Travel Alert: Venice Without The Crowd

Far From the Madding Crowd

Today, only twelve people live on Torcello. But from the 7th through the 10th centuries, this marshy island was the first Venetian trading outpost — the place that eventually gave birth to La Serenissima. It now hosts a stunning Byzantine basilica with breathtaking mosaics and recently uncovered frescoes, the supposed throne of Attila the Hun, a Cipriani outpost, and a dreamy Venetian restaurant, complete with a perfumed garden and shaded patio for dining.

Torcello no longer functions as a trading center. Instead, it’s a beautifully preserved retreat with just enough history — tucked into its two small museums and the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta — to engage you before lunch.

About That Lunch

We celebrated the Italy Insider’s birthday here almost twenty-five years ago, when the restaurant was a more casual spot. The food and setting were glorious then — and still are, albeit more polished. We returned more recently for mine, and found a more refined presentation of the menu, but the same quiet magic. I love that one still enters Osteria Al Ponte del Diavolo through its unassuming front, just beyond the island’s fabled bridge. The interior remains austere, but it opens onto an extensive covered patio overlooking the garden — a profusion of trees and flowers, anchored by a central pagoda that often serves as a stage for weddings or reunions. And since this is Italy, children are not only tolerated — they’re encouraged to run and play in it. 

I Will Be Back

The team at  Osteria Al Ponte del Diavolo focuses on local seafood and produce, some of it from their own gardens and Torcello’s surrounding waters. While I love our predatory blue crabs, the joy of a Chesapeake crab feast with Old Bay has always eluded me. Fried soft-shell crabs, however, are another matter entirely — one of my favorite memories from the now-shuttered Alla Lucia in Alexandria, where I dubbed their focaccia “crack bread.”

So the chance to finally try moeche — the legendary Venetian soft-shell crabs — has long been on my radar. These tiny crabs, just two inches across, molt in spring and fall. Their soft-shell phase lasts only a few hours before the lagoon’s water begins to harden their new shells. Moecanti — specialists who catch and sort them at just the right moment — have long been based in Chioggia, and their knowledge is tightly guarded. Al Ponte del Diavolo serves the moeche floured and fried, with small polenta cakes and their own baby artichokes. I have never had a better dish.

The wine list is full of reasonably priced Italian gems, the bread basket is deliciously dangerous, and dessert is beautifully crafted. I asked for an interesting amaro (I feel I’ll never complete my journey through this newly discovered world of digestivi), and they offered one created by a pharmacist friend — unlike any I’ve tasted before.

Some Footnotes

It’s hard to imagine Venice as anything other than crowded, cruise-ship-laden, and overpriced — the backdrop for celebrity weddings and overwrought Instagram stories. But a different Venice does exist, not far from Piazza San Marco, Caffè Florian, and the packed Rialto Bridge.

Most people don’t realize that Venice comprises 118 islands, some connected for centuries by canals and bridges, and others — like the Lido, Murano, and Burano — reachable only by boat. No matter where you land, you’ll be walking. Over bridges, through narrow alleys, into open squares known as campi. The absence of traffic noise is a gift: no cars, no scooters — just your own footsteps and the splash of oars.

It’s said that you can always tell a Venetian by how fast they walk. An extra half-kilometer stroll from a busy sestiere often leads to better prices, quiet cafés, unexpected architecture, and hidden restaurants.

I think it’s worth hiring — at least once — a beautifully built Vizianello water taxi. Glide across the lagoon in its sleek interior and you’ll feel like a film star. My grandsons loved their silent gondola ride through narrow canals on a Sunday morning, but the race across the lagoon in a Vizianello won their hearts. The company, by the way, is not only a premier boatbuilder but also a leader in sustainable nautical transport.

Off the Beaten Path Recommendations

We skipped a hotel and opted for an apartment rental — emboldened by our good fortune with one in Milan. This one, run by Ca’ Cappellis, was in Dorsoduro near Santa Croce and had three spacious bedrooms, a generous kitchen, and a combined dining/living area — perfect for a family with children. You overlook a quiet canal, and although you’re a bit further from the main attractions, you’re close to plenty of bars for breakfast (yes, even bacon and eggs) and can’t avoid stumbling across restaurants for lunch and dinner.

We had a surprisingly good meal at Trattoria Alle Burchielle, where you can sit by the canal and watch gondolas glide by. While the color photos of the entire menu were a bit jarring, they likely save the friendly waitstaff a lot of explanation. If you dine outdoors, a local duck family will almost certainly visit your table. I greeted them in fluent Donald Duck and was, I believe, understood.

Another standout meal was at Hosteria OsottoOsopra — an unassuming spot with no glossy food photos, but outstanding dishes. A spaghetti alla carbonara (in Venice, of all places) was unforgettable. This is the kind of restaurant where you can safely expand your seafood vocabulary — or try a duck ragù. Don’t worry — it’s not made from the Burchielle ducks.