carpaccio. This is the place where Charlie Chaplin drank, Greta Garbo and Maria Callas dined, and F. Scott Fitzgerald got into a drunken brawl with Ernest Hemingway. Harry’s Bar is as much a part of Venice as the gondolas, the tourists, and the cicchetti.

Harry’s Bar

Whether 20 euros for a cocktail of cheap sparkling wine and frozen peach pulp is justified remains, of course, questionable.

Certainly one reason to stop by Il Porticciolo at the Hotel Cipriani on Giudecca island is the stunning location — right on the water, overlooking the lagoon. Another is the excellent cuisine prepared by its new chef Riccardo Canella, who spent seven years at Copenhagen’s Noma. There are classic dishes like linguine alle vongole and pasta with langoustines, herbs, and lemon zest. The raw bar includes all kinds of seafood from the Adriatic Sea and the lagoon, but also oysters from France, shrimp from Sicily, and sea urchins from Sardinia. (There’s a private, complimentary boat that can deliver you to the property’s jetty.) 

Il Porticciolo

Certainly one reason to stop by Il Porticciolo at the Hotel Cipriani on Giudecca island is the stunning location — right on the water, overlooking the lagoon.

Somewhat hidden away on a quiet canal lies this unpretentious neighborhood trattoria with its tasteful old-world interior and simple, down-to-earth cuisine. Here you might just enjoy your spaghetti alle vongole at one of the long wooden tables where workers and policemen are sipping an espresso or a glass of crisp Soave. All this makes it feel like you’re not in touristy Venice, but in a regular osteria in a regular city anywhere in Italy. 

Osteria Da Codroma

Somewhat hidden away on a quiet canal lies this unpretentious neighborhood trattoria with its tasteful old-world interior and simple, down-to-earth cuisine.

When this restaurant opened a few years back in a small alley not far from the Piazza San Marco, it introduced a new and modern spirit to the city. The interior is spare and light-filled, while the hyper-innovative cuisine focuses on local ingredients in dishes like spaghetti with clams, sea urchins, and lacto-fermented samphire (an asparagus-like succulent). The owners also run one of the most renowned natural-wine import companies, so it should come as no surprise to find a great selection of bottles here. 

Local

When this restaurant opened a few years back in a small alley not far from the Piazza San Marco, it introduced a new and modern spirit to the city.

This is another charming hole-in-the-wall bacaro right on the Rialto Market that specializes in small, crisp bread rolls filled with all kinds of meat, fish, seafood, cheese, and vegetables. There’s also a nice selection of polpette, fried balls of tuna, meat, and vegetables. With the exception of two tiny shelves and an almost constantly occupied wine keg, there is little space to set your plate or glass. Choose from a surprisingly extensive wine list or ask for a beer on tap or the inevitable orange-colored spritz. 

Al Mercà

This is another charming hole-in-the-wall bacaro right on the Rialto Market that specializes in small, crisp bread rolls filled with all kinds of meat, fish, seafood, cheese, and vegetables.

This tiny bacaro is located right under a small bridge with a door that opens onto a narrow pier, where some patrons like to sit, sipping drinks while balancing plates of cicchetti on their knees. Others pull up by private boat and join the revelry. Wash down one of the small plates like whipped cod, salami, or artichokes with a glass of wine from the restaurant’s selection, which is centered on the northeastern regions of Veneto and neighboring Friuli. 

Adriatico Mar

This tiny bacaro is located right under a small bridge with a door that opens onto a narrow pier, where some patrons like to sit, sipping drinks while balancing plates of cicchetti on their knees.

Venice’s arguably most famous wine bar is known for its huge collection of bottles as well as its flamboyant and entertaining owner, Mauro Lorenzon. It also offers a decent selection of dishes, like squid in ink sauce and raw oysters. This place is a popular late-night hangout for locals as well as restaurant employees, who come after their shifts to join the party at La Mascareta, where the evening is only beginning. 

Castello, C. Longa Santa Maria Formosa, 5183

La Mascareta

Venice’s arguably most famous wine bar is known for its huge collection of bottles as well as its flamboyant and entertaining owner, Mauro Lorenzon.

The cuisine of the young chef Chiara Pavan is deeply connected to her surroundings here on the small island of Mazzorbo: vegetables and herbs from the property’s walled garden, fish and seafood from the lagoon and farther out in the Adriatic. There are also vineyards on the island that supply wine to this eco-minded restaurant. The tasting menu here is creative and elaborate, with dishes like a cold salad of ravioli filled with butter of artemisia, milk of pine nuts fermented in koji, and bitter herbs. There’s also a more casual osteria on the premises, as well five simple guest rooms if your meal lingers on too long. 

Venissa Wine Resort

The cuisine of the young chef Chiara Pavan is deeply connected to her surroundings here on the small island of Mazzorbo: vegetables and herbs from the property’s walled garden, fish and seafood from the lagoon and farther out in the Adriatic.

This elegant, old-school café and pasticceria, just a two-minute walk from the Piazza San Marco, is an ideal spot to enjoy a spritz and cicchetti while taking in the grand Basilica of the Saints Giovanni and Paolo. In the morning, Rosa Salva makes for a reliable breakfast spot, with expertly prepared cappuccinos, house-made croissants, sandwiches, and tramezzini.  

Rosa Salva

This elegant, old-school café and pasticceria, just a two-minute walk from the Piazza San Marco, is an ideal spot to enjoy a spritz and cicchetti while taking in the grand Basilica of the Saints Giovanni and Paolo.

In reality, there is almost nothing special about this spot near the Rialto Bridge in Cannaregio. And that’s exactly why in a city where so many restaurants try to lure tourists by being flashy, this place stands out. Come for the deliciously prepared Venetian classics like spider crab, salad of langoustines and artichokes, or small octopuses with polenta.

Bepi Antico

In reality, there is almost nothing special about this spot near the Rialto Bridge in Cannaregio.