Venice restaurants and bars as chosen by designers

Quadri, selected by Gilberto Arrivabene, artisan glass designer

(Image credit: Gilberto Arrivabene)

published 25 May 2018

The beauty of Venice – apart from the obvious – is that you may often stumble across a real drinking or dining gem, but will you ever find it again? As the Architecture Biennale kicks off we asked in-the-know designers and residents to recommend their favourite Venetian spots for dinner or a pitstop, whether it be an espresso, spritz or gelato.

Gelateria Nico
Selected by Bianca Arrivabene, deputy chairman at Christie’s Italy

‘Nico alle Zattere is a real Venetian caffe. Go for a run or also a walk early morning alle Zattere and then stop at Nico for a real cappuccino. Ice Cream here is the thing and Gianduia is the one!’. Fondamenta Zattere al Ponte Longo, 922, 30123 Venice, Italy

La Zucca
Selected by Chiara Andreatti, designer

‘It is off the main tourist drag. It is the ideal alternative for those who want to avoice the typical Venetian menu based on fish; they serve unusual dishes that are very flavourful; the pumpkin flan, the zucchini lasagna... and also the white wine’. Santa Croce 1762, 30135 Venice, Italy

Luna Sentada
Selected by Nicolò Favaretto Rubelli, CEO of Rubelli

‘If you like to travel, try Marco Polo’s silk road, you should make reservations at Luna Sentada, blending Venetian and Asian cuisine, along with exquisite wines. Venice has always been a crossroad of different cultures and Luna Sentada is a perfect example of it’. Fondamenta S. Severo, 5018, 30122 Venice, Italy

The bar at the Aman Venice (home to the Arrivabene family, pictured below)
Selected by Giberto Arrivabene, artisan glass designer

‘Antonio the bartender is a star and will make you feel at home with the best cocktails. I didn’t know so many gins existed until he walked me through that world.’ Calle Tiepolo Baiamonte, 1364, Palazzo Padapdopoli, 30125 Sestiere San Polo, Italy

Linea d’Ombra
Selected by Nicolò Favaretto Rubelli, CEO of Rubelli

‘You watch the view and the boats going by, while enjoying a delicious meal’. Dorsoduro, 19, 30123 Venice, Italy

Cà D’Oro Alla Vedova
Selected by Andrea Chiara Andreatti, designer

‘It is almost impossible to sit at Vedova but its cicchetti can be enjoyed standing up from the legendary meatballs, always warm and crispy, to the creamed cod and sardines in saòr, served with white polenta’. Ramo Cà D’Oro, 3912, 30121 Venice, Italy

Harry’s Bar (pictured below)
Selected by Bianca Arrivabene, deputy chairman at Christie’s Italy

‘Harry’s Bar is the best bar in the world, there is no geographic limitation to this. Lunch and dinner here are a must too.’ San Marco, 1323, 30124 Venice, Italy

Birreria Forst
Selected by Chiara Andreatti, furniture designer

‘Small but good quality, the pepper and cheese croquette is the best. Average prices. Just in the central of the town’. Calle Delle Rasse, 4540, 30122, Venice, Italy

Quadri (pictured below)
Selected by Giberto Arrivabene, artisan glass designer

‘Where else, when in Venice… go to the Piazza (only one in town) and depending on the sun and the weather and your mood choose one or the other because Quadri does lunch and dinner in fab way’. Piazza San Marco, 121, 30124 Venice, Italy

Trattoria alla Rivetta
Selected by Chiara Andreatti, designer

‘Excellent restaurant not far from Piazza San Marco. The fresh fish and expertly cooked, with excellent prawns and shrimps in saor. Like a tavern its as much a meeting place for creative students and architects.’ Salizada S. Provolo, 4625, 30122 Venice, Italy

Naranzaria
Selected by Bianca Arrivabene, deputy chairman at Christie’s Italy

‘In the Rialto Market area, where oranges (Naranza – Orange) were sold once upon a time. It’s a dream spot along the Canal Grande, with gondolieri coming and going, great wines, and cicchetti done the Venetian way. When in Venice Spritzs are a must and this is the place.’ San Polo, 130, 30125 Venice, Italy

Gritti Palace (pictured below)
Selected by Nicolò Favaretto Rubelli, CEO of Rubelli

‘Outdoor dining is always an experience, when the weather allows it. Elegant and exclusive terraces at the Gritti Palace are available on the water of the Palace (it’s the most exclusive restaurant in town)’. Campo Santa Maria del Giglio, 30124 Venice, Italy

The restaurant at Gritti Palace, Venice, Italy

Osteria Antica Adelaide
Selected by Chiara Andreatti, designer

‘The beef or pork sandwiches with mustard here are the best in the city’. Racheta, Calle Priuli, 3728, 30121 Venice, Italy

A Beccaficio or L’Orto dei Mori
Selected by Nicolò Favaretto Rubelli, CEO of Rubelli

‘[Both] are in the middle of squares, and you feel you are part of a play: meals become an experience for all senses. A Beccafico, Campo S. Stefano, 2801, 30124 Venice; L’Orto dei Mori, 3386, 3386 Cannareggio, Italy§

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Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).

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