Whole-wheat thick-cut spaghetti dressed with a slow-cooked onion and anchovy sauce. The canonical Venetian meatless pasta, served on lean-Friday and Christmas Eve.
Where to eat it: 8 restaurants across 2 cities.
Bigoli is the whole-wheat pasta extruded through a brass torchio (press) that gives it its rough texture and bite. The in salsa preparation, onions slowly melted into a paste with salted anchovies, was the canonical lean-day dish, traditionally served on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and Christmas Eve. The dish has no tomato, no garlic, no cheese, just onion, anchovy and olive oil reduced to a near-confit. It survives unchanged at every traditional Venetian trattoria and is on the menu at Vini da Gigio, Anice Stellato and Antiche Carampane.
Common allergens: Gluten, Fish
Tip from the editors. Salted anchovies (acciughe sotto sale) not oil-packed; the texture is completely different.
Vini da Gigio is lazzari family trattoria on calle stua in cannaregio with a 1,200-label cellar that locals book first and tourists rarely find.
Why locals love it: Lazzari family trattoria on Calle Stua in Cannaregio with a 1,200-label cellar that locals book first and tourists rarely find.
Tip: Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Book a week ahead. The wine cellar is the reason; ask Laura Lazzari for pairings.
Osteria Anice Stellato (Italian) in Venice: Book a canal-side terrace table in summer. Closed Mondays. Bigoli in salsa and marinated anchovies are the moves.
Why locals love it: Tucked on Fondamenta de la Sensa in far Cannaregio, the canal-side dining room is a 25-minute walk from San Marco that most visitors never reach.
Tip: Book a canal-side terrace table in summer. Closed Mondays. Bigoli in salsa and marinated anchovies are the moves.
Antiche Carampane in Venice's San Polo is the 1983 family-run seafood trattoria the Rialto fishmongers send friends to, the room with the no-tourist-menu.
Signature: Spaghetti with lagoon clams, Fritto misto, Sarde in saor
Order: Spaghetti with vongole, fritto misto della laguna, sarde in saor.
Tip: Book a fortnight ahead. Closed Sundays and Mondays. The dining room has 10 tables, so flexibility on date is more useful than time.
Trattoria Bar Pontini is cannaregio neighbourhood lunchroom locals fill at noon, with no english menu and a €14 weekday set lunch under most tourist radars.
Why locals love it: Cannaregio neighbourhood lunchroom locals fill at noon, with no English menu and a €14 weekday set lunch under most tourist radars.
Tip: Walk-in only. Set lunch weekdays only. Arrive 12:30 for the best seating.
Osteria alle Testiere in Castello is the 22-seat lagoon-fish bistro with two seatings per service, run by Bruno Gavagnin and Luca di Vita since 1993.
Antica Bottega del Vino in Verona runs the city's kitchen latest. A 2026 TableJourney editor pick with address, hours and what to order inside the entry.
Try: Pastissada de caval with a glass of Amarone
Tip: Post-opera (after 22:30) is the sweet spot; the back dining room takes walk-ins.
Trattoria Al Bersagliere in Verona is the family-run 1928 trattoria in Borgo dei Filippini.
Signature: Bigoli con l'arna, Pastissada de caval, Tagliere
Tip: The bigoli con l'arna and pastissada are reference Veronese plates; lunch with primo, secondo and a glass runs about €32.
Trattoria al Cristo on Piazzetta Pescheria behind Piazza delle Erbe is the locals-only osteria pouring Soave and plating Veronese pearà bollito on Sundays.
Why locals love it: Behind Piazza delle Erbe on the old Pescheria fish-market square; the location is two minutes from the tourist crush but the room is locals only.
Tip: Book 24 hours ahead for the pearà bollito on Sundays October to March; midweek lunch is walk-in friendly with no booking needed.
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