Venice Travel Guide: Best Hotels, Restaurants & Experiences

Palazzo Papadopoli's 16th-century Renaissance interiors house Aman's 24-room Venetian outpost, where Giambattista Tiepolo ceiling frescoes and Murano glass chandeliers meet Jean-Michel Gathy's contemporary design. The Grand Canal's only hotel garden spans 2,800 square feet of manicured lawn for dining from April through October. Restaurant Arva serves lagoon-sourced eel, handmade chestnut-flour pasta, and venison foraged from regional farms. George and Amal Clooney held their 2014 wedding reception here.

The 15th-century palazzo of Doge Andrea Gritti commands a prime stretch of the Grand Canal, its Gothic facades facing the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute. Interiors gleam with 18th-century antiques, Murano glass chandeliers, and hand-carved wooden lamps, while the seasonal Gritti Terrace sets tables mere inches from the water. The Gritti SPA, partnering with Sisley Paris, delivers Phyto-Aromatiques treatments blending global massage traditions with aromatherapy.

Tchaikovsky composed his Fourth Symphony in room 108 of this storied 1853 palazzo, drawn by lagoon vistas through 100 windows facing San Giorgio Maggiore and the Basilica della Salute. Just 52 Biedermeier-styled rooms feature antiques and pink Carrara marble baths, while Venice's highest rooftop terrace sweeps from the Dolomites to the islands. Chef Loris Indri sources Rialto market fish for Do Leoni's waterfront dining on Riva degli Schiavoni.

Parts of this Arsenale palazzo date to 1272, though its contemporary Italian design—Murano glass lamps, local fabrics, marble baths—feels decidedly modern. Lagoon-facing rooms and an Altana Suite with 360-degree terrace views frame San Giorgio and passing gondolas. VERO Restaurant serves Venetian seafood traditions outdoors overlooking the water, while three tranquil courtyards offer a rare respite from the city's perpetual crowds. The location places guests within walking distance of the Biennale grounds.

Exposed ceiling frescoes and terrazzo floors meet Eames chairs and industrial-chic details across eleven rooms that reject Venetian brocade-and-chandelier conventions. Canal-view balconies overlook the waterways between San Marco and Rialto Bridge, while the wisteria-shaded courtyard provides escape from the tourist throng. A wine cellar anchors the property, though breakfast aside, dining requires venturing into the maze of cobbled alleys outside.

Donato Ascani commands the kitchen at this two-Michelin-starred dining room inside Palazzo Venart, bringing precision technique to lagoon vegetables and grilled preparations. Silk Route murals line the walls, a nod to Venice's trading past, while two tasting menus showcase Venetian ingredients with contemporary discipline. Diners can opt for à la carte selections or settle into one of the gardens—one facing quiet canals, the other the Grand Canal itself.

Salvatore Sodano's Michelin-starred restaurant offers an immersive seafood tasting experience in a modern, minimalist setting with an open kitchen. The seven- or nine-course menus showcase the chef's technical precision and creative approach to Venetian coastal cuisine, complemented by a wine cellar housing nearly a thousand labels, predominantly Italian. The warm, personable service and theatrical kitchen views make it a compelling choice for serious gastronomic occasions.

Wistèria's one-Michelin-starred kitchen delivers modern Venetian cuisine through six- or eight-course tasting menus that follow the rhythms of seasonal ingredients and regional specialties. Tables spill onto a canal-side terrace beneath fragrant wisteria when weather allows, creating an atmospheric counterpoint to the precision of dishes such as the acclaimed pumpkin, licorice, and almond dessert that exemplifies the restaurant's inventive approach to Veneto's culinary heritage.