Al Covo has for long set the standard for classic and yet creative Venetian cuisine. The restaurant is devoted to using only the best and freshest local ingredients, following an ethos that never loses sight of sustainability. The seasonal menu is traditional but punctuated by a few wild cards that make each and every dish thoroughly original.

The solidly creative cuisine served in this casual, family-run osteria in residential Cannaregio has gained it a reputation for good food at fair prices. The menu is a clever mix of cucina veneziana revisited with innovative ingredients and familiar flavours shaped in new, intriguing forms. Don’t miss out on the fish fritto and the delicious marinated prawns with onion and ginger.

This tiny, traditional trattoria serves some of the finest fish in Venice. The place is hard to find – impossible to just stumble upon it, unless you’re hopelessly lost in the twists and turns of San Polo – and rather unremarkable in appearance, but truly worth the leap of faith. Rick Stein has been here, and this of course has contributed to its popularity, but the seafood speaks for itself.

Try to snatch a lunch table on the vine-covered inner courtyard the name refers to, as it’s truly the best way to enjoy the chirpy atmosphere of this restaurant. Pasta dishes are a standout, as is the antipasto of mixed seafood from the lagoon.

The décor of this cosy restaurant is reminiscent of a mountain chalet, but don’t be fooled – this is a very Venetian eatery, whose offering ranges from fish to lesser cuts of meat, and includes some vegetarian dishes, too (a rare sight in Venice). Their flan di zucca has gained cult status and is an absolute must-try in the right season.

If a trip to the picturesque fishermen island of Burano is in your plans, then make sure to book a table for lunch in this local gem. The signature dish here is risotto col go, a white-fish risotto particularly delicate, creamy and airy due to the unique way it’s whipped before it’s dished up and delivered to you.

A time-honoured yet trendy wine-bar-cum-restaurant just a stone’s throw from the Rialto Bridge, Bancogiro is where locals come for good cicchetti (nibbles) and a glass of wine, followed by a solid meal in the vaulted brick dining area. In good weather, the terrace facing the Grand Canal is a popular attraction; secure your seat in advance and enjoy the passing of boats while sipping and snacking.

This is a true Venetian institution, just like the person who runs it, the exuberant, bow-tied oste Mauro. Though it is now a restaurant, most people still see it as a wine bar and simply show up as soon as doors open to enjoy a glass of quality wine. The by the glass list on the chalkboard focuses on wines from the region and thereby, for the most part ‘natural’ (organic and/or biodynamic).