Italy: Venice Hotels & Restaurants
Where to Stay and Eat in the Veneto, Either on a Budget or in Luxury
From the Alloggi Agli Artisti to the Gritti Palace or Caffe Florian to Harry's Bar, the canal city has accommodation and cafés both cheap and five star.
Venice, The Veneto, Italy has plenty of hotels and restaurants and despite the city’s reputation for being expensive, there are places to stay and eat for all budgets. Here are a few options for visitors to Venice.
Venice Hotels - Value for money
True budget options, without resorting to dorms, are hard to find in Venice, but the Alloggi Agli Artisti (00 39 041 716 270) on Calle Priuli in Cannaregio is in a great spot, 150m from the train station. All rooms come with air-conditioning and colour TV, and prices are around EUR80 a night (single en-suite) and EUR100 a night (double en-suite).
Venice Hotels - Mid-range
To stay in the Castello area, try La Residenza (00 39 041 528 5315) on Campo Bandiera e Moro. The chandeliers and opulent furniture in the main hall will give the vibe that you’re staying somewhere much pricier, but doubles can be had for between EUR80 and EUR180 a night.
Venice Hotels – Five star luxury
If you like your accommodation both high-grade and historic, then the five star Luna Hotel Baglioni (San Marco 1243 - 30124, 00 39 041 528 9840) should be first on the list. It has a fair claim to being the oldest hotel in Italy, and has a great location next to St Mark’s Square. Expect to pay EUR342 a night or above for the privilege.
The Gritti Palace on Campo Santa Maria del Giglio (00 39 041 794611) is one for either royalty or those for whom money is no object. The former residence of the Doges, it has a view of the city to die for, and is the hotel of choice for many Hollywood stars and European Princes. Expect to pay a minimum of EUR500 a night, however.
Venice Restaurants - Budget
It’s expensive to eat out in Venice – and you’ll pay ridiculously over the odds for something rather average around St Mark’s square. At the really cheap end, pizza slices can be a grim experience here. If you’re after value, it’s best to head up into Castello again and eat where the locals eat. Al Vecio Penasa (00 39 041 523 72 02) on Calle delle Rasse, for example, has a decent range of snacks and sandwiches costing a few euros each.
Venice Restaurants - Mid-range
For what you get, the food and the coffee is exorbitantly overpriced, but Caffè Florian (00 39 041 520 56 41) is about the experience. In St Mark’s square, this opulent place has hosted the likes of Lord Byron and Henry James in the past, and whilst you may feel outraged at what you’re being charged for not much, it is soaked in history. You’re looking at EUR10-15 for a coffee and quick bite.
Venice has always had an eastern tinge to it, and Sahara(00 39 041 721 077) on Fondamenta della Misericordia in Cannaregio has bought into that. It serves mainly Middle Eastern food, but on Saturdays it’s more about the entertainment, which includes belly-dancing.
Venice Restaurants - Expensive
Harry’s Bar (00 39 041 528 57 77) on Calle Vallaresso is a Venetian legend. A favourite celebrity hotspot, this was the birthplace of both the Bellini cocktail and the Carpaccio of beef. A full meal and drinks will set you back EUR80 – EUR120, depending on your choices.
