Good Pizza in Venice

Good pizza and Italy always go hand in hand, right?  No.  Especially in Venice, where tourist traps dominate the pizza scene.  I walk past numerous pizza stands every day, and these places are selling bad imitations of Italian pizza; I've seen better pizzas in the frozen food section in US grocery stores.

Birraria La Corte, however, makes some very good pizza.  The crust is thin and crunchy, especially around the edges.  They serve their pizza with a light layer of melted mozzarella and don't overload the toppings.  A good pizza has a balance of crust, sauce, cheese, and toppings; one of these shouldn't dominate the others.  Each bite is a medley of flavors playing in your mouth.  My favorite at Birraria is the capricciosa, which comes with mushrooms, artichokes, and prosciutto.

I was with my mom in Venice several years ago, and we found this place while wandering Venice and looking for an outdoor cafe.  We liked it so much, we went back that trip and on later trips to Venice.  She would order one of their salads, and I would order a pizza.  Then, we'd share.  

I always forgot the name, but remembered that is was in Campo San Polo.  I found it again when I first arrived and have returned several times for a filling lunch or at night with friends.  The restaurant has 150 seats outside and 150 seats inside and is open until 11:30pm, which works well for students who get out of class late and/or want to dine late.  Tables are gathered at the end of the Campo San Polo under umbrellas and can be separated into seating for two or combined for larger groups.

I usually spend between 14 and 18 euros for a pizza and a drink.  Besides salads and pizza, they also serve pasta and second courses, but I always come for the pizza.  

Birraria La Corte is located at Campo San Polo 2168 in Venice, and you can check them out online at www.birrarialacorte.it.

Comments

[My Carolina Kitchen]

Great pizzas. I like mine simple such as the Margherita, but the prosciutto sounds fabulous on it.
I agree it's smart to avoid the tourist traps.
Sam

[Paula Aiello]

Sounds like a place to put on my "must-do" list. When I was last in Venice, I was only there for a day (can you imagine?), so I didn't get to explore much. Cameron & I have read a couple of great books this year which were set in Venice, so I'm collecting quite a list of places to dream about. In the meantime, I'll have eat Papa Murphy's on my patio.

[Jozee Pizzurro]

The prosciutto, mushrooms and artichoke pizza sounds delicious. One of my favorites in Italy is the Margherita. Sicilians make one of the best.
I haven't bought a frozen US pizza in years, but if they are better than the tourist traps in Venice, I might buy one.

[Food Lover Kathy]

Jozee and Paula----No, don't do it---no frozen pizzas, even if you aren't in Italy. There is a great pizza place in your area (they have opened more than the original one in Pleasant Hill)...www.melospizzapasta.com. Go there instead. The owners are Calabrese and know how to make a good pizza---ask for a thin crust to get the most authentic type of pizza!

[Jozee Pizzurro]

I promise never to ever buy a frozen grocery store pizza, My favorite place in this area happens to be the one that you mentioned - Melo's in Pleasant Hill, Ca. We go there often and always order the pizza.

[Paula Aiello]

No,no frozen pizzas. Melo's is good. Papa Murphy's is a bake-at-home ... not great but tolerable when we're in a hurry. I prefer the sweeter crusts, though.