The grand canal and vaporetti of Venice.Credit: Getty Images
Anne Hanley reveals the best places to stay and eat in Venice when summer - and the tourist crush - comes to an end.
The most expensive parts of travel in Venice can be the hotel bill and the cost of eating out. But if you know where to look and how to book, there are places to stay and eat at competitive prices. Even better, go when the city's empty – between the end of this month and the beginning of February. It may be chilly, but the winter light can be beautiful and a room in low season can cost less than one-third of its high-season price.
Affordable hotels
On the menu at Birraria la Corte.
Al Ponte Mocenigo is stylish, urbane and impeccably kept and is a great find for the budget-conscious traveller. Ten rooms in the main part of the hotel cluster around a delightful courtyard of ancient columns and a lovely antique well head. A room for two people is from €99 ($126) a night, without breakfast.
Al Ponte Mocenigo, Fonda-menta Rimpetto Mocenigo, Santa Croce 2063. See alpontemocenigo.com.
Ca' del Nobile is just off one of the thronging routes between St Mark's and the Rialto. Interestingly, it's in one of the lowest points of the city: if you visit during acqua alta, you'll be able to watch water bubbling up through the cobblestones below. Lots of stairs and no lift mean that it's not for the unfit. From €98 a night.
Rio Terra Colonne, San Marco 987. See cadelnobile.com.
Ca' Dogaressa offers breakfast cappuccino at a table on the canal footpath and evening nightcap on the delightful roof terrace. You're unlikely to find fault with this simple, family-run, nine-room hotel in the northern Cannaregio district. From €69 a night.
Fondamenta di Can-naregio, Cannaregio 1018. See cadogaressa.com.
Domus Orsoni In 1291, Venice's glassworkers were banished to the island of Murano. Today, only one glass foundry remains in the city: Orsoni. Located in the Jewish Ghetto and set in a delightful palazzo overlooking a private garden and the foundry, the Domus Orsoni channels the Orsoni family's heritage in five rooms, resplendent with glass-mosaic-tiled walls and mosaic artworks. Rooms from €88 a night.
Sottoportego dei Vedei, Cannaregio 1045. See domusorsoni.it.
La Calcina The fact that John Ruskin stayed here while writing The Stones of Venice endears La Calcina to a cultured, literary crowd. But the canal-facing rooms are perfect for romantic getaways, too. Family-run and utterly charming, the hotel exudes an old-fashioned grace. Rooms from €112 a night.
Fondamenta Zattere, Dor-soduro. See lacalcina.com.
La Villeggiatura A short hop from the Rialto markets, in an area buzzing with restaurants and residential activity, La Villeggiatura is an elegantly tasteful home-from-home. Tea- and coffee-making equipment in the spacious bedrooms, and gently attentive service, add to the pleasure of a stay here. Rooms from €88.
Calle dei Boteri, San Polo 1569. See lavilleg-giatura.it.
Palazzo Abadessa is a fair hike from many of Venice's better-known tourist attractions, but very handily placed – in the quiet northern Cannaregio district – for lots of lesser-known gems. With its heirloom antiques and frescoed ceilings, Palazzo Abadessa is every inch the aristocratic family palace. But guests are treated as friends at a house party. Rooms from €118.
Calle Priuli, Cannaregio. See abadessa.com.
Residenza de l'Osmarin This recently opened three-room B&B has been winning guests' hearts with its simple, elegant decor, its welcoming hosts and its great location – a short walk from St Mark's Square. A wood-beamed, top-floor suite has a private roof terrace, from which the view across the city is wonderful. Rooms from €69.
Calle Rota, Castello 4960. See residenzadelosmarin-.com.
Venissa has to be one of Venice's strangest budget options: a recently restored farm building on an outlying island, it offers six stylish rooms at prices that range from rock-bottom hostel to regular hotel. Quiet, pared back and almost convent-like in its pale calm, this is a place more for contemplation (and eating, of course). Rooms from €34 a night.
Fondamenta Santa Caterina 3, Isola di Maz-zorbo. See venissa.it.
Affordable dining
Osteria al Garanghelo has a dark but friendly ambience and serves enormous plates of fresh, simple seafood to locals. The cook often joins his wife front of house to chat, adding to the convivial din. It's worth trying a taster platter, but Venetian classics are also excellent. Two- course dinner from €26 a person, excluding wine.
Calle dei Boteri, San Polo 1570. See algaranghelo.it.
Alla Basilica Run by the Diocese of Venice, this huge canteen-like diner around the back of the Doge's Palace offers what could well be the cheapest hot lunch in Venice. You get a pasta starter, a meat or fish secondo and a vegetable side for about €13, with bread and water.
Calle degli Albanesi, Castello 4255. See allabasilicavenezia.it.
Al Nono Risorto For a good pizza served in convivial surroundings, this evergreen option delivers. There are also a few pasta dishes and classic meaty main courses. From €20 for a starter, a pizza and a beer.
Sotoportego di Siora Bet-tina, Santa Croce 2338.
Al Portego Down a tiny alley near the Rialto, Al Portego is rustic, noisy and deliciously unrefined. If you want to be sure of a seat, book at this tiny bacaro, where the cicheti (bar snacks) are superb and the few daily changing Venetian specialities are excellent. From €26 if seated (cheaper at the bar).
Calle della Malvasia, Castello 6015.
Birraria la Corte In a cavernous 16th-century warehouse, Birraria la Corte is an urbane, industrial-chic place serving good, cheap pizzas plus a rather more expensive a la carte menu. Pizzas from €11, menus from €20 a person.
Campo San Polo, San Polo 2068. See birrarialacor-te.it.
El Refolo A forest of tall stools and precarious tables marks El Refolo on Via Garibaldi, where wine is cheap by the glass and a delicious array of filled rolls and salami or cheese platters is occasionally joined on the menu by mixed salads or a pasta dish. Fill up for about €26.
Via Garibaldi, Castello 1580.
La Bottega ai Promessi Sposi Though the entrance is discreet, it's easy to spot this eatery: the locals spilling out into the calle, wine glasses and cicheti in hand, say it all. Excellent, unfussy seafood and meat dishes are served by a dedicated, enthusiastic team. From €26 a person.
Calle dell'Oca, Cannaregio 4367.
Mistra Tuck into piles of spaghetti with squid ink, a seafood fry-up or pizza. Even though the no-frills decor means it will never be the most romantic venue, its leafy courtyard is a lovely place to linger. From €26 a person.
Calle Michelangelo, 53c Giudecca.
Emirates has a fare to Venice via Dubai from Melbourne and Sydney for about $1899 low-season return, including tax. See emirates.com.
The Telegraph, London
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