Locanda al Leon

The Locanda al Leon is a little jewel of a hotel. By bus or train get the 51 (52 going back) Vaporetti boat to San Zaccaria (about 20 minutes..4 stops), just make sure you go to boat stop on the same side of the canal as the bus station, it's 100 metres to the left looking at the canal. As you get off the boat you will see the Hotel Excelsior in front of you. Go to the left hand side of the hotel and under the arches running along the left side of the hotel is the Calle Albanesi (It's just like a small 3 metre wide passage way). After about 100 metres you will see the red canopy of the Leon. If you approach from St Marks square. The hotel is situated on the dot of the tail of the 9 on the map and is above the metal shop front grills on the right of photo number 9.

There is a great little Chinese in the square where you can get the 2 course special for 9 euros. Looking from the shops below the hotel there is an excellent Italian restaurant 15 yards away on the left. Here you can get a litre jug of house red for a pittance and the food is excellent and cheaper than UK. Look for the one where you can see the chef cooking the pizzas etc nearest to St Marks.

Another good place (I like my food) is as you walk out of the front door of the hotel turn right and 10metres away on the opposite side of the calle is a small bar with a bakery in the back. Here they sell very reasonable hot Italian pasties to eat in of take away. It is frequented by the locals and is excellent. You can even buy a couple of pasties to take back to your room.

The continental breakfast in the hotel is fine and they have now opened up another room on the top floor where there are about 5 tables. The owner of the hotel is one of the nicest guys you could hope to meet and the rest of the staff treat you as valued guests.

The rooms are great and very well sound proofed. Don't hesitate go for this one.

Just remember when you are going back to get the 52 to Roma Piz. It over a bridge about 50 metres from the 51 stop. They run every 20 minutes and the fare (12/05) is 3.5 euros each.