First time in Venice — what locals actually recommend
If it's your first weekend in Venice, this is the locals' shortlist — the sights worth the queue, the food you can't skip, and the neighbourhood walks that show you the place.
Top spots in Venice
Doge's Palace
CultureSan Marco
Gothic palace of secret itineraries, Tintoretto ceilings and the Bridge of Sighs.
St Mark's Square & Basilica
CultureSan Marco
Byzantine mosaics, golden altarpiece and the Campanile lift for the lagoon panorama.
Cannaregio Cicchetti Crawl
Food & DrinkCannaregio
Locals' bacaro route — fried sardines, baccalà mantecato, ombre wine by the glass.
Burano & Murano Day
OutdoorsLagoon
Vaporetto to candy-coloured fishermen's houses and glass-blowing workshops.
Gondola at Dusk
OutdoorsSan Marco
Splurge for 30 minutes on a black lacquer boat — ask for the small canals.
Rialto Bridge & Market
Food & DrinkSan Polo
Morning seafood market under the most photographed bridge in the world.
Where to eat
Al Covo
$$$Modern Venetian · Castello
Husband-wife team — chef Cesare, host Diane — meticulous lagoon-driven menus.
Cantina Do Spade
$Cicchetti · San Polo
1488 osteria off the Rialto — meatballs, sarde in saor, ombre Prosecco.
Osteria alle Testiere
$$$$Venetian seafood · Castello
Nine tables, fresh-from-Rialto fish, no menu — reserve weeks ahead.
Trattoria da Romano
$$$Burano risotto · Burano
Hemingway hangout — risotto de gò and the freshest grilled fish on the island.
Bacaro Quebrado
$Cicchetti · Cannaregio
Stand-up natural-wine bar with a daily-changing chalkboard.
Frequently asked
- Standouts right now: St Mark's Square & Basilica, Rialto Bridge & Market, Doge's Palace. The shortlist is curated by people who live in Venice and refreshed regularly so it reflects what's actually open and worth your time.