Giudecca residents roll up for coffee at 7am and for the obligatory spritz or ombra (small glass of wine) at aperitivo hour. But at lunch time (because that’s the only meal served) a whole other clientele materializes as the kitchen begins churning out some exceptional seafood. You can taste the sea in La Palanca’s dishes, which range from huge platters of excellent seafood antipasti—raw and cooked—to great pasta with squid and artichokes or simple, grilled Adriatic fish.

As with many of Venice's best eateries, La Palanca feels like (and to all intents and purposes is) a neighbourhood bar even when it's packed with hungry diners, who eat lunch (no dinner is available) in the cheerful back room or at the highly-sought-after tables by the Giudecca canal. The cuttlefish-ink risotto is delicious, as are mains like grilled tuna with balsamic vinegar and sesame seeds. There are meat and vegetarian options too.

On a hot summer’s day, the breezy waterside tables of La Palanca are bliss. The convivial eatery is always packed with diners eager for a lunchtime spot (food is only served till 2:30 pm) by the Giudecca canal with a panoramic view of Venice just over the water. This is the place for classic, quality fish dishes like baccalà (codfish mousse) and cuttlefish-ink risotto.

It's all about the views at this classic, informal wine bar–restaurant, where tables perched on the water’s edge are often filled with chatty patrons, particularly at lunchtime. The homemade pasta and fish dishes are highly recommended, and although they don't really serve dinner, a filling selection of cicheti is offered in the evening.

Giudecca is the district for the closest major islands to the main island of Venice. It’s where many high-end hotels and villas are found, and it’s a little quieter than the rest of Venice since you have to take a vaporetto (water taxi) to get there. But it just might be worth it for the view of the canal and the Basilica Santa Maria della Salute from the waterfront terrace at La Palanca.

If you want to start your day along the Fondamenta del Ponte Piccolo, this is a local favorite that will not disappoint. You can get coffee and pastries starting at 7 am here, but they serve a lunch/brunch for the rest of the early part of the day. This is a lovely place to eat near the canal and to watch the activities going on while you enjoy your breakfast.

Already the locals are spilling out of La Palanca bar a few doors down, with their pre-lunch glasses of Spritz or Prosecco. The Venetian dialect is so thick you could cut it with a knife, and on this bitingly cold January day no other languages, not even Italian, dilute those sharp vowels, those truncated syllables.

For simple, no-frills Venetian cuisine with a stellar view across to the spires of Dorsoduro, this Giudecca spot, well off the tourist trail, is hard to beat. Grab a table on the waterside for coffee and cake (most locals take breakfast standing at the bar), or have a sandwich, a…

These cozy little establishment is close to the vaporetto stop and is literally just opposite Dorsoduro. The staff are super friendly and the quality to price ratio is very good. Like a few other places where you can stop by for a coffee, an Aperitivo, or a main meal.

La Palanca (Giudecca) Great traditional restaurants with indoor and outdoor searing right on the water (not a small and quaint canal: it’s one the large and scenic Giudecca canal which is wide but wonderful). Photos and reviews on TripAdvisor / La Palanca

La Palanca: (Address: Fondamenta Sant’Eufemia, 448, 30133 Venezia VE, Italy/Hours: 7AM–9PM; Sunday: Closed), affordable price in the range of €9-15, nice view.

Fondamenta Sant’Eufemia, 448, 30133 Venezia VE, ItalyPhone: +39 041 528 7719. View this post on Instagram. A post shared by Davide Simonato (@da.lu.da)

La Palanca on the Giudecca — workers ate there early when we did and then regular customers came in at 1:30pm