Seafood is the strong suit of many Venice restaurants, but there's actually good variety, from bakeries featuring fresh warm scones through British-style pubs to old-time Florida beachfront sunset seafood restaurants.

Cafés & Bakeries

Upper Crust Café & Bakery

One of my favorites for breakfast is the Upper Crust Café & Bakery, 213 West Venice Avenue (tel 941-244-0430). The specialty is warm scones for breakfast (daily 8 am to noon, till 1 pm on Sunday), but there are lots of other breakfast and lunch choices as well—and bakery treats to take away.

Croissant & Co.

Another great breakfast and lunch place is Croissant & Co. at 323 West Venice Avenue (tel 941-480-1700) is a real French bakery-café, with French proprietors, French pastries, French coffee, and a good menu of light meals.

Suncoast Café

The Suncoast Café, in the Suncoast Air Center building at Venice Airport, is great for breakfast and lunch (7:30am to 2:30pm, 7 days a week). Service is fast and friendly, food quality is high, prices are reasonable. You get to watch the places take off and land. No plane needed to get there....

Seafood Restaurants

Sharky's on the Pier

Sharky's on the Pier is perhaps the most famous because of its location and ambience. More...

Captain Eddy's

Nowhere near the water, Captain Eddy's, at 107 Colonia Lane, Nokomis, just east off US 41/Tamiami Trail (tel: (941-484-4372) is both a seafood market and restaurant, so the stone crabs (in season) and other fish and shellfish are fresh. The grouper cheeks are my favorite!

Pop's Sunset Grill

Right on the shore of the Inland Waterway in Nokomis, Pop's is informal, and has some of the best seafood, drinks and prices of area restaurants.

Sidewalk Restaurants

Made in Italy

Made in Italy, 117 W Venice Ave (tel.941-488-8282), has a portico over the sidewalk, an air-conditioned dining room inside, and classic Italian dishes, pastas and pizzas of surprisingly good quality. Wines are not overly expensive. Service is friendly and efficient.

Cassariano Italian Eatery

Cassariano Italian Eatery, 305 B West Venice Avenue (tel 941-485-0507), has refined Italian cuisine, friendly service, and seating indoors (air-conditioned) or outdoors on the sidewalk beneath the portico. Excellent, though not cheap.

Café Venice Restaurant & Wine Bar

Café Venice Restaurant & Wine Bar, 116 West Venice Avenue (tel 941-484-1855) features creative upscale cuisine for lunch and dinner, with indoor dining rooms and outdoor seating under the portico on the avenue. Ask about their periodic wine-tasting events.

Abby's

Abby's, formerly Althea's, 220 West Miami Avenue (map)‎, maskes Venetians happy with its full menu, full bar, indoor and outdoor seating, and three meals a day.

Barbecue

Gold Rush BBQ

Gold Rush BBQ, 661 Tamiami Trail South (tel 941-483-3137), just south of Venice Regional Medical Center, has good BBQ spareribs, pulled pork, chops and steaks, beers on tap and bottled, friendly service, and very reasonable prices.

Budget Restaurants

Ntino's

For price, you can't beat Ntino's, 660 Tamiami Trail (US 41 Business; tel 941-485-4474), in the Rialto Plaza just south of the Venice Regional Medical Center.

Ice Cream

Ciao Gelato

Ciao Gelato, 317 A West Venice Avenue (tel 941-445-5840), serves home-made northern-Italian (Dolomites-style) gelato, pastries, coffee and other beverages indoors or at a few outdoor tables. The gelato is superb, with real fruit and nuts, pure chocolate and cream. Denser than regular ice cream, gelato can have less than half the fat content, but still taste better.

---

Venice Lodgings Venice Beaches Finding Your Way in Venice Visitor Information What to See & Do Shopping Transportation