When I want to eat something simple and genuine, cooked just like my grandmother would make it and just a few steps away from Ponte dei Tre Archi, in Cannaregio disctrict, Trattoria dalla Marisa is the perfect solution.

This small family-owned restaurant is mainly frequented by students and workers stopping by for lunch break during their busy studying/working days. The informal, friendly ambience makes you feel like home, even if you are not a native Italian speaker. The staff welcomes you right away and they present and explain what the house has to offer that day. Don’t expect to find a usual paper menu, as it changes everyday, depending on the daily supplies. That’s why a waitress will tell you what’s there is to choose.

The venue is old-fashioned, with old pictures hanging everywhere on wooden walls and the limited space facilitating socializing with strangers around you: you almost share the same tables. There are a couple of tables outside, in front of the canal, too, but I personally like giving advice to foreigners if they want to know something about their dishes or the city in general. Last but not least, they have a lunch menu for only 15€.