The Devil's Forest Pub - Venice, Italy

by The Travel Italy Grapevine

The Devil's Forest pub is a surprising find just a short walk from the Rialto Bridge in Venice, Italy.

If you are looking for a place with great atmosphere, that serves a plate of no-frills staple Italian food and is cheap, then head for the Devil's Forest Pub.

This is not the place to come if you want a fancy meal with white table cloths and silverware. It is after all a pub, and that is the type of food you will get; plain, simple, filling and cheap.

It is an Irish pub believe it or not, in the heart of the tourist district complete with wood paneling, brass, lead glass, tartan fabric and a stag's head. They relinquish a little to incorporate some Italian decor by including a wild boar's head not too far away from the stag. And these both make up part of their logo.

The lads behind the bar at Devil's Forest Pub help make the place what it is, especially Johnny who has an Irish accent, is very loud but speaks fluent Italian. Their motto is the beer comes first, everything else comes after.

The day we were there, there was no menu in sight, except for a board outside which listed the dishes for the day. We were offered a choice of 4 pasta dishes; spaghetti cabonara, pasta and tomato sauce, pasta and meat sauce and pasta with prawns with courgettes. I plumbed for the last dish, while my husband had the pasta and meat sauce.

Both dishes were simple fare, but equally delicious and a pleasure to receive the bill, where each dish had cost us 8 euros each.

The place was humming with people and many had to be turned away as there just wasn't any more room for any more bodies. It was not just well-frequented by tourists but also by locals alike, which is always a good sign, especially in Venice, where you can be horribly ripped-off as a tourist if you are not careful.

The Devil's Forest Pub also offers entertainment in the evening with darts, and music. In the morning you can get an English Breakfast and in the afternoon English tea.

So, if you are near the Rialto Bridge, and need something to eat or drink, head down to the Devil's Forest Pub. You can find them by having the bridge behind you heading towards Campo S. Bartolemeo in the Cannaregio district. It's down a little alley way called Calle del Stagneri and very visible from the campo.