If you're staying anywhere near Hotel Al Sotoportego, do yourself a favor and eat at Al Vagon. My two daughters and I were staying at Hotel Al Sotoportego, and this restaurant is literally right outside the hotel entrance along the canal. The moment you step out the door, you're practically part of the restaurant. Every time we walked by, it was packed, and every dish that came out looked incredible. It was our last night in Venice, and we made a last-minute decision to cancel our dinner reservations at another well-known restaurant and eat here instead. It turned out to be one of the best decisions we made during our entire trip. Even though they were extremely busy and we didn't have reservations, the owner, Giovanna, welcomed us with such warmth and kindness. She asked us to wait just a few minutes inside, made sure we were comfortable, and even turned the fan/air conditioning toward us while we waited. That simple gesture said everything about how much she cares about her guests. When we finally sat down, every single bite was outstanding. My daughters and I devoured everything we ordered and literally cleaned our plates. The food was authentic, fresh, and absolutely delicious. But what truly makes Al Vagon special is the hospitality. Since it was our last day in Venice, we were trying to figure out how to avoid dragging three large suitcases through Venice and over the Rialto Bridge to get to Marco Polo Airport for our flight to Santorini. As we were eating, we noticed there was a water taxi dock literally next to our table. Since the restaurant sits right on the canal, we wondered if it would be possible to arrange for a private water taxi to pick us up directly outside our hotel. Our waiter immediately offered to help and asked Giovanna if she had the phone number for a private water taxi. We already thought that was incredibly thoughtful. But then Giovanna went above and beyond. When I thanked her, she didn't just hand me a phone number--she personally called and arranged the entire pickup for us. The next morning, our private water taxi arrived exactly on time right outside our hotel. We stepped aboard with our luggage and enjoyed one of the most beautiful rides of our trip all the way to Marco Polo Airport. It cost €170, and it was worth every single euro for the convenience, the scenery, and the stress-free ending to our Venice stay. Giovanna, thank you for your incredible hospitality, your kindness, and for serving my daughters and me one of the most memorable meals we had in Venice. You turned what could have been a stressful travel day into a perfect ending to our trip. We can't wait to come back. Until next time--grazie mille! read more

Service was great! 10/10 Our server was friendly, offered suggestions, spoke English, and checked on us throughout. Food was very fresh. Seriously, the fish came out with the head and tail still in it. The waiter asked if we wanted to filet it or if we wanted him to do it. The waiter did it so quick. My salmon dish was super fresh as well. It came with potatoes. I ordered a tomato ensalad, which was a bowl of tomatoes. I didn't know that lol I ate the tomatoes with my salmon. My favorite dish was the TAGLIOLINI ALL'ASTIC. That was amazingly good! The flavor was there and the noodles were delicious! 10/10 dish right there. My husband had the squid ink pasta and loved that. The food was good all around. Ambiance was a sit down restaurant. A little more upscale, but not too much that you can't wear casual clothes inside. We weren't dressed up and they let us in. Make sure to have a reservation! They get busy, especially since the outdoor dining is by the canal. read more

See all

Our Airbnb host recommended this restaurant and it did not disappoint. The streets of Venice are hard to manage for a first timer with no cell reception, but we finally managed to find it. These folks were very kind and accommodating. We ordered the steak, the branzino, gnocchi and a couple aperol spritz. It was all amazing accompanied by a romantic setting next to a canal. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone looking to find a restaurant away from the big squares. read more

See all

Would highly recommended this place! My friend and I made a reservation and they sat us at the most perfect table right by the water. Our waiter was so awesome. He took such great care of us and was so attentive. He gave us great recommendations as well. The food was AMAZING. I got the special: king crab gnocchi and my friend got clam pasta. The portions were nice, could've been a bit larger but no complaints. The price was reflective of the food quality and the restaurant ambience and location. Would definitely come back here!! read more

Trattoria al Vagon - View from our table - Barbeque Near Me - Venezia, VE

See all

We had a reservation at 9:00pm. Did not get seated until 9:20pm. Wait staff was clearly in the weeds and the waiter complained they were understaffed. Ee had calamari as an appetizer, which was lightly breaded and good. We had the shrimp scampi and the spaghetti with clams as a main, and both were just not good. I would not recommend this place, not would I ever go back. read more

such a lovely trattoria. best to make a reservation if you want to sit outside. but inside, we were able to watch Mama as she bustled about the room, making sure everyone was satisfied! my seafood risotto was outstanding! read more

Trattoria al Vagon - Seafood risotto... yum! - Barbeque Near Me - Venezia, VE

This place charges a €4 charge per person but does not have the charge listed on the menu or anywhere outside. The reason this place automatically gets a low rating is because they recycle their table bread. It was repulsive to discover after we ate bread. We didn't finish all the bread in our basket and the waiter removed it from our table and threw the remaining pieces into the same container that he got the bread from. We're all for mitigating waste, but that is just unsanitary! Then, after all of that, the waiter asked for a tip. So what is the additional €4/person for and also, tipping is not a cultural thing in Italy... Would not recommend. read more

STAY AWAY! Service terrible. Food was mediocre. The staff including the lady hostess and manager behind the bar are very rude, and condescending. Restrooms dirty, I asked for another bottle of water and never received it. Trust me....plenty of other restaurants. read more

Cute to the eye. But that's all it has to offer. The spaghetti bolognese: Any bottle sauce would be better. (We make our own) The Lasagna has no meat. The reviews were good and the canal side location was a draw, But that is where it should end. I hate to give a bad review. It would take very little additional effort to improve from bad to just okay. I'd say; Stay away. But I can give 1 positive feed back. The restrooms were spotless. All the reviews are from awhile ago. That is on us. The reviews were all 24 months ago. The service was good. Unfortunately the food was not. :( sad to post. read more

Trattoria al Vagon - Lasagna with no flavor. - Barbeque Near Me - Venezia, VE

See all

Would highly recommend. Beautiful location, wonderful staff, delicious food. Giovanna is lovely and was overly accommodating for our large party. I had the risotto and it was a 10/10! Consiglio vivamente. Bella posizione, personale meraviglioso, cibo delizioso. Giovanna è adorabile ed è stata eccessivamente accomodante per la nostra grande festa. Ho avuto il risotto ed era un 10/10! read more

See all

Oh it was such a special and truly Venetian restaurant filled with family tradition and great food. Mama was a joy and so gracious as was her daughter and other staff. Tucked alongside a small canal it was intimate and yet convenient. The seafood risotto is to die for!!!! So yummy! read more

See all

If you're looking for a beautiful canal-side table with amazing food, this is your place. We had seen the gorgeous outdoor dining area walking past and knew we had to eat here for a meal. We stopped by for a late lunch and asked to sit by the water and got exactly that. Nothing beats watching the boats and gondolas pass by as you sip some vino. We shared a carafe of the house white wine and it was delicious! We also shared the caprese salad that was incredibly fresh and flavorful. I ordered the Spaghetti Pomodoro and it was possibly one of my favorite pasta dishes in Venice. Although a simple one, it was very flavorful and cooked perfectly al dente. Our server was so kind and gave great recommendations! Reasonably priced for all the food and wine we had. Highly recommend! read more

See all

Horrible service, Sirloin Steak ordered was not sirloin but was VERY fatty, incredibly overcooked. read more

Picture a warm evening and sitting by a canal in Venice in a wonderful seafood restaurant. That picture would be Al Vagon. Nice red wine, their house red is difficult to beat. Service in here is very hard to beat. Service with a smile, and that smile is real. Our starters arrived. Nice juicy prawns for my partner and six gigas oysters for me. This was followed by a plateful of langustine for both of us. Totally delicious. Price a little on the dear side but you pay for what you get and I am not complaining. Love the restaurant and food. Looking forward to returning at some time. read more

The seafood pasta was okay, too salty The shrimp pasta was average. Definitely a tourist place The view was pretty good tho. Definitely a tourist place Will not come back.... read more

Our experience here was great!! Food excellent, best service we had in Venice,the ambiance is unique, next time we vacation in Venice; we'll dining in Al Vagon again!! read more

This was such a hit and miss experience. First we ordered the mix seafood starter. When it came we all thought to ourselves uh oh, sardines, squid..but that waa a very pleasant surprise. The 1st course not so much. Take the menu literally, crab with noodles means just that. No sauce except crab juice and a few tomatoes. The menu does warn you of some previously frozen food and the prawns were that so were soft and mushy. Service was great and the wine was excellent so maybe we don't know the cuisine yet. read more

Trattoria al Vagon - Crab revealing his inside pasta - Barbeque Near Me - Venezia, VE

See all

Can't beat sitting by the canal. The service and the food are good. However, you really go here to bask in the surroundings.

We went there after dinner rush and after summer season. We waited 45 minutes at a table before we even had a waiter take our order (they knew we were there as they had seated us). The food came out sporadically (they brought our dinner vegetables with the appetizer so it was cold with our meal). The pasta was way too undercooked , and we eat our pasta Al Dente so it was extremely undercooked. The waiter did not even put in our last course (which was in a way ok so the meal ended sooner). Another 30 minute wait AFTER we asked for the bill (we had to ask 3 different people). There's good food in Venice, don't waste your money on this place. read more

HORRIBLE SERVICE. The staff at this sad excuse for a 'Venetian' restaurant was so unwelcoming and extremely rude. We entered the restaurant, asked for the wine menu only, ordered an entire bottle and dessert, then were escorted out and asked to leave by the manager purely because they 'wanted the table for people looking to pay more'. Humiliating experience and a blemish on this beautiful city. Beyond disappointed, definitely skip this restaurant on your visit. read more

Food was amazing. My family and I were treated to a delicious dinner in a calm and ambient environment. The staff was friendly and the owner gave us two free dishes! read more

Horrible place. We stopped for drinks and apps. Two of us went to wash up before and were accounted with attitude. The proprietor was even worse after searing. Don't be fooled by the canal side terrace. It's a dump not worth spending your money. Keep walking down to Bàcaro Jazz. Much nice and god for drinks and snacks. read more

Wonderful tucked away location where you can sit by the canal watching the gondolas pass as you enjoy your meal. The pastas we're delicious and all the staff members were very funny and friendly. Upon special request, they made spaghetti carbonara (minimum 2 people) and it was delicious. read more

don't come here...had good service from our server until the boss came out and yelled at us for the way we removed the empty clams from our pasta dish on a side plate. he came up yelling saying "why are we you doing this" "it's very rude" "why did you do that". don't come here unless you want to be ridiculed for the way you eat your food and get yelled at at the end of your meal. food was ok could have made better pasta at home, view was gorgeous but that's the best part and it was not worth it. read more

We were treated excellent and staff was so friendly and accommodating. We have age range of 8 to 66 and food was amazing for all as well as staff was WONDERFUL with the kids! read more

See all

This is right on the canal, it's beautiful but I believe the address is incorrect The pictures are of Ristorante Al Vagon at 5597 Sotoportego Del Magazen read more

Trattoria al Vagon - Barbeque Near Me - Venezia, VE

My friends & I mostly indulged in the beverage menu here, so I can't speak for the food. However, I will say that they have a tank of live sea animals so I can't imagine that that food is anything but fresh, and probably delectable. The drink prices are affordable, as is the case in most of Italy for vino. The service and hospitality of this place is what kept us coming back during every night of our visit. The owner and the servers are very easy to speak to - ask them for recommendations of what to do and places to visit, and you'll not be lead astray. read more

This was my last dinner in Venice. After being to so many other restaurants here, it was nice to get a relatively quick and inexpensive meal. All the staff are extremely friendly and speak English. Their menu is also in French and German. We ordered the 4 cheese gnocchi, mushroom and cream tagliatelle and tiramisu. All was delicious and pretty big portions (for Italy). No coperto charge and only a 10% service charge. Only 4 out of 5 because the food wasn't AMAAAZING. For Venice, however, I highly reccomend this place. read more

5 stars for the tiramisu . This goddamn tiramisu was so good I almost cried tears of joy.

Amazing food and very friendly staff! Definitely go if you're in the area! Their limoncello is the best

The food was wonderful! I had the Seppie alla veneziana (Cuttledfish Venetian Art) and my cousin had the Seppie alla griglia (Grilled Cuttledfish). Both dishes were exceptional! The Grilled Cuttledfish was seasoned nicely, not too chewy and done to perfection. The Cuttledfish Venetian Art was phenomenal, I would advise getting the Cuttledfish Venetian Art, I have never tasted anything like it, fair warning the Cuttledfish is covered in a black sauce which displays the venetian art. Then we finished the night with Tiramisu, which was fabulous, and on the house lemoncello. The wait staff and owners were very nice and accommodating to our many questions about venetian food recommendations. My cousin and I wanted to make the most of our trip to Venice, the understanding and helpful mother, gradmother and staff made it a night to remember, thank you! I would recommend this place to anyone, especially people seeking for a taste of Venice! read more

Honest family run restaurant. The mom and grandma are both working there and the staff is exceptionally pleasant. It's a place that locals eat at so you know it's good. It's not easy to find but definitely worth it. It's near the Rialto bridge so you can see the bridge on your way. As an added bonus Al Vagon is on a small canal. So if you get there early enough 1. you might get a seat by the water and 2. the gondolas will still be running if it's still light out. The lasagna was the best I've had in Italy. It was home made. Many of the dishes are home made here. For dessert make sure to get the Spimoni Amaretto. It's made by the grandma. It's not at all spimoni like we are used to, no little fruits in it. It's truly amazing. Trust me, order it. The "Coperto" (cover charge) is 3 euro per person (completely normal in Italy) and this is the ONLY extra charge you will see on your bill. They are honest and prices are reasonable. Lasagne was 10 euros as was Spaghetti Bolonese. We ate here both nights we were in Italy because 1. the food was great 2. the staff was exceptional 3. the location was on a charming little canal 4. they were honest. read more