Near St. Mark’s Square and looking for a great restaurant or place to eat? Be warned, this area is riddled with touristy restaurants but there are a few hidden gems. We asked our local guides in Venice and they created this list of the best restaurants around St. Mark’s Square in Venice.
Pro Travel Tip: Bookmarking helpful articles is a great way not to forget some vital info that you pick up. If you are traveling to Venice bookmark this post so you know where to eat! Also, check out our Venice tours– Venice is best seen through the eyes of passionate locals.
Top Places to Eat and Drink in Near St. Mark’s Square in Venice
St. Mark’s square is probably one of the most famous piazzas in the world. That makes it also one of the most touristy spots on the planet. Everyone has heard of the cup of coffee that costs 20 dollars. That is a real thing, but it is definitely not the only thing.
Since nobody likes tourist traps ( myself included) we have asked our local Venetian guides to put together a list of their favorite places when they are in this part of town. We hope it helps you take the guesswork out of your decision and focus on enjoying your vacation. Buon Appetito!
Tuttinpiedi
€ | Antipasto & Pasta | Takeaway
This is a street food place at its finest and is loved by the locals, too. The place is very small, in fact, “Tutti in piedi” translates to “everybody is standing”. If you are lucky, you will find some of the five seats free and can enjoy their delicious pasta, cold antipasti, and simple meat dishes at the place.
If not, choose the takeaway option. Located only 2 minutes from St. Mark’s square, it is perfect for a hearty snack without renouncing quality at all. Definitely, the best cheap places to eat near St. Mark’s Square.
Now I know what you are going to say- Neopolitan pizza in Venice? Remember that Naples invented the pizza, so when you find a good Neopolitan pizzeria, you never pass it up. You need to trust me on this one.
Enjoy an easy lunch or dinner in this very spacious Neapolitan restaurant, just two minutes from St. Mark’s Square. The atmosphere is relaxed and casual which is perfect for families. The menu offers a big variety of Italian classics from Lasagna to Pizza, as well as original Neapolitan Pizza. That makes it the best pizza place near St. Mark’s Square.
The chefs offer gluten-free pizza and other special dietary options. Rossopomodoro also has another location inside Venice’s train station.
A streetside restaurant with 4 minutes walk from Saint Mark’s square, is in fact located in the neighborhood of Castello. This place is a true gem, offering simple but highly qualitative dishes from all of the 20 regions in Italy, for a reasonable price.
Their à la carte menu lists refreshing antipasti, main course pasta dishes, vegetarian options, second-course meat, and fish dishes, and creamy desserts. In addition, a few pizzas are available too. Relax and enjoy their food outside on their streetside terrace or indoors next to the real brick oven together with a glass of wine, chosen from their wide selection of local and Italian wines.
Venice Day Tour of St. Mark’s, Doge’s Palace, Murano & Burano, with Gondola
The ultimate tour of Venice. You’ll get skip-the-line access to the most important buildings in Venice, plus a gondola ride, and private transportation to the islands of Murano and Burano. It’s a full day of touring that will make for the best memories in Venice ever.
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Venice Evening Food Tour in Cannaregio District
People who say Venice is too touristy have not done enough research. Cannaregio is an amazing break from the crowds, and our food tour is the most authentic way to experience it. Taste cicchetti and other Venetian specialties including wine. You’ll leave with a full stomach and a love for Venetian food!
While you can drink wine in pretty much any establishment in Venice, an enoteca will give you that local feel. Many enoteca’s started off as just straight up wine bars, then over time starting serving food because, well… when you drink wine, you then want to eat. Makes sense, right?
What they have done here is broken down the place to be the best of both worlds. So you can walk in and just have a glass of wine with a snack at the bar or you can have a sit-down meal and enjoy one of their classic dishes like Spaghetti with tiger prawns or roasted lamb. Whichever you choose, you won’t be disappointed.
It might be a little hard to find and a bit of a walk from the craziness but that is usually a good thing. A popular restaurant with locals, you come here when you are looking for seafood. The owners decided on making dishes that use local Venetian recipes.
If you are looking for a bit more romantic setting request to be seated in the courtyard. Of particular note are their risotto’s which can be only with seafood or try it with funghi ( mushrooms).
While this restaurant doesn’t look like anything special when you walk past, this historic restaurant has been welcoming guests from all over the world since 1720. Enjoy high-class local cuisine on the idyllic Teatro Fenice square, home to the cities most important opera house La Fenice.
Specialties in this restaurant include the black truffle pasta and the celery and coriander fish soup. You will get all this, in just 5 minutes from Saint Mark’s square. The unique characteristic of this place is the romantic atmosphere on the piazza while still being sheltered from the sun.
€€€ | Refined Classics | Outdoor Seating in courtyard
Another historic restaurant lies on the busy street of Calle Larga XXII Marzo, right next to fashion boutiques, galleries and cocktail bars. The place might be perfect for a stop after a shopping trip in the affluent area, famous for luxury retail and jewelry.
At only 5 minutes walking distance from Saint Mark’s square, you find all Italian classics but refined to the next level in this, at first glance, unassuming restaurant. All authentic Venetian and Italian dishes are well prepared and served by professional service. To find this restaurant lookout for a wrought iron sign in the shape of a sailing ship.
Some people might not want to leave the city without having a meal right on a terrace above the Canal Grande. This place is one of the best for this venture because it offers the best views, both on Punta della Dogana, the place where the sea customs had been charged for decades, and the church Santa Maria Salute, one of the architectural masterpieces of the floating city.
The excellent service, the world-class dishes served by very professional service, and the picture-perfect view have its price. A complete lunch or dinner starts at € 150+ per person. Most visitors are willing to pay this price for this gourmet experience, right at the very beginning of Canal Grande, a few minutes from Saint Mark’s Square.
We recommend, especially for the fine dining restaurants near St Mark’s Square Venice, making a reservation in advance. If not, you risk waiting hours for your table, especially in peak season and the weekends. Others are convenient to grab a quick bite, in an uncomplicated way. Since you are in Italy, the country where food is celebrated in a way like nowhere else, for many restaurant owners, food is not just food but a very central part of the culture and nowhere else as important as in Italy.
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Venice Day Tour of St. Mark’s, Doge’s Palace, Murano & Burano, with Gondola
The ultimate tour of Venice. You’ll get skip-the-line access to the most important buildings in Venice, plus a gondola ride, and private transportation to the islands of Murano and Burano. It’s a full day of touring that will make for the best memories in Venice ever.
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See Prices
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Venice Evening Food Tour in Cannaregio District
People who say Venice is too touristy have not done enough research. Cannaregio is an amazing break from the crowds, and our food tour is the most authentic way to experience it. Taste cicchetti and other Venetian specialties including wine. You’ll leave with a full stomach and a love for Venetian food!
Brandon is a co-founder and owner of The Tour Guy and its subsidiary The Roman Guy. He left the States to travel the world at 18 and never looked back! As an official Tour Guide of Rome and Certified Sommelier, he loves to travel the world and share these experiences with his readers.
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