A Month In Venice

In Venice eating out can be a bit expensive, just like everything else in that city. However there are some things you should know before you venture out. For instance a good rule of thumb on how to spot a tourist restaurant is by the prices of their wines. A local house wine will be relatively inexpensive which means no more than 7 Euros. If the restaurant lists wines in the 15 euro range and above then I would avoid this place at all costs. The best advice I can give is to find a trusted local and go to where he or she eats. Some good advice can be found online at International Living or other online travel forums.

Now in regards to the typical Italian meal it consists of many courses. The first course is the appetizer or antipasto this is then followed by a pasta dish or primo piatto believe it or not this is then followed by a second course or secondo piatto which consists of either fish or some meat and then if the customer is not completely overwhelmed there is a dish of vegetables or salad which is called a controno and who could forget dessert or dolce to end it all. How a typical Italian can eat this is a mystery to most Americans because in American the portions are much bigger and we do not spend as much time eating as most Europeans do. However I would like to point out that in Venice that the typical Venetian is not as obsessed with food as the other Italians are. In fact you will see many Venetians eating quick bites at small bars.

Tipping is another point of contention for many foreigners in Europe. In America it is customary to tip anywhere between 15-20 percent of the ticket while in Europe it is their custom to only tip a few Euros per person as there is an already included cover charge added to most bills. This cover charge usually consists of a 12% addition to the bill plus a charge for the bread and linens which should only be a few Euros added to the bill.

For vegetarians Europe is actually quite accommodating. I guess they do not have as much hang-ups with eating meat at each meal as some other countries do. However you may find that some Venetian restaurants do not offer anything for a vegetarian. This is when a solid understanding of some basic Italian dishes come in handy. Most places will be willing to serve some vegetarian pastas and it would behoove you to learn to name these dishes by heart as you may end up ordering something special for yourself if you can not find anything on the menu.

Hopefully in the future I will have a series on some of the better places to eat in Venice that are known for their quality and for their local flair as well. I know no one wants to be ripped off when on vacation and if I can prevent this I will.

This entry was posted Monday, January 7th, 2008 at 12:30 am and is filed under Budget Travel, Eating Out, Save Money, Travel Tips, Venice. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.