Shimmering canals, decaying palazzos, and the overwhelming weight of Renaissance history provide a staggeringly beautiful backdrop for this complicated, slightly cynical exploration of a sinking masterpiece. Shot in 2009 for the fifth season of No Reservations, this Venetian journey attempts the near-impossible: finding the authentic, beating heart of a city slowly being suffocated by mass tourism. The culinary scene is a unique, deeply historical subset of Italian cooking, heavily reliant on the lagoon’s diverse seafood and characterized by the brilliant, tapas-like tradition of cicchetti. The narrative angle is an active rebellion against the overpriced, inauthentic tourist traps, seeking out the quiet, hidden back-alley wine bars and traditional family-run trattorias where real Venetians still gather. It is a melancholic yet profoundly delicious search for the true soul of La Serenissima. Uncover the hidden magic of the city with this curated guide to the authentic, seafood-heavy gems of Venice.
When Anthony Bourdain visited Venice on his show No Reservations, he and his crew picked many restaurants. Here are all the addresses and the dishes showcased in a convenient list.
This is No Reservations, season 5, episode 2. It first aired on January 12, 2009.
READ MORE: BEST SHOPPING IN VENICE: 12 PLACES TO VISIT
DISH – “Venetian Treats”
WHAT IS IT?
They had Cicchetti, which are small snacks or side dishes. The specific dish they had was hard cooked egg with anchovies and spicy coppa sausage.
“The Spanish have tapas or pintxos, the Venetians… Cicchetto or cicchetti if you’re having more than one which of course, we want.” -Anthony Bourdain
WHERE IS IT?
Cantina Do Mori
Calle Do Mori, 429, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy
Venice, Italy
DISH – “Modern Cicchetti” – Anthony Bourdain Venice
WHAT IS IT?
They had swordfish with artichoke, crispy fried sardines and baccalà mantecato or salted cod fish with olive oil and ombra or drink.
“Oh man, that’s good. Nice.” -Anthony Bourdain
WHERE IS IT?
Lino Fritto
Calle del Scaleter, 319, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy
Venice, Italy
NOTES
Unfortunately, this restaurant has since closed its doors.
DISH – Museto – Anthony Bourdain Venice
WHAT IS IT?
They had boiled calves head, tripes and museto which means “little animal face” with German style mustard.
“This is good. This is really good.” -Anthony Bourdain
WHERE IS IT?
Il Diavolo E L’acqua Santa
C. della Madonna, 561, 30125 Venezia VE, Italy
Venice, Italy
READ MORE: ANTHONY BOURDAIN TUSCANY : ALL OF THE RESTAURANTS PICKED ON NO RESERVATIONS
DISH – “Venetian Heroic Cooking” – Anthony Bourdain Venice
WHAT IS IT?
First: Cuttlefish roe, sea snails, baby octopus and mantis shrimp.
Second: Grilled polenta or cornmeal and vinegar-cooked sardines.
Third: Risotto made of a fish called “go”.
“An amazing confluence of physical forces of the universe, come together in a substance that can only be described as otherworldly. The fats and essences of a fish, the textural magic of arborio rice, a miracle of gradual, gradual absorption. A kind of alchemy, movement altering texture, texture enhancing flavor. There is risotto, then there is great risotto and then once in a very very long time, there is truly great risotto. This is what they mean when they say ‘truly great’.” -Anthony Bourdain
WHERE IS IT?
Trattoria da Romano
Via San Martino destro, 221, 30142 Venezia VE, Italy
Venice, Italy
DISH – “Venetian Lunch” – Anthony Bourdain Venice
WHAT IS IT?
They had sardines and onion, baccalà mantecato, seafood, vegetables, pasta with mussels and clams and olive oil.
“Pasta and time, ordinary things, birthrights, another day in Venice” -Anthony Bourdain
WHERE IS IT?
Trattoria Borghi
Dorsoduro, 1516, 30123 Venezia VE, Italy
Venice, Italy
DISH – “Old-School Venetian” – No Reservations Venice
WHAT IS IT?
They had mantis shrimp and pasta with red sauce.
“In a city where art is a birthright, everywhere you look, the streets are galleries and everybody is an art critic.” -Anthony Bourdain
WHERE IS IT?
Antica Locanda Montin
Fondamenta de Borgo, 1147, 30123 Venezia VE, Italy
Venice, Italy
DISH – “Venetian Fine Dining” – No Reservations Venice
WHAT IS IT?
First: Wild seabass carpaccio with pink peppercorns, chives and basil oil.
Second: Spider crab served with its own roe.
Third: Fried zucchini and softshell crabs with wild fennel lying on crispy fried potatoes.
Fourth: A small dish of seafood.
“Simplicity, the pure ambition to take great ingredients and try very very hard to just not screw them up. […] In France, the chef is the star, here, it’s all about the ingredients.” -Anthony Bourdain
WHERE IS IT?
Al Covo
Campiello de la Pescaria, 3968, 30122 Venezia VE, Italy
Venice, Italy
READ MORE: ANTHONY BOURDAIN SICILY : ALL OF THE RESTAURANTS PICKED ON NO RESERVATIONS
Venice represented a fascinating, tragic paradox in his travels: a city of unparalleled visual splendor that constantly battles against the erasure of its own authentic living culture. This episode is incredibly memorable for its stubborn, ultimately successful quest to bypass the superficial and discover the profound, simple perfection of historical Venetian seafood. The transformative experience of eating truly great, transcendent risotto highlights the incredible rewards that come with seeking out genuine, uncompromised regional cooking. It serves as a vital, cautionary tale about the devastating impacts of over-tourism, while still celebrating the enduring resilience of local traditions. Allow this deeply authentic, flavor-soaked itinerary to guide you far away from the crowds and into the true heart of Venice.
