Historic Venetian, Renaissance recipes€€€san-marco
Bistrot de Venise near San Marco is the 1993 room that cooks from manuscripts of the Anonimo Veneziano and Renaissance Venetian cookbooks, the only such kitchen in the lagoon.
Signature: Anonimo Veneziano 14th-century recipes, Renaissance dishes, Saor of historic origin
Order: The historic-tasting carte, the Renaissance saor of sole, the medieval risi e bisi.
Tip: Two carte: contemporary and historic. The historic side is the reason to book; their Renaissance tasting needs 48 hours' notice.
Venetian, vegetable-led€€santa-croce
Osteria La Zucca in Venice's Santa Croce is the 35-seat canal-side room that built its reputation on a vegetable-forward Venetian carte, with a handful of meat plates.
Signature: Pumpkin flan with ricotta, Vegetable lasagna, Beef tagliata
Order: Pumpkin and ricotta flan, vegetable lasagna, the daily vegetable side board.
Tip: Book a week ahead by phone. Closed Sundays. The canal-side tables fit only 12 covers; ask specifically when you book.
Venetian, classic€€€€lagoon-islands
Locanda Cipriani on Torcello is the 1934-founded Cipriani-family lagoon outpost that Hemingway used for lunch, the canonical garden-restaurant on the silent island.
Signature: Risotto alla torcellana, Carpaccio Cipriani, Filetti di San Pietro
Order: Risotto alla torcellana, carpaccio Cipriani, the daily fish baked in the garden's wood oven.
Tip: Closed Tuesdays and the whole of January. Ferry 12 from Fondamente Nove, 45 minutes. Book outdoor garden tables when you reserve.
Venetian classic, Cipriani€€€€san-marco
Harry's Bar on Calle Vallaresso is the 1931 Cipriani family room that invented the carpaccio and the Bellini, the canonical historic-bar lunchroom in San Marco.
Signature: Carpaccio, Risotto alla primavera, Calf's liver Venetian-style
Order: Bellini at the ground-floor bar, beef carpaccio upstairs, risotto alla primavera.
Tip: Drinking at the bar costs a fraction of upstairs dining; the Bellini is the reason to stop. Book upstairs through OpenTable a fortnight ahead.
Venetian, traditional€€€cannaregio
Vini da Gigio in Venice's Cannaregio is the Lazzari family's canal-side trattoria, a Slow Food-listed family room running the canonical Venetian carte since 1981.
Signature: Bigoli in salsa, Fegato alla veneziana, Branzino al sale
Order: Bigoli in salsa, fegato alla veneziana, branzino in salt crust.
Tip: Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. The wine cellar runs to 1,200 labels. Book a week ahead online or by phone.
Modern Venetian, canal-side€€€san-polo
Osteria Bancogiro in Venice's San Polo is the Grand Canal terrace bistro at the foot of the Rialto, with a downstairs bacaro and an upstairs dining room.
Signature: Tagliata di tonno, Sarde in saor, Crab and ricotta ravioli
Order: Sarde in saor at the bacaro counter, then ravioli with crab and ricotta upstairs on the canal.
Tip: Lower-floor cicchetti are walk-in. Book the upstairs dining room with a Grand Canal table through the website a week ahead.
