This tiny informal trattoria is in a class by itself.  Their formula is simple.  Pick the best possible ingredients, mostly, seafood, and prepare them simply and elegantly.  The food is absolutely exquisite and delicious and the professional staff extraordinarily welcoming.  In a room dominated by a long bar where you can see through to the kitchen, there are seats for 22.  The menu changes constantly accordingly to what’s available in the market so we could happily eat here every night.  Be sure to make a reservation in advance.  Favorites:  Grilled razor clams; clams with ginger; grilled bronzino;  warm calamari salad, spaghetti with bevarasse (Venetian) clams; grilled octopus with gazpacho sauce.

This Venice institution has been awarded a Michelin star and it’s reflected in the high prices, fine service and upscale ambiance.  Venetian seafood dishes and the risotto are the stars here.  Leave extra time if you’re walking.  It’s not so easy to find and it’s oh so easy to get lost.  Make reservations in advance. Favorites: Farro soup with shrimps, calamari and vegetables; penne with scallops and broccoli; ravioli with potato and cheese with white truffles, artichoke salad with blood orange; insalata mista; pistachio gelato in warm chocolate sauce.

A charming Tuscan restaurant serving delicious seafood dishes, and in the fall, wonderful grilled porcini.

Despite its name, this upscale trattoria specializes in traditional Venetian cuisine with wonderful seafood and vegetable dishes as well as beef and game choices.  The owners specify that their seafood is wild and from local sources. In nice weather, there is a spot for outdoor dining.   The wine list offers an extensive array of wonderful choices.  Favorites: grilled razor clams; grilled branzino; pasta with white truffles; sarde in saor.

This tiny, very pretty five-table restaurant offers warm and welcoming service and delicious elegant cuisine. There isn’t a printed menu as the dishes change daily depending on what is available at the market. Daily specials, which typically include seafood and meat, are artfully prepared and beautifully presented.  Favorites: mixed seafood appetizer; grilled lamb chops; beautiful petits fours with warm freshly baked chocolate hazelnut brownies.

A cozy informal neighborhood trattoria with an open kitchen in the back which offers excellent seafood dishes and pasta and good inexpensive wines.  And if ice cream is your favorite dessert, as an added bonus, the restaurant a three minute walk from Grom, the super delicious gelato shop.  If you order the whole grilled fish, the waiter will fillet it at the table. Cash only.  Favorites:  spaghetti with clams; sepia with scallops; whole grilled bronzino.

As you’re walking from St Marks to Campo S. Maurizio, this small pizza place is located on your left.  There’s lots of awful pizza in Venice, but this tiny little storefront offers the real thing – thin thin crusts and an array of enticing toppings.  There’s no table service, so you just grab a slice to eat on your way to your next adventure.

If you’re longing for Southern Italian food, this is your spot.  With indoor seating in an airy white space in the winter and outdoor seating in the square in the summer, Acqua Pazza offers seafood, buffalo milk mozzarella, pasta and a wide range of pizza.  The vegetables are quite special especially the grilled vegetables which are the lightest and tastiest we’ve ever eaten.   Our only quibble is that the sometimes the waiters have a bit of an attitude.  Favorites: Branzino Acqua Pazza (whole striped bass prepared in white wine, olive oil and tomatoes); grilled vegetables; mixed salad; spaghetti with clams.

Addresses in Venice can be tricky.  The address is indicated two ways for this restaurant so when you’re searching, you’ll probably find it on Calle del Pistor.

This simple and authentic restaurant, commonly called “Alla Vedova”, serves delicious and inexpensive food.  The appetizers are approximately 6 euros and the pastas 9 euros.   The menu is limited, but what is offered is quite good. Be advised there is no coffee or espresso service but there are nearby coffee bars on the Strada Nova.  Favorites: meatballs; vegetable antipasti; linguini con vongole.

Warm, friendly service in an inviting, modern space. The food is quite tasty and most portions are generous enough for two to share. There is a large outdoor seating area on the campo. Favorites: pasta with swordfish and eggplant; pasta with mixed seafood; grilled vegetables.

Far from the usual tourist haunts is this small unprepossessing  family-run restaurant offering personal and inventive Venetian Cuisine.   There are just a dozen tables so reservations are a must.   The emphasis is seafood and the menu changes weekly as the chef looks for what’s fresh and seasonal. Favorites: Risotto with seafood

This bare bones wine bar and trattoria located practically under the Rialto bridge has a history dating back to the 15th century; even Casanova was said to have dined here.  The current owner offers inexpensive traditional and updated Venetian specialties in a simple setting.  The pastas are  good, and for those longing for a different taste, there’s curry spiced Spaghetti with clams.  Favorites: baked sardines; Spaghetti with cuttlefish; Spaghetti with clams.

This upscale pizzeria located in a pretty square was opened by the son of the owners of da Fiore.  It’s very popular so make sure to book ahead.

This restaurant with its Venetian cuisine is very handy to know for lunch if you’re going to the Guggenheim or Punta Della Dogana.

A simple trattoria with a friendly staff serving good Venetian specialties.  The squid ink pasta and pasta with sardines are especially delicious.  They are also known for their cicchetti, little plates of appetizers to be enjoyed with a glass of wine.  The restaurant is happy to accommodate vegetarians offering a wide range of vegetable dishes and salads.  It’s also possible to have a quick meal at the bar.

A pretty informal trattoria on a quiet campo near the Rialto which serves traditional Venetian cuisine updated with their own flourishes.  The emphasis is on seafood and changes with the market, but the grilled and fried dishes are first rate. Something to be aware of … the menu indicates that the fish stew is cooked in parchment, but it actually is served steaming hot in a plastic bag.

A small cozy family-run “Ristorante” (there is also a smaller version right next door) which serves excellent traditional Venetian cuisine.  Isabella and Dino, the couple who are the owners, emphasize seafood but there are meat and poultry choices also.  The menu is small as it changes daily.

This friendly, casual, family-run trattoria serves typical Venetian cuisine.