Restaurant La Calcina

It’s hard to find a prettier place to eat outside in Venice than this barge that is docked just in front of La Calcina, the former haunt of John Ruskin, which is now a hotel. You can sit at a few tables on the street just in front of the kitchen, but better is to secure a table on the floating terrace. You’ll be shaded by white umbrellas and surrounded by potted trees and boxes of geraniums, while all around you ships and boats pass by the Giudecca Canal. There are excellent salads (mille feuille of eggplant, mozzarella and tomato), pastas (fusilli with fresh vegetables and whole wheat noodles with haricot vert and asiago cheese) and fish (fresh branzino and broccoli rabe.) Around you young stylish Italians and in-the-know visitors will be soaking up the dolce vita.