My Venice Trip in Nine Food Stops

I’d been warned of the monetary risks of being a budget traveller in Venice. The city draws tourists to it like a moth to a flame, meaning that prices are high. Italy is renowned for its food – so you don’t want to go to the country without eating a lot of it. But that can be a problem if it costs too much. On my trip to Venice, I was happy to find that the place is doable on a budget. After all, the locals have to eat somewhere and they’re not going to want to pay tourist prices. You just need to know where to look. That can be tricky considering the fact that Venice is made up of so many little alleys, trying to find somewhere on a map is not the easiest feat.

1. Al Merca – cheap lunch & drinks

On my first day in Venice, the Berlin Buddy and I tried to retrace our steps from the previous night, where we’d marched across Venice from the bus station to our hostel. We’d stumbled across a square (I think Sotoportego del Banco Giro) that was buzzing with people and music and helpfully was near the Rialto Bridge so we could figure out where it was and how to get back there. Upon arrival we found some market stalls and noticed more on the other side of the square, towards the Rialto Mercato vaporetto (ferry) stop. That was where we found food. There were a couple of places that were busy and we took that as a sign they were good.

We chose a place called Al Merca. It was here we discovered that while much in Venice is expensive, the wine is cheap. As in backpacker cheap – usually around €2-€4 for a glass. We also found mini bread rolls stuffed with meats and cheeses (and I think some with fish too) for around €1.50 each. I also ordered a Spritz – prosecco and Aperol. I already knew I didn’t love these but they are a Venetian favourite and when in Rome…  The sun was out so we found a patch of spare floor at the side of the square and sat ourselves down against the wall to enjoy our lunch. This was perfect.

2. Restaurants by the Rialto Bridge – expensive

That night however we had a rather different food experience. We had taken a nap in the evening and awoke very hungry. We’d been recommended some places but our limited map skills were useless in the face of the many little lanes of Venice. Instead, we wandered until we found somewhere with something we could afford on the menu. The problem was that the route we knew took us to the Rialto Bridge and we were not going to find anything cheap and cheerful here (we actually did later, when we had some guidance – stay tuned) but we did find a place next to the river that was expensive but with cheaper pizza.

The restaurant was a lovely place to sit with a glass of wine, under some heaters and surrounded by people. Unfortunately, the pizza was average. We should have expected that. The rest of the (more expensive) food around us smelt delicious. If you are going to go to such a place, you should just splash out. We needed a place where the whole menu was reasonable, not just one less good dish.

3. Muro – cheap wine

The setting of our disappointing pizza was close to the square we’d had our lunch. After we’d eaten, we returned to that spot and to the other place that had been busy earlier but which we had not visited – Muro. It was still busy but we were able to grab a table and settled down for the night with some good, cheap Venice wine.

4. Walking Tour – local treats

The next day was Easter Sunday and the day of our free walking tour. I cannot recommend these tours enough. Although they may have free in the name, they actually work on tips but this means they are available on any budget. You just give what you can afford and what you think the tour was worth. Ideally, we should have done this on our first day in Venice because the guide pointed out some very reasonably priced and tasty places to eat. Finally, we would be able to track down some proper Venetian food. Our guide also showed us some typical Italian Easter cakes and treated us all to a little chocolate egg to celebrate the day.

5. Rossosapore – pizza slices

Our tour ended at around 2pm. It was too early for us to head to any of the restaurants our guide had recommended and we only wanted a snacky lunch. We wandered through a little alley way, left of the main passageway heading north out of Piazza San Marco and after a little exploring we came across Rossosapore – a restaurant that also sold slices of pizza to go for around €3. We’d spotted several people milling around outside which we took as a good sign and indeed it was. Finally, we’d found our good Italian pizza.

6. Taverna Del Campiello Remer – cheap cicchetti

Whilst you do tend to associate Italian food with pizza and pasta, the way to do meals in Venice is cicchetti, i.e. Venetian tapas. Whenever you visit a place, you should sample the local cuisine – it’s a good way to immerse yourself in the culture. With cicchetti, you can also control your budget. I tend to have a hearty appetite but I was surprised to find the small portions very filling.

Our free walking tour guide had recommended a place near the Rialto Bridge called Taverna Del Campiello Remer. It was in a tourist hotspot but during their happy hour (I’m not sure exactly what time this runs from but we arrived a bit after 6pm) it was €5 for all you can eat cicchetti and a drink (including wine of course). The food looked simple enough but it was delicious. There was bruschetta with various toppings – tomatoes, olives, fish and other spreads – pasta and risotto. It was fantastic. Afterwards, we took our drinks outside and sat on the end of the docking, looking out at the bridge. This place is down a little alleyway that we would never have found if it hadn’t been for our guide. It was so secluded and peaceful.

7. Generator Hostel – breakfast

The next morning, we grabbed some breakfast at our hostel, Generator. On our first day, we had opted for their €4 breakfast buffet but, while it was fine, it wasn’t particularly tasty. However, at the counter they offered other breakfasts.For €3.50, we had good coffee (in fact this was the first cappuccino I’ve ever had that I’ve actually enjoyed), orange juice and a croissant, stuffed full of chocolate. It may not have been all-you-can-eat but this was the way to start our last day.

8. Trattoria Ca’ Doro alla Vedova – best meatballs

The place we went to for our next meal had again been recommended by our tour guide (and coincidentally also one of my friends from home). It was called Trattoria Ca’ Doro alla Vedova and our guide told us that they sold the best meatballs. She wasn’t wrong. I’ve never tasted meatballs like it. There were tables but this seemed to be more for if you wanted a meal. We just wanted the meatballs so we hovered by the bar at the door, munching away. It was a bit awkward but totally worth it. I’d walk back to Venice for one of those. We also tried the salmon. So yum.

9. Brek Ristorante – bus stop snack

Our final meal was near the train station at Ferrovia. We had wandered over in that direction from our bus stop at Piazzale Roma in search of food before our departure and ended up at a place called Brek Ristorante. I bought a sandwich made with some kind of crusty, doughy bread and stuffed with cheese, prosciutto and courgette. Whilst it was expensive at over €7 for that and an iced tea (bottled, soft drinks do seem to cost quite a bit in Venice – at least more than wine and coffee) it was good and meant we were able to have one last meal by the river before it was time to leave.