Fammi una domanda: October 2024
How I answer the where can I eat in Venice like a Venetian question
One of the questions I get asked the most by people coming to Venice is “where are the places that only the locals go to?” or its close companion, “I want to go to a non-touristy restaurant.” The jokes about if you really want to go where the locals go by standing in line at the post office or taking public transportation don’t even work because in Venice visitors go there too. I have a pal whose answer is go to McDonalds in Mestre. She’s not wrong. I can almost guarantee you won’t find a single American tourist there.
It really just comes down to numbers. More than 30 million people visit Venice annually. (between 3 and 5 million stay overnight) Those numbers overpower a resident population of roughly 50,000. Venice has always had visitors but Venetians are merchants first and hosts second. Centuries ago people came because of her strategic location and power in trading luxury items like silk and spices from the east into Europe. The next big wave of tourism came in 1846 when Venice was connected to the mainland by rail. Venice was also a mandatory stop on the Grand Tour. What that means is that today in Venice there are more services for a visitor than for a resident.
All of this is a long winded way to say that there really isn’t a place in Venice that only locals go. There are no secrets. We go to the same places that visitors go. I have drinks in Piazza San Marco, though I am more likely to stand at the bar with a gaggle of gondoliers than sit down and listen to the orchestra. Venice is a destination where you have to do your research and have a plan. You are likely going to eat badly and/or spend a lot of money if you don’t. Luckily you have found the right place. My archives are filled with lists of good places to eat in Venice. Don’t feel like digging, I also wrote this piece for The Infatuation.
Looking for advice on where to eat in Rome? I have guides for that too.
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