3 Best Restaurants in Venice, Italy

For a break from all the fish and seafood options in Venice, this is your place; the meat- and veggie-focused menu (inspired by the cuisine of the Venetian mainland) presents a new temptation at every course, and market availability keeps the dishes changing almost every day. The homemade desserts are all luscious (it's been said that La Bitta serves the best panna cotta in town), and you can trust the owner's selections from her excellent wine and grappa lists, which tend to favor small local producers.

Simple place settings, wood lattice walls, and a mélange of languages make La Zucca (The Pumpkin) feel much like a typical, somewhat sophisticated vegetarian restaurant that you could find in any European city. What makes La Zucca special is simply great cooking and the use of fresh, local ingredients—many of which, like the particularly sweet zucca itself, aren't normally found outside northern Italy. Although the menu has superb meat dishes, more attention is paid to dishes from the garden; don't miss the house's signature dish—the flan di zucca, a luscious, naturally sweet, pumpkin pudding topped with slivered, aged ricotta cheese.

The impressive panorama from their Zattere terrace attracts travelers yearning for a view, and the Riviera certainly offers that. Choose from contemporary takes on a variety of traditional Venetian dishes, including calf's liver with figs; "guitar string" pasta with shrimp, tiny green beans, and mint; and venison with blueberry sauce. A regional wine list is well matched to the cuisine; don't be surprised if the owner stops by to be sure you're enjoying your meal. Perhaps suited more to travelers than locals (who never worry about a view), while pleasing, the Riviera is definitely a splurge (note the €6 cover).