Venice 2010
Best and worst restaurants:
Worst: "Le Chat Qui Rei"
Why: Please, please...remove the restaurant "Le Chat Qui Rei" from the Venice guidebook. It's the worst food I've ever seen and eaten.
The pasta looked and tasted as if it had been lying in the open, unrefrigerated, for days. Not even the obligatory reheat could save it.
The "chicken and mushrooms" dish was beyond rubbery and tasted like some dirty chew toy.
The baked chicken was so oily my sister was sick for two days.
The vegetables, in typical style elsewhere, are cooked to the point of soup.
Prices have gone up. No longer the 5,00 Euro or so quoted in the 2009 Guidebook, pasta will run you about 6,50 and it goes up from there.
We were shocked, to say the least. This is one time where the guidebook was horribly wrong.
If I were starving and this eatery was the only place on the planet, then _maybe_ I might consider eating there...but I doubt it.
Tonya in Phoenix, AZ USA 10/28/2009
Worst: Harry's American Bar
Why: The prices were astronomical! No mention is made in the book about how outrageous the prices are in this restaurant. Even a bowl of soup is 29 euros! Plus there was zero atmosphere in the upstairs room...no music, just awkward silence. It should be listed under "Ripoffs and Security Alerts".
Lisa in Dallas, TX USA 09/23/2009
Best: Gelato (your number 1)
Why: Because it is delicious.
Worst: le Chat Qui Rei
Why: While it is an "oasis of efficiency", the food is not one you would see in a mirage. The food has been sitting there for what seems like days and is not the stuff you'd want to enjoy.
Julia Bodson in Salt Lake City, UT USA 08/14/2009
Worst: Trattoria Pizzeria Nono Risorto
Why: Surly service. We went during the weekend of an anti-American military protest in Vicenza, and there were signs throughout the restaurant and menu in support of that protest. Maybe that's why we were treated badly. Anyway, the food was some of the worst we had in Italy. Horrible penne con verdure. We've followed dozens of Rick Steves' restaurant recommendations, and this is the first time we've been disappointed.
Meredith USA 07/07/2009
Best: Brek
Why: Cheap prices, good lasagna, delicious wine, all for about 15 euros for two people!
Laura in Louisville, KY USA 06/05/2009
Best: La Boutique del Gelato
Why: The very best gelato ... as you mention on page 247 of your 2008 Venice guide. [And I know my gelato] However, it is not shown on the map on page 236. We found it by accident walking to Piazza San Marco when I saw the Hotel Bruno and then the Gelato store at #5727.
Worst: Trattoria “da Giorgio”
Why: This restaurant [listed on page 244 of your 2008 Venice guide] is the only recommendation we have used that made us feel complelled to comment. A quote from the waiter sums up the problem: “You can not complain … we are the best … we are in Rick Steves”.
Frederick in North Vancouver, BC Canada 11/11/2008
Best: All the neighborhood restaurants I refuse to name
Why: No English to be heard from the clientele; all locals eating and having a good meal for a decent price. I'm not giving any names as I would not like to see these places overrun by the Rick Steves faithful, which would completely change these gems in a very negative way from local eateries to touristy destinations.
dfloyd in Sunnyvale, CA USA 10/20/2008
Best: your gelato recommendation as the best in Venice
Why: It was the best!!
Lisa in augusta, ga USA 06/22/2008
Best: Pizzerie Ae Oche
Why: This isn't in the guidebook, but should be. It's along the waterfront near the San Basilio port and Vaporetto stop. A hip, bustling, youthful place with nice stone and wood, waiters in orange t-shirts and jeans, and really nice pizzas, salads, and pastas. The prices were among the most reasonable we found and the place, while not fancy, had a really pleasant vibe that was uniquely Italian while being very comfortable for Americans. Please add it to the guide!
Worst: Trattoria da Remigio
Why: Based on the review, we expected something really special. It turned out that only the price was special. For over $100 US, we had an extremely spare meal with very little interesting flavor or preparation. And we were turned off when the waiter picked up the bread basket, used by the diners at the table behind us who had just finished their meal, and came to our table and dropped the leftover slices one by one into our basket. Of course, we stopped eating the bread at that point.
Jennifer Overbeck in Hermosa Beach , CA USA 06/08/2008
Best: Academia Bridge
Why: Beautiful, freindly service. Great prices and the food is fine!
Nancy Casey in Olean, NY USA 06/04/2008
Best: Trattoria da Bepi
Why: Good food.
Worst: Rosticceria San Bartolomeo
Why: Pretty lousy food, actually.
Michael in Seattle, WA USA 05/31/2008
Best: Trattoria Bussa alla Torre
Why: We stumbled on this one in Murano and realized later that it was recommended in your book (Nov. 19, 2007). A reasonable and good meal.
Karen Nagata in Redmond, WA USA 04/17/2008
Best: Boutique de Gelato
Why: Hard to find but became a staple of our diet because the food in restaurants was just so outrageously expensive and pretty mediocre at that, and we ended up going the ice cream and sandwich route.
Worst: The food in general.
Why: We thought the recommended cafes were too expensive, given the status of the dollar. We were really disappointed in Venetian food--not just the cost but the nmediocraty (or worse) of it. The sandwiches that you pick up in a bar or pastry shop were good, though, but hard to have for every meal.
Cheryl Moody in Cheshire, CT USA 03/24/2008
Best: Casin dei Nobili
Why: The food, especially the seafood, was excellent. And for Venice it was reasonably priced. The atmosphere was also nice - lively, yet quiet enough to have a conversation.
Brian Gulledge in Woodbridge, VA USA 02/11/2008
Best: Enoteca Cantina del Vino Gia Schiavi
Why: Great, inexpensive wine and ciccheti, fun setting along the canal near the Accademia. Friendly customers - great fun chatting with a variety of Italians, American, and Brits. Ciccheti is a great way to sample a lot of Venetian specialties if you are on a budget - and don't miss the cod spread.
Thomarob in Indianapolis, IN USA 12/09/2007
Best: Salad and Juice Bar Oasi 2000
Why: Good food, good prices, great attitude. They gave us our entire meal on their bowls, dishes, etc. and let us take it to our nearby hotel (Locanda Casa Querini).
Michael Sherwood in Prescott Valley, AZ USA 10/29/2007
Worst: Trattoria Alla Rivetta
Why: I know Venice is all about separating the tourists from their cash, but this restaurant isn't even subtle about it. Yes, the food was good and the location stellar, but there's no tactful way to put this: they tried to rip me off. I knew what I'd ordered and what the total should be based on the prices on the menu. When I got the check, it was about 25% higher. I had to demand the menu, point out what I'd ordered, and insist I'd been overcharged -- and the waiter was not happy that I'd called him on it. He practically threw my change at me.
Fawn in San Francisco, CA USA 10/17/2007
Best: Trattoria "da Giorgio"
Why: We went at lunch without a reservation and got a canalside table for four. Service was friendly and the prices reasonable. The food was very good and the setting unbeatable.
Doyle Johnson in Medfield, MA USA 08/27/2007
Worst: Osteria Naranzaria
Why: This was the worst restaurant our family of 4 (2 adults and 2 boys -11 & 17) had experienced during our Italy, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland vacation. We called to make reservations the day before we were planning to visit this restaurant. We had a time booked for 9pm, since this was the only time they had left open. We were concerned with the late time but decided it was worth it since you described it as “the best value Grand Canal eatery” you had found. We showed up at 8:40pm only to be told in a very direct way to “wait to the side”. We were concerned in how this was not what we had expected based on your recommendation. We even double checked the book (which we took everyplace) to make sure we were at the correct place. After waiting for 30 minutes we asked much how longer we might have to wait. We were just ignored. We asked another female staff member for help, and she just said they were very busy and we would just have to wait. Both my husband and I tried explaining that we had reservations for 9pm, but, they just didn’t care at all.
Apparently we were not the only ones who were being treated like this. We met a couple from France and a family of 5 from Canada (who also had reservations and were using your book) who had also been waiting for sometime (just a bit shorter in time than us). They were also shocked in how rudely they had been treated. After realizing that we had been waiting for more than an hour, we all decided to leave if we couldn’t get a confirmation on when we could eat. We were finally told that they would be closing soon and that we would need to find another place to eat. This literally left us all speechless. To think we waited over an hour only to be told they would not honor our reservations, and to be treated so rudely is just unacceptable. I really felt upset to think that my kids were almost left with no option for dinner that night due to such bad service. We finally found a place by our hotel which was closing, but took us in anyhow. Thank god! I was just left wondering if the family from Canada was as lucky? All your other recommendations for Venice were excellent. I just couldn’t allow this place to get way with this. . PLEASE remove them from your book. Since it seems we are not the only ones having troubles with them.
Christine Morrissey in Campbell, CA USA 08/23/2007
Worst: Al Vecio Pipa
Why: The owner of this restaurant yelled at us because we were sat outside on the water and apparently didn't order enough food to jusify "wasting" an outdoor table on us. My mother and I shared a full meal with wine but our friend only ordered a salad. The owner had my mother in tears. He's a horrible horrible man. There was no notice of a minimum order to sit outside. On top of it all, the food and wine were mediocre at best.
Jennifer Henry in Dublin, CA USA 08/14/2007
Best: Trattoria de Georgio & Enoteca del Vino
Why: Romantic & good food. A bit pricey for the meal 18 euros for appetizer and 75 euros for sea bass for 2. Good wine list & reasonable, and great service. Enoteca was fun
Bill & Pat Ernst in Sun City Center, FL USA 08/14/2007
Best: Osteria al Portego
Why: Yummy cicchetti and delicious pasta. The best tiramisu I've had.
Devin in Olympia, WA USA 08/06/2007
Best: Cicchetti bars.
Why: Try all the cicchetti bars in the guidebook and also the bars not mentioned in the guidebook. Good food, wine, cheap price, and great fun trying to talk with Venetians on their lunch break
Craig in Salt Lake City, UT USA 07/11/2007
Best: Pinto da Vino
Why: Worst service I've ever had in Italy, and the food was cold by the time it made it to the table!
DNoyes USA 07/08/2007
Best: Osteria da Alberto
Why: Wonderful atmosphere and decor, and excellent food (loved the fresh food and salads). The prices were extremely reasonable. We were in Venice for a week and had dinner there three times. I highly recommend it.
Marina in Washington, DC USA 07/06/2007
Best: Antica Osteria Da Divo
Why: Unique, personal, romantic with excellent food graciously served. Wonderful lighting, service, ambiance and food.
Megan Murphy in Austin, Tx USA 06/20/2007
Best: Trattoria da Nino
Why: Close to our hotel, this small family restaurant was perfect. The owners and waiters were very nice, the food was great and reasonable, you could eat inside or out, and it was low stress. Location San Zaccaria Castello 4668.
Worst: Trattoria da Roberto and Trattoria ai Corazzieri
Why: Terrible food and expensive
Jane Davis in Lebanon, OH USA 06/15/2007
Best: Alle Testiere
Why: Venice cuisine kicked up a notch. Rick would definitley recommend. This is really good inventive food served by very passionate people. Only nine tables with two seatings, have your hotel reserve. Prices are moderate+. Address: Calle del Mondo Novo, Castello 5801, Venice, Italy Phone: 041/5227220
Peter in Hamilton, NJ USA 05/30/2007
Best: Osteria da Alberto & Osteria Rialto Nuovo
Why: Both were recommended by Riccardo, who owns Corte Campana B&B and is a Venice native. Both had excellent food at reasonable prices. We found the wait staff at Osteria Rialto Nuovo to be especially helpful. When we asked about a fish on the menu that was unfamiliar to us, our server brought the fish out from the kitchen for us to see. He did the same with the two of the secondi dishes. The service and the well prepared food made for a wonderful evening.
Kitty Kramer in Centennial, CO USA 05/10/2007
Worst: Trattoria alla Rivetta
Why: I left Trattoria alla Rivetta in tears, literally - absolutely the worst experience of our wonderful Italy vacation. PLEASE remove it from your guidebook. Everything else you recommended was great. The waiter kept begging us to let him make us a "small plate to share" of appetizers. He kept repeating, "it's just a small plate, and you can share it". I agreed. He brought out a VERY small plate of appetizers. Then, I order gnocchi al ragu (w/ meat sauce), while pointing to it. He tells me I can only order it for two, so I convince my husband to have it with me. When he brings it out, it's gnocchi with crab sauce. I tell him that's not what we ordered, he practically yells at us in front of the whole room, loudly and rudely consults another waiter, then brings us gnocchi al ragu. We felt terrible and wanted to leave, but had to finish eating. We were worried he would spit in our food he was so rude about this whole incident. When we get the bill, we were charged 19 euro for the appetizer (the menu said antipasto misto for 8 euro), and house red wine cost double the amount listed on the menu for the various red wines they offered (would house be cheaper?). We gave them 40 euro for a 49 euro bill (at least 8 higher than we should have paid based on the menu), and leave - literally crying at how rude we were treated. Again, I truly believe the waiter used his standard bag of tricks to sell us on expensive food that wasn't on the menu - when we wouldn't fall for his gnocchi trick he yelled at us.
Alexa LaBianca in Beverly Hills, CA USA 05/04/2007
Best: Antica Sacrestia
Why: Tremendous amounts of exceptional food-our jovial waiter explained that the owner is Sicilian and they shoot you in Sicily if you don't give a man enough food. They welcomed everyone in this restaurant with open arms and even explained some of the (repro) paintings on the walls to our kids. Don't be put off by the slightly formal appearance-they are very friendly and the food is delish.
Angela in Sammamish, WA USA 04/15/2007
Worst: it wasn't the worst, but...
Why: al Pestello in Vicenca served venison that was virtually inedible in one meal and the other was nothing special. this restaurant doesn't deserve the rave that you've given it.
John Carles in Guilford, CT USA 02/20/2007
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