Alla Zucca, Venice

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Small place with two areas to dine inside and a few tables outside. In a quiet area of Venice beside a small canal.

Favorite Dish: La Zucca (meaning pumpkin) is one of the few restaurants in Venice that serves interesting vegetarian dishes. I dined with three friends in June 2010. I started with the tagliatelle pasta with chopped pistachio nuts in a gorgonzola sauce. It was rich, creamy, tasty, and filling. Next I had the baked eggplant, which was actually a side dish, but plenty for me after the pasta. We shared a liter of house red wine. For dessert, I had Vin Santo (a sweet dessert wine) and cookies. 23 euros total for my portion. This was my second time at La Zucca and I highly recommend it for the unique menu. Someday I’ll order something with pumpkin!

This lovely little restaurant sits on the corner of a canal and just a few meters from the Campo San Giacomo. It has a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, very helpful staff and an interesting and imaginative menu, the vast majority of which is vegetarian. House wines are very good and both food and wine is good value. One of the indoor tables for two people sits in a small alcove and looks out over the canal, which is rather nice. Personally I prefer to sit outside and watch the world go by while I enjoy a long slow lunch.

Favorite Dish: Everything we ate was good but, although it may sound unlikely, for the second plate (or as a main for a lighter lunch) you really should try the pumpkin flan. It was amazing.

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It was very good and true Italian flavors. The place can get crowded after noon and inside is much larger than it looks. Great service of a family run operation. They are there to please your need.

Favorite Dish: We had an appetizer of mixed seafood and vegetables, an excellent dish and nearly filled us up on that and of course the breadsticks. The main dishes of a fish with sauce and meat were excellent.

if you can find this small osteria beside a canal in Santa Croce and can get a table you will not be disappointed. This place was recommended to us as a favourite of the author of the Venice blog - I'm glad he did and it was a memorable meal for our last night in Venice. Note its closed on Sundays.

Reservations may be necessary due to its limited seating. We got away with this as we sat down about 7.30pm but were asked to be finished by about 9pm - more tables were being put out then! (total seating of 30-35 people inside and out) Try to get the little table by the canal for its ambience.

Favorite Dish: Great veggie options here but we plumped for a turkey curry. I had courgettes served with mine - the vegetables dishes are lovely and different from what you'll find in the majority of venetian restaurants. Starters include usual pasta dishes as well as a creamy light pumpkin flan. Othe imaginitive dishes incorporate lamb, duck , goat and rabbit plus lovely vegetable side dishes.

La Zucca is located next to a small canal (and one of the owners is mentioned in City of Falling Angels). Linda, an acquaintence of a friend who was in Venice also, recommended one exceptional dish - the pumpkin flan, which is so rich that two people could share it. This is dish is amazingly rich and dense -she was correct, 2 people can share it - for one person it would be too much richness (and I who believe in 'more is more, and less is less') I ordered pasta with gorgonzola and pine nuts and a zuchinni and tomato gratin - Linda ordered (I believe) a veal dish. For dessert I order a chocolate semi freddo with cardamon and ginger. Linda had something chocolate. We order a carafe of both red and white - we split the bill, 30E each. A wonderful and pleasent afternoon lunch - thanks Linda.